The Iowa Conference tournament has come to an abrupt and disappointing end for the Central College softball team, as the No. 5-ranked Dutch were bounced from the double elimination tourney by Simpson College 8-4.  Yesterday they fell 8-7 in a 14-inning heartbreaker to Coe.  
The Dutch only mustered five hits on the day, while the Storm battered Central’s Kiley Lythberg for 11 hits.  Central also committed two errors.  
The No. 5-ranked Dutch (35-7) return home to await word of its NCAA Division III tournament fate. The 60-team field will be announced Monday morning at 11 a.m. on www.ncaa.com.
One of the eight regional tournaments will be staged in Pella next weekend and, even with the league tourney setbacks, it will be an upset of sorts if the Dutch are not tabbed as one of the teams to compete there.
Central has made 22 NCAA tourney appearances in the past 25 years, including the last two.