1	2	3	4	5	6	7				R	H	E
Ithaca	0	0	0	0	0	0	0				0	2	1
Central	0	0	0	0	0	0	1				1	3	2

Central slips past Ithaca with run in bottom of 7th inning

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — It took six innings to get warmed up, but the Central fastpitch softball team finally solved Ithaca pitcher Abby Hanrahan, as the Dutch collected two of their three hits in the bottom of the seventh en route to a 1-0 victory in the opening game of the NCAA Division III National Championships Thursday afternoon at Gelein Field.

The Dutch had managed just a two-out, third-inning single off the Bombers' sophomore pitcher, before Annie Van Wetzinga — Central's All-American catcher and the team's offensive leader — laced a lead-off single in the seventh. Kristen Stecker moved pinch-runner Jill Pirkl to second with a one-out sacrifice bunt, and Mandy Jens followed with line-drive single to right that scooted off Bomber rightfielder Mairin Dudek's leg, allowing Pirkl to score the game's only run.

The win was the fourth straight for the Dutch, who improve to 39-8 overall and earn a spot in Friday's 4 p.m. winner's bracket game against Roanoke, an 8-0 winner over NorthCentral. Ithaca, meanwhile, fell to 31-14 on the season and will take North Central at 11 a.m. on Friday.

April Miller threw the first six innings for the Dutch. The sophomore struck out six and walked one, while Libby Hysell picked up the win with one inning of hitless relief. Hysell faced three batters in the seventh, getting a pair of flyouts and an inning-ending strikeout for her team-leading 22nd victory.