No. 19 Central rallies to beat Storm twice

PELLA, Iowa – No. 19 Central came back to beat the Simpson College softball team twice in a pair of one-run affairs on Saturday in Pella.

The walk-off woes continued for the Storm (24-12, 7-7 A-R-C) in game one of the doubleheader as Central (21-6, 8-0 A-R-C) emerged victorious 6-5 in the eighth after forcing extras with a two-run rally in the seventh. In the nightcap, the Dutch plated three runs in the sixth to win 5-4.

GAME ONE BREAKDOWN

• Katie Shaner hit a two-out single in the top of the first to give Simpson an early 2-0 lead. Ashlyn Steen and Alexis Ehlers both scored on the play after opening the game with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, respectively.
• Central leveled the game in the fourth but the Storm were quick to respond and went back in front 4-2 the next inning. Megan Heidelbauer and Ehlers hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to regain the lead.
• The Dutch were down to their final out of the game when Haley Bach singled through the left side to pull the home team within one run, 4-3. Pinch hitter Emma Lenox followed suit with an RBI single of her own to tie the game.
• Shaner opened the eighth inning with her third hit of the day and a couple of wild pitches allowed pinch runner Rylee Purvis to advance to third with nobody out. Purvis later scored on a sacrifice fly by Mackenzie James, putting Simpson ahead 5-4.
• A couple of walks came back to bite the Storm in the home half as Mariah Parton singled up the middle with runners at second and third, securing the walk-off victory.

GAME ONE LEADERS

• Katie Shaner: 3-for-3, 2 RBI, 1 walk
• Ashlyn Steen: 2-for-3, 1 walk, 2 runs, 3 stolen bases

GAME TWO BREAKDOWN

• Katie Shaner drove in the first score of the second game as well, hitting a single to left center to score Megan Heiderbauer, who reached on a base hit through the left side. Makayla Fowler knocked in another run one batter later.
• Singles by Haley Bach and Franie Burnett tied the game in the third, but just like in the opener, Simpson grabbed the lead right back with a pair of runs the next at-bat. Kate Kriegel doubled in Mackenzie James before scoring on Ashlyn Steen's sixth triple of the year.
• In the sixth inning, Central used a couple of bases-loaded walks to even the score at 4-4. Emma Johnson later poked a single through the right side for the go-ahead run, but Simpson prevented any further damage by throwing Carson Fisk out at home plate on the play.
• Simpson managed just one hit in the seventh, falling short by one run for the third straight outing and sixth time this season.

GAME TWO LEADERS

• Kate Kriegel: 2-for-3, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run
• Megan Heidelbauer: 2-for-4, 1 run
• Ashlyn Steen: 1-for-3, 1 triple, 1 walk, 1 RBI

NOTES

• Simpson has suffered three walk-off losses in its last six games.
• Alexis Ehlers is three RBIs away from tying the program's single-season record.
• Ashlyn Steen now has 29 stolen bases in 2024. She needs seven more to tie the single-season mark.

UP NEXT
Simpson steps away from conference play to face Wis.-Platteville on April 28 in a pair of makeup contests originally scheduled for March 24. The Storm will then close out the regular season with a home doubleheader against Luther on May 4.