Central Softball Sweeps Doubleheader over Grinnell
The Central College softball team continued its hot streak by sweeping a doubleheader against Grinnell College that was heard live on 92.1 KRLS. The Dutch (17-3, 2-0 American Rivers) won the opening game 7-2, and followed that up with an 11-3 win in five innings in the second game.
Pitcher Jadyn Huisman got the start in game one and allowed two runs in the first inning. After that frame she held the Pioneers scoreless, throwing her first career complete game while allowing only four hits and striking out three. In the second game Chloe Dougherty pitched her second career complete game, going all five innings and allowing three runs on nine hits, with all three runs and five of those hits coming in the fifth inning.
Offensively Central had 11 hits and drew six walks in the first game. The top three hitters in the lineup, Haley Bach, Larissa Miller and Hannah Higgins each had two hits. Bach and Higgins each had an RBI, and Miller also drew a walk. Bach also scored a run, while Miller and Higgins scored two runs. Rylee Dunkin reached base all four times she came to the plate with one hit and three walks. She also scored a run and had an RBI. Emma Jensen and Elise Evans-Murphy, who replaced Jensen in left field, both had an RBI single. In the second game, the team had seven hits and drew four walks but capitalized on five Grinnell errors. Higgins and Alexa Anderson led the team with two RBIs. Emma Lenox and Mariah Parton each added an RBI as well. Parton reached base safely in both of her at bats and scored both times. Bach and Miller each scored twice as well.
The Dutch will ride its 11-game winning streak into its three-game American Rivers Conference slate this week. The Dutch open the week in Indianola with a doubleheader against Simpson starting at 4 p.m.
DeLaPaz Blasts Three Home Runs for Dutch in Baseball Doubleheader
A monster week continued for Central College baseball catcher Dom DeLaPaz with three home runs and eight RBI in a doubleheader split at Luther College Saturday. Central (13-14, 5-10 American Rivers Conference) dropped the opener 12-8 to Luther before winning the second game 11-6.
DeLaPaz was the catalyst for the Dutch offense, which recorded 29 hits on the day including nine for extra bases. Jaden Kramer totaled five hits between the two games, while Jackson Torbit had a triple in game two. Chance Dreyer, Brayden Sawyer, David Distefano, and shortstop Garrett Guenther all had a double.
Sawyer got the win on the mound in game two, after giving up just three earned runs in five innings of work, despite allowing 10 hits and two walks. Bryce Haessig recorded his fourth save of the season, tossing the final four frames and allowing one run on three hits and a walk. The duo recorded no strikeouts in a winning effort. Bryer Wiley made his second start on the mound this week following Tuesday’s start at Buena Vista University, and was tagged for seven earned runs in 3.1 innings after allowing three hits, four walks, and four hit batsmen. Three Central relievers completed the game, allowing five more runs with three more walks.
Central hosts a non-conference doubleheader against Westminster College (Mo.) at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Central Sends Contingent to Grinnell Track and Field Meet
A group of Central College track & field athletes were in competition Saturday at the Dick Young Classic hosted by Grinnell College Saturday.
Central primarily sent throwers to Grinnell with a smattering of sprinters and hurdlers. The large majority of the team went to the Jim Duncan Invitational Friday in Des Moines. Lawsen Fuller had the program’s highest finish with his runner-up effort in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in 59.84 seconds. Paige Davis was third in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 16.69 seconds and teammate Sophia Mason was seventh in 18.46 seconds. Sam Stoecker had a pair of top-eight finishes in the javelin throw and hammer throw. He set a new personal best in the hammer throw with a mark of 145 feet, 1 inch to place eighth. He was sixth in the javelin throw with a distance of 135-5. Teammate JT LaFleur was fifth in the javelin throw at 135-8.
Central’s roster will be split up across three meets next week. The team will be represented at the John Green Combined Events in Crete, Nebraska, the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California and the Augustana Meet of Champions in Rock Island, Illinois.
Central Men’s Tennis Team Picks Up Conference Win
The Dutch rebounded from Friday’s loss with a 5-2 win against Wartburg College.
The Dutch (8-12, 3-1 American Rivers) earned the doubles point with a sweep of the three matches. AJ Wilkins and Ayden Fletcher won in a tiebreak 7-4. The freshmen duo of Jack Briggs and Benny Ramker won 6-3 at #2 while Travis Subbert teamed up with Alex Slaymaker to win 6-4 at #3. In the singles matches, only Briggs and Ramker didn’t go into three sets. Briggs won 6-3, 6-1 at #2 and Ramker won 6-4, 5-7 at #4. Wilkins lost his first set 7-5 in a tiebreak before winning the next two sets 6-2. Slaymaker won his first set 6-4 before losing 6-3 in the second. He would pull out a win in a tiebreak 7-5 to win his match. Subbert, at #6, and Fletcher, at #1, both won a set in their matches but would lose in third sets. Subbert lost his match in a tiebreak.
The Dutch will continue American Rivers Conference play on Friday, hosting Coe College at 3 pm on the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex tennis courts.
Central Women’s Tennis Falls in Two Matches
The Central College women’s tennis team lost both of its matches on Saturday, falling in the opening match of the day 4-3 against Cornell College, before dropping the second match 7-0 against the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire squad.
In the match against Cornell, Central earned the doubles point. At #2 Becca Vala and Jenna Mitsuko Mahoney won 7-2 in a tiebreak and Madi Whalen and Keleigh Hall won 6-2 at #3. In the singles matches the Dutch were only able to win at #4 singles when Lauren Gano won 6-3, 6-2 and Emily Blom won 6-1, 6-4 at #6. In the final match of the day the Dutch lost the doubles point winning four games across the three sets. In the singles matches they were only able to scratch across 11 games in the 12 sets.
The Dutch will return to the courts to host Truman State University on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in their final match before the American Rivers Conference tournament.
Central Grabs Knox Men’s Golf Lead
Turning in a scorching even-par 288, the Central College men’s golf team grabbed a 3-shot lead at the Knox College (Ill.) Invitational on Saturday. Competing at the par-72 Soangetaha Country Club, Kayden Pendergrass fired a 1-under par 71 and is tied for third in the medalist race. Blake Wynn and Maison Brandt are tied for sixth at 72. Crew Klingner is tied for 11th at 73 while Carter Yurgae shot 80. Playing as an at-large entrant, Cooper Langfelt shot 91. The tourney concludes with a 9 a.m. shotgun start today.
Central Opens 12th in Illinois Women’s Golf Tourney
Allie Pfantz carded a 79 as the Central College women’s golf team opened in 12th at the 21-team, 36-hole Kathy Niepagen Spring Fling on Saturday. Competing at the par-72 Ironwood Golf Course, Pfantz stands 26th. Central shot 328 while American Rivers conference foe Wartburg is 16th at 334. Central’s Lydia Grond shot 80, while Parker Stout had 84, Amber Timmer shot 85 and Mickey Martens shot 89. It was only Central’s second outing of the spring after posting a 15th-place finish in the rain-shortened Washington University (Mo.) Spring Invitational on March 22nd. There will be a 9 a.m. shotgun start for today’s final round.