Central Softball Comeback Clinches Sweep in Chicagoland
Shortstop Daria Parchert delivered some seventh-inning magic with the bat and the glove to give the Central College softball team a comeback victory and a doubleheader sweep at North Central College Saturday, 7-2 and 4-2, as heard live on 92.1 KRLS. The Dutch, now 14-4, entered the seventh inning of the nightcap trailing 2-1 but Parchert’s clutch two-run triple highlighted a three-run rally. Then with a runner aboard for North Central in the bottom of the seventh, a shot up the middle appeared ticketed for center field, but Parchert snagged it behind the bag and started a game-ending double play. The Dutch begin a flurry of 10 games in five days Wednesday, traveling to Waverly for an American Rivers game with Wartburg College.
Team title for Dutch women, men 2nd at Central Invitational track meet
A plethora of points on the second day of competition yielded the team championship for the Central College women’s track and field team at its home meet Saturday. Central scored 141 points to take the team title, outpacing Bemidji State University by 12, one of several Division II programs in the field. The top-three spots in the 400-meter hurdles went to Dutch athletes. Kiki Pingel of Pella was first (1:04.81), followed by Mary Gray and Lynzie Miller. The quartet of Pingel, Sarah Christopher, Lynzie Miller and Gray won the 4×400-meter relay in a time of 4:01.65.
Emily Burt (senior, Freeport, Ill.) had another stellar outing in the shot put, placing second with a mark of 44-4.75. Kaeleigh DeWaard of Pella was sixth at 40-8.25.
Behind three individual titles on Saturday, the Central College men’s track and field team finished as the runner-up at the Central Invitational. With 158 points, Central was 34 points behind Monmouth College’s winning total of 192. Several of the 10 teams in the meet were Division II programs. Running his first collegiate 400-meter hurdles, Carter Tryo was the champion in a time of 58.47 seconds. Will Daniels won the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.15 seconds. Kyle Pape took the title in the 1,500-meter run, leading the five Central runners who placed.
The Dutch men and women will compete in Des Moines at the Blue Oval Invitational hosted by Drake University next weekend.
Central Baseball Splits Saturday Twin Bill with BV
More late-game heroics from second baseman Chris Riddle helped the Central College baseball team salvage a doubleheader split against Buena Vista University Saturday afternoon. Central, now 16-6 overall and 6-5 in the American Rivers Conference,won 6-4 in the nightcap after losing 7-2 in the opener against Buena Vista University. Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded, two outs and the game knotted 3-3, Riddle belted a three-run double to blow the game open for the Dutch. Pella alumnus and Central Senior Tanner Wood had five hits on the day. Central completes a three-game series against Loras College on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Dubuque.