CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa  – It is hard to beat any team three times in a season, let alone a top-25 team in the country. The Luther College softball team has been doing things the hard way all season long. The Norse defeated #23 Central College for the third time this season, using a walkoff single from Sydney Schultz (Raymond, Iowa / Columbus Catholic) to upend the Dutch 1-0 in the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C Semifinal). With the win, Luther improves to 32-7 overall and advances to Sunday's A-R-C Championship game for the first time since 2021. 

GAME ONE: #22 LUTHER (1) vs. #23 Central (0)
It was very clear two of the top teams in the nation were facing off Saturday afternoon. After a three hour delay for lightning, the Norse and Dutch finally took the field in the A-R-C Semifinal, playing to see who would have the honors of facing Wartburg in Sunday's championship. There was no question, though, that it would be a low scoring affair. Kendra Cooper (Lansing, Iowa / Kee) and Emma Beck controlled the pace of play from the get go, sending batters down in order and getting out of jams left and right. Luther in particular threatened to take a lead every single inning, as Abby Spore (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Kennedy), Schultz and Belle Berg (Chatfield, Minn. / Chatfield) helped the Norse record a hit in each of the first three innings. However, Beck managed to strand every runner when it mattered, keeping Luther at bay and preserving the 0-0 tie for Central. 

Cooper, meanwhile, was virtually unhittable, holding the Dutch to just two hits over the course of seven innings. In fact, not a single Central base runner managed to reach second base, as the fifth year senior allowed just four to reach base all together in yet another complete game effort. This gave the Norse chance after chance to take a lead, as they managed to load the bases with one out in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Luther, though, stranded eight base runners through the opening six frames, as Beck and the Dutch pitched their way out of jam after jam. 

Fortunately, Central was not so lucky in the bottom of the seventh. After another perfect frame for Cooper and the Norse defense, Luther sent its top three hitters to the plate in Berg, Anna Forari (Bettendorf, Iowa / Bettendorf) and Spore. Berg led off the inning with a double before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt from Forari, giving the Norse a runner on third with one out and Spore at the plate. Rather than pitch to the most dangerous hitter in the A-R-C, the Dutch intentionally walked both Spore and Leah Crown (Plato, Minn. / Central), bring Riley Sauser (Ely, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) and Schultz to the plate with one out. 

At first, it seemed like the back-to-back intentional walks paid off, as Sauser hit into a fielder's choice, allowing Central to throw Berg out with a force at home for out number two. However, Schultz decided to spoil the Dutch's well thought out plan. Already 2-2 on the day, the senior and former All-American did what she does best by lacing a ball to left field, scoring Spore from third to walk off Central by final score of 1-0. 

TOP NORSE

• Sydney Schultz (Raymond, Iowa / Columbus Catholic) was the best hitter at the plate for Luther, going 3-3 with the walkoff single in the bottom of the seventh.  
• Belle Berg (Chatfield, Minn. / Chatfield) went 2-4 at the plate, while Abby Spore (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Kennedy) went 1-2 and scored the game winning run. 
• Kendra Cooper (Lansing, Iowa / Kee) earned rock star status in the circle for Luther, improving to 21-3 with her NCAA leading 10th shutout of the 2023 season. The fifth year senior held the Dutch to just two hits in seven complete innings of work, while striking out seven and walking only two. 

NOTEABLES
With her second strikeout of the game, Cooper became just the third pitcher in Norse softball history to reach the 500 career strikeout milestone. She currently ranks third all time with 505 career strikeouts, joining Samantha Bratland and Becca Girvan as the only three Luther pitchers to eclipse the historic mark. 

UP NEXT
Thanks to their 1-0 victory, the Norse advance to the A-R-C Championship game for the second time in three years, having won the title back in 2021. Luther will take on upset-minded Wartburg in Sunday's championship game, which is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Any changes due to weather will be announced at www.luthernorse.com and on the A-R-C website.