Today we continue the countdown of the Top 10 sports stories of the 2017-2018 school year at Central College with number four.
With her career on the line, senior right-hander Annie DeVries pitched the best softball of her career on May 11th, helping the Dutch to a 2-1 win over Northwestern, then a 2-0 win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh to boost Central’s softball team into the NCAA Regional Championship.
With Central clinging to a one-run lead in the sixth inning of game one, DeVries was called upon to get out of a two-on one-out jam, and she shut the door on the Eagles for her second save of the season.  Then against the Titans, DeVries allowed just one hit and one walk while twirling seven scoreless frames.
“It was just a fun game.  We kind of talked before the games about going out and having fun again and not worrying about what’s going to happen afterwards.  Really, it was defense. I’m not a big strikeout pitcher, and Tabitha (Taylor) made a huge catch at the end and everyone was really playing their game.”
Against Northwestern, Central got RBI singles from Emily Walton and Amanda Sigulas, then against Oshkosh, Tabitha Taylor delivered a run-scoring single, and then scored herself on a triple and a throwing error.
The Dutch played St. Thomas the following day for the regional title, and lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to finish the 2018 season with a record of 29-12.