Central Offense Comes to Life in Baseball Win over Greenville
The Central College baseball team scored three runs apiece in the seventh and eighth innings en route to an 8-4 win over Greenville University (Ill.) Wednesday.
On Monday, the Dutch jumped out a 2-1 lead through three and half innings, before the game was suspended until Wednesday because of weather. Despite strong pitching by a pair of Dutch relievers, the Panther offense tallied one run apiece in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to take the lead 4-2. Nathan Brinkmeier allowed one earned run in 2.0 innings with three hits and no walks, while Turner Williams also allowed one earned run on two hits in one inning. A two-out RBI triple by Chance Dreyer in the seventh inning closed the gap to 4-3, then shortstop Garrett Guenther followed with a two-run home run that cleared the 400-foot fence sign in straightaway center field to take the lead 5-4. The Dutch tacked on three more runs with five hits in the bottom of the eighth, including RBI singles by Dreyer and designated hitter Max Steinlage. Williams earned the win on the mound and Bryce Haessig recorded his second save.
The Dutch continue their week in Florida today, taking on Saint Joseph’s College (Maine) in a doubleheader at 2:45 p.m. (EST).
Central Softball Takes Down Hanover in Kentucky
Opening its trip to Kentucky, the Central College softball team swept a doubleheader against Hanover College (Ind.), winning game one 7-1 and game two 11-2.
In the first game, the Dutch were limited to five hits but drew six walks and stole seven bases to fuel the offense. Carley Underwood and Haley Bach both drew a walk and scored a run to open the scoring for Central in the third inning. Larissa Miller added a hit and scored one run while also stealing three bases. Rylee Dunkin and Mariah Parton both had a hit and scored a run, with Dunkin also chipping in two stolen bases. In game two the Central offense exploded, scoring 11 runs on 13 hits. Bach had three hits including a two-RBI triple in a five-run fourth inning. She added three runs and two stolen bases. In the big fourth inning, Carlin Smith, Alexa Anderson, and Miller all had RBIs, while Miller added another RBI in the first inning as well. Hannah Higgins had three hits and collected three RBIs and Dunkin added two hits, one steal and one run.
The pitching was great for the Dutch in both games, with Emma Beck leading the way in the opener. Beck pitched four innings allowing just three hits and a run while striking out two. Jadyn Huisman came in relief and threw a scoreless inning without allowing a hit, followed by Rylie Van Wyk two innings of two-hit softball. Chloe Dougherty got the start in the nightcap, and went four innings allowing five hits and two runs. Huisman came on in relief again for 1.1 innings and only allowed one hit. Van Wyk recorded the final two outs of the game to extend her scoreless streak to six innings to begin the season.
The Dutch will move to Elizabethtown, Kentucky for two games Friday starting with Adrian College (Mich.) at 10 am, followed by Muskingum University (Ohio) at 2:30 pm.
Central Women’s Tennis Splits Two Matches, Men’s Tennis Swept on Wednesday
The Central College men’s and women’s tennis teams were both in action against Covenant College (Ga.) and the College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) Wednesday, with the women splitting their matches and the men falling in both.
The Dutch women’s squad defeated Covenant 5-2 in the morning, before losing to St. Scholastica 5-2 in the afternoon, while the Central men dropped the opening match 6-1 to Covenant and the second match 4-3 against St. Scholastica.
Against Covenant, the Dutch women started fast by sweeping the doubles matches while only conceding one game. Emma Murphy and Lauren Gano won 6-1 at #1 doubles, Madi Whalen and Keleigh Hall won 6-0 at #2 doubles, and Abbie Den Adel and Jayden Kissick won 6-0 at #3 doubles. In the singles matches, Central lost at #1 and #2 but finished well in the back half. Murphy picked up a 6-2, 6-0 win at #3 singles and Emily Blom moved into the lineup to snag a 6-1, 6-2 win at #4. Hall won 6-1, 6-2 at #5 singles and Kalina Schubert dominated with a 6-0, 6-0 win at #6. Against St. Scholastica, the Dutch were swept in the doubles matches, but Hall earned a 6-3, 6-1 win at #5 singles and Schubert battled for a 7-5, 6-3 win at #6 singles.
In the doubles matches against Covenant, the Central men were swept in all three contests, despite #3 doubles Travis Subbert and Ernest Alvarez Chedzoy battling before falling 7-5. In the singles matches, Jack Briggs won his third straight singles match by securing a 6-2, 6-3 win at #3. The second match of the day against St. Scholastica came down to the final match, but the Saints were able to hold on for the win. In the afternoon, the singles matches were played first, and the Dutch got wins from Briggs 6-1, 6-1 at #3 singles, Subbert 6-3, 6-3 at #5, and Benny Ramker battled after losing the first set 6-2 for a 7-6 second set win and finished it off with a win in the third set tiebreak at #6. Subbert and Chedzoy were the lone winners at #3 doubles earning a 6-4 win, but Ayden Fletcher and AJ Wilkins fell 6-4 in the deciding match at #1.
The Central tennis squads will wrap up their Florida matches today, starting with Wittenberg University at 8 am (EST) at the Wynee Warden Tennis Center in Lakeland, Florida, followed by Transylvania University (Ky.) at 6 pm (EST) at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.