Small ball came up big once again for the Central College softball team, swiping eight bases in knocking off the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in NCAA Division III regional action Friday as heard live on 92.1 KRLS.
Central (31-10) moves on in the winners’ bracket of the four-team, double-elimination regional to Saturday’s championship at 11 a.m. at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex softball field, taking on Bethel University (Minn.) (32-10), which ousted the University of Wisconsin-Superior 10-3 and Wis.-Whitewater 3-1 to come through the losers’ bracket. The Dutch need just one more win to claim the regional title while a Bethel victory will force a second and final game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. It’s a rematch of last year’s regional finale in which Bethel defeated Central 4-3 in nine innings on the second day of the tourney, then prevailed in the finale 1-0.
Just as in Thursday’s 10-2, five-inning runaway against Wis.-Superior, the Dutch struck early Friday, scoring twice in the first as catcher Rylee Dunkin (freshman, Hamilton, Twin Cedars HS) had an RBI single. Central added two runs in the third but things almost came unraveled in the bottom of the third when a two-out error led to the Warhawks loading the bases. But pitcher Emma Beck (sophomore, Holland, Grundy Center HS) calmed the waters by delivering a called third strike on a 3-2 count to end the frame and let coach George Wares avoid making an early call to his bullpen. Beck (15-5), who was named the American Rivers Pitcher of the Year Thursday, went 5.2 innings, allowing a run on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
“I think she did get a little bit out of rhythm (after the error),” Wares said. “I think the strikeout obviously helped her, and you could see Dunkin’s reaction (behind the plate), the excitement. That was a big play early.”
Morgan Schaben (5th-year, Portsmouth, Harlan HS) made her 32nd appearance of the season, six shy of the school season mark, in getting the final four outs, giving up a hit and a walk while fanning one.
“Emma went pretty deep and pitched really well against a team that hits the ball exceptionally well and Morgan, as she’s been doing all year, came in and gave us a solid effort,” Wares said.
Center fielder Emma Johnson (5th-year, Davenport, Assumption Catholic HS) had two hits and three stolen bases. Third baseman Franie Burnett (senior, Ankeny, Centennial HS) also had two hits along with two steals and Dunkin had two hits and a steal. The Dutch outhit Wis.-Whitewater 9-6.
Central holds a 158-46 advantage over opponents in stolen bases. That’s the second-highest season theft total in school history. The 2000 squad set the record with 182.
Central, ranked No. 25 in the NFCA Division III Coaches Top 25, and No. 22 Bethel also met March 3 at the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia. The Royals were 3-2 winners and have taken five in a row over Central.
A common denominator in those Bethel victories is fifth-year all-American pitcher Kayla Simacek, who was the winner in both Royal games Friday and is more than capable of going two full games again Saturday. Wares said she’s obviously among the nation’s best hurlers. He’s hoping a rigorous conference schedule will provide some preparation.
“If our league isn’t full of elite pitchers, they’re at least very good, and I think that helps you when you face a pitcher like that,” Wares said. “Having a history helps.”
While Central has the luxury of a second game if the first one goes awry Saturday, the Dutch will look no farther than the next pitch, Wares promised.
“We’ve been very good at that,” he said. “Even today, we weren’t thinking about this game, we were the visiting team so we were thinking let’s see if we can make something happen in the top of the first. We just asked Haley (Bach) (junior, Council Bluffs, Lewis Central HS) to have a good at-bat, it led to a walk and you just kind of keep doing that. That allows you to have that pitch-by-pitch mentality that all coaches talk about. But I don’t think you can just talk about that all of a sudden. We’ve tried to do that the entire year.”
Central is bidding for its first regional title since 2015.
AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS: