Megan Swingen April 24, 2009

No. 4 Dutch outlast Dana for sweep

PELLA—With stiff winds blowing out, Central College’s softball pitchers were in need of some help and outfielder Ryann Engholm (senior, Bloomington, Minn., Thomas Jefferson HS) and first baseman Katie Tenboer (sophomore, Morrison, Ill.) delivered as the Dutch outlasted Dana College (Neb.) 5-4 and 7-3 Friday. That wraps up the regular season for No. 4-rated Central (34-4). A non-conference Sunday doubleheader at Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) was cancelled earlier Friday. So the Dutch won’t return to action until they play host to the six-team Iowa Conference tournament Thursday through Saturday.    

Engholm and Tenboer each homered and had four hits on a hitter-friendly afternoon. The Dutch had 17 hits in the two games and needed most of them. Central, which clinched at least a share of the conference title with a doubleheader sweep at Loras College Wednesday, was jolted back to reality by Dana (19-19), an NAIA squad coached by former Dutch assistant Marcy Roff. The hard-hitting Vikings made an early bid to spoil Central’s Senior Day, jumping on hurler Kylie Lythberg (sophomore, Mount Prospect, Ill.) for four runs on four hits in the first two innings.

But Tenboer’s RBI single in the third inning got Central started and designated player Rachael Everingham (freshman, Georgetown, Ill., Ridge Farm HS) followed with a two-run single to pull within 4-3. Lythberg (15-2) battled the conditions well enough to allow just two hits the rest of the way and Central finally grabbed the lead in the fifth. The increasingly reliable Everingham, who took over the team batting lead Friday with a .380 mark, delivered a game-tying hit, extending her hitting streak to 11 games. Two batters later Central moved on top with an RBI hit by catcher Kyrie Hale (freshman, Lee’s Summit, Mo.). Hale is hitting .375.

Lythberg was charged with two earned runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts while going the distance.

Engholm’s third homer of the season gave Central a first-inning lead in the nightcap. It was her ninth career round-tripper, placing her fifth on Central’s all-time list. Hale drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second and Tenboer continued her recent turnaround with her second home run in three days, a two-run shot to center field in the third inning.

Center fielder Alysha Overturf (senior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) doubled and scored in the fourth, giving the Dutch a seemingly comfortable 5-0 lead.

But Dana’s Melana Selzle belted a three-run sixth-inning homer to make it 5-3. Engholm responded again, however, with a two-out, two-run triple to right field in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-3. It was her fourth triple of the season and the ninth of her career, tying her for fifth on the all-time charts.

“It was nice to see Ryann have a big day on Senior Day,” coach George Wares said. “I thought all of our seniors played pretty well.”

Seniors in addition to Engholm include Overturf, Swingen and left fielder Hannah Weindruch (Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS). They’ve led Central to a 117-46 record over the past four seasons. The 34 wins this year are Central’s most since 2004.

Swingen (15-1) scattered nine hits over seven innings, walking none and striking out four.

“The wind was a huge factor,” Wares said. “Any ball that got up in the air was dangerous. But I actually thought our pitchers threw pretty well, considering the conditions. Kylie (Lythberg) settled down after the first couple innings and Megan (Swingen) was pretty tough.”

Central was guilty of six errors on the day, which did not go unnoticed by the head coach, but the Dutch had some defensive gems as well. Hale picked two runners off second base and another off third. Her two pickoffs in the first game tied the single-game mark set by 2008 all-American Kelly Harris during her freshman season in 2005.

While the Dutch take the weekend off, the rest of the Iowa Conference will sort things out Saturday. The only certainty for next week’s six-team league tournament is that Central has the No. 1 seed. Wartburg College could tie for the title and claim the No. 2 seed by sweeping Luther College at Decorah.

The opening tournament game is set for 10 a.m. Thursday. Central will play its first tourney game at 2 p.m.