PELLA—Central College is officially off the NCAA Division III tournament bubble.
           
Bypassing an anxiety-filled 36-hour wait for the announcement of the 62-team field Monday, the Dutch assured themselves of a record 30th berth with a sparkling 3-0 triumph over Coe College and an American Rivers Conference tournament title Saturday.
           
Central (26-8), which advanced to the finals earlier in the day with businesslike 8-2 victory over the University of Dubuque, receives the league's automatic berth. Regional play begins either Thursday or Friday at sites to be announced Monday at noon on the tournament selection show at NCAA.com.
           
"We know Monday that Central's name is going to come up on the board and that's pretty special," coach George Wares said, who coaxed another unexpected championship out of his club, his fifth league tourney title and first since 2015.
           
Even in an offensive era, a season that appeared headed for an early end after a doubleheader loss at Coe April 19 was resurrected with the traditional Central formula of pitching and defense.          
           
Pitcher Mariah Fritz (senior, Tama, East Marshall HS), who has shouldered a heavy load throughout the year with sometimes mixed results, was masterful, limiting Dubuque (26-13) to six hits in a complete-game effort Saturday morning before coming back a few hours later to post the championship-game shutout of the Kohawks (26-8). Fritz (19-7), who has logged 154.1 innings, scattered five hits over the final seven frames Saturday, with two walks and one critical strikeout which ended a bases-loaded threat with the game still scoreless in the fifth inning.
           
"That strikeout was huge," Wares said. "Mariah has put herself in the record book in some ways. It's hard for people to really grasp how hard it is to do what she's done."
            Meanwhile, Central's defense committed just one error on the day but stymied Coe's offense at every turn. After a leadoff Coe hit in the fourth inning, left fielder Shaye Witte (junior, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) made a running over-the-shoulder grab of a line shot that was ticketed for the fence and extra bases. Catcher Kylie Olson (senior, Mapleton, Minn., Maple River HS) picked off a runner at first base in the fourth inning, then stretched to full extension to snag a throw home for a force with the bases loaded in the fifth. Third baseman Lauren Bagby (senior, Norwalk) went to her knees to secure a hard-hit grounder and get an out. And Daria Parchert (sophomore, Illinois City, Ill., Rockridge HS) again dazzled at shortstop throughout as she has all season, with a slick backhanded play among her nine assists on the day.
           
It was precision softball.
           
"There were some really, really good defensive plays by both teams and there were some big pitching moments," Wares said.
           
"It's not like it's once in a while. We just consistently make defensive plays that help (Fritz) out a lot."
           
Yet Central, which was no-hit in a five-inning 9-0 whitewashing at Coe by Bailey Smith, was held hitless by Smith for four more innings Saturday before breaking through in the fifth.
           
"That kid has pitched so well against us," Wares said.                                             
           
Then first baseman Amanda Sigulas (junior, Morton, Ill.) bounced a double down the right-field line to start the fifth and scored on a base knock up the middle by right fielder Sadie Baugher (senior, Eddyville, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont HS).
           
They teamed again an inning later as Parchert and Sigulas singled and raced home on Baugher's double to the left-field fence.
           
Baugher had four hits and five RBIs on the day.
           
"This is by far her best year," said Wares, who also cited her sliding grab of a sinking liner to right field against Dubuque Saturday. "I'm so happy for her that she's got the opportunity to finally start."
           
Central seized the momentum with six runs in the first inning of the opener. Witte, Parchert, Baugher and center fielder Sara Tallman (junior, Pella) each had two hits as part of a 12-hit attack. Fritz walked three and struck out three.
           
After absorbing four losses by seven runs or more along with numerous other struggles, Central is suddenly riding an eight-game winning streak since the losses in Cedar Rapids.
           
"We were pretty down," Wares said. "But our words were, let's win eight straight."
           
What Wares termed a perfect storm ensued and the Dutch claimed their 13th league crown with a doubleheader sweep of Luther College last Sunday. Now Central is returning to the NCAA field for the eighth time in nine years under Wares, Division III's all-time wins leader.
           
"They really believed they could do it and that carried over," he said. "You love it when teams are going into the postseason playing well and we're on a pretty good roll right now."