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CLEAN SWEEP

Tritons continue to build momentum

Photo by Paul DeCoursey: Abbie Thilges of Iowa Central connects for a home run against Southeastern at Rogers Park. The Tritons swept the Blackhawks.

It was a scoreboard operator’s nightmare at Rogers Park on Monday, as the 11th-ranked Iowa Central softball team and Southeastern combined for 57 runs.

The Tritons scored another sweep, winning 21-8 and 16-12 to stretch their win streak to 11 in a row.

Windy conditions with gusts over 50 miles-per-hour greeted both teams and caused trouble for fielders throughout the afternoon. Iowa Central (16-8 overall, 10-0 in ICCAC) hit six home runs including two by Abbie Thilges.

All six came in the opener with Loghen Schnetzer, Laila Pelds, Allyson Stewart and Rachel Newell also clearing the fences. Southeastern (12-9, 3-7) also belted six homers.

“It was just wild,” Iowa Central head coach Bo Tjebben said. “Nothing easy, and with these winds, it was even crazier out there. But I thought our girls really stayed positive, even when we got down there in the second game.

“We’re just really in a great groove at the plate right now, and defense is making fantastic plays and we are getting great efforts out of our pitchers.”

Thilges — the daughter of Fort Dodge Senior High graduates Denny Thilges and Amy (Reiners) Thilges — hit for the cycle over the doubleheader, going 7-for-9 with eight runs scored and five RBI. Humboldt graduate Carlie Thompson was 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI and two doubles in the opener while Pelds finished with three hits.

“Abbie is just seeing the ball so well right now,” Tjebben said. “She’s our leader, our captain, and she’s playing like it.”

Thompson, who made the shift from center to left in the outfield, came up with a handful of key plays while battling the elements.

“Carlie has really done a fantastic job,” Tjebben said. “She’s just a natural out there. They get lost in a crazy offensive game like that, but those plays she made in the field were so important.”

Iowa Central was forced to rally in the second, coming back from being down 6-1 early. Abby Wilson and Schnetzer — a former Fort Dodge Senior High all-stater — each had key two-RBI hits in the same inning, sparking the rally.

Wilson, Thilges and Schnetzer all had three hits in the nightcap with Wilson driving in five runs and scoring twice. Thilges scored four times, Schnetzer and Pelds each drove in two, and Kenzie Rosenboom had two doubles.

“Southeastern is a really good team,” Tjebben said. “They have some nice wins already this season, so to take four straight against them really shows just what this team can do.”

The Tritons return to action on Wednesday, hosting Iowa Lakes at Rogers Park beginning at 2 p.m.

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