ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Coe College softball team opened its 2021 season with a split against the Blugolds of UW-Eau Claire on Saturday afternoon. The Kohawks started their season with a win taking the opening game 10-7 before falling 9-7 in game two. The results leave Coe at 1-1 to start the season while UW-Eau Claire improves to 3-1.
352 days after their only games of the pandemic shortened 2020 season, the Kohawks were back in action inside the Rochester Dome to kick off the 2021 season. The Kohawk offense had waited long enough and got things started right away in the first inning.
Abby Stock, in her Kohawk debut, got the Kohawks on the scoreboard in the first inning with a two-run double, capitalizing on a pair of Blugold errors. The Blugolds would get one run back in the bottom of the third but the Kohawks answered with two more in the top of the frame.
Keera Ball led off the inning with a single and
Skyler Stookey followed it up with a double.
With two runners on, senior
Megan Weber drove them both home with a double of her own. The Kohawks kept pushing runs across the plate as they added five more in the fourth inning to take a 9-1 lead. The inning was highlighted by a two RBI triple from senior
Kelsey Hora. The Kohawks added another in the fifth on a pinch-hit single by senior
Hannah Escamilla. The Blugolds would battle back with two runs in the fifth and four more in the 7th. Sophomore
Hannah Ausenhus came in to relieve Stock and record the final two outs as the Kohawks rode a fast start to the 10-7 victory.
Stock got the win in the circle for the Kohawks in game one while also adding two hits and two RBIs. Stookey and Ball also had a two hit game while Hora and Weber each picked two RBIs.
The Kohawks got off to another quick start in game two as Stock drove in Stookey with a two-out double in the bottom of the first. The Blugolds would tie it with a run in the third but Coe was able to get back in front with a run off their own on another double from Stock. The Kohawk lead would grow to 6-1 in the fourth as they put together some hits to add four more runs. Weber provided the big hit in the inning driving in two with a triple to right field. The Blugolds again fought back getting two runs in the fifth before using a big six run sixth to take a 9-6 lead. Coe got one run back in the sixth but was unable to get any more than that as it dropped game two 9-7.
Sophomore
Ellie Thurow got the start in game two and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings of work. Stookey and Weber each had three hits while Stock and Ball added two apiece.
Up next: The Kohawks are next scheduled to open up conference play on March 19th in a home doubleheader with Central College. Additional games could be added to the schedule prior to then.
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