Wright May 7, 2009

Central falls in opening game of NCAA tourney

INDIANOLA—Central College found itself looking up at a four-run deficit before its first at bat and never regained its footing in a first-round NCAA Division III softball tournament loss to Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.)

The start of the game was delayed nearly 3 hours because of a rain delay in an earlier game and a water main break behind the pitching circle.

The Dutch (36-7) must try to scratch its way back through the loser’s bracket in the eight-team, double-elimination tourney. Central comes back Friday at 1 p.m. to take on Washington-St. Louis Univ. (Mo.), a 1-0, 10-inning loser to Luther College Thursday. Gustavus Adolphus (36-7) meets Luther College in the winner’s bracket at 5 p.m.

After retiring the first two hitters in the first inning, a couple of bloop hits and defensive missteps, followed by a two-run homer resulted in an early 4-0 hole for the Dutch.

Central, which was guilty of five errors on the night, committed two in the third inning, resulting in a pair of unearned runs and a 6-0 deficit.

Yet as they have so often, the Dutch battled back. Afton Nelson (junior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) walked and later scored on a Ryan Engholm (senior, Bloomington, Minn., Thomas Jefferson HS) sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning. A pinch-hit single by Trysh Shimak (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) and a single by Nelson each brought home a run in the fourth. Central cut the gap to 6-4 in the fifth inning when designated player Rachael Everingham (freshman, Georgetown, Ill., Ridge Farm HS) drove in a run with an infield hit. The Dutch then had the tying runs aboard with two outs, but left them stranded. A shot by catcher Kyrie Hale (freshman, Lee’s Summit, Mo.) was speared by the second baseman to end the inning.

Gustavus Adolphus then settled the issue with five runs in the sixth, four of which were unearned. A two-out grand slam broke it open.

Coach George Wares said Central’s first-inning deficit was all too familiar.

“We got two big outs but then, it’s kind of the way it’s been going the last part of the season,” he said. “We made some mistakes and we’re down four runs. At this level, when you’re down 4-0 it’s tough to come back. A positive is that we did come back. If Kyrie’s hit gets through in the fifth and we get the thing tied at 6-6, it’s a different game and who knows what might happen?

“But you can’t make five errors and win against teams like this.”

Kiley Lythberg (sophomore, Mount Prospect, Ill.) took the loss, giving up 10 hits and a walk with four strikeouts in six innings.

“Give Gustavus credit,” Wares said. “They were hitting the ball hard and when you hit the ball hard it increases the likelihood of errors.”