CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College softball team lost its opening game of the A-R-C softball tournament 10-5 to Buena Vista but bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Simpson in its second game to remain a part of the tournament. The Kohawks, who earned the league's AQ to the NCAA Tournament last weekend, moved to 24-12 overall. Buena Vista improves to 18-20 on the season and moves into the winner's bracket while Simpson ends the season at 16-18. 
 
GAME ONE
BUENA VISTA 10 - COE 5
Coe opened the scoring in its first game of the tournament, pushing home two runs in the first inning as Kelsey Hora and Madi Parson crossed home on a pair of Beaver errors. The game then went scoreless for the next two innings but the Buena Vista bats awoke in the top of the fourth inning. In the frame, the Beavers got three runs on four hits including a two-run triple from Mckynze Hansen and a solo homer from Carlee Guyett. The Beavers stayed hot in the top of the fifth inning, scoring five runs on three more hits. The big blow came from Hansen as she smashed a three-run home run, giving BV an 8-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. Parson helped the Kohawks respond in the bottom of the inning, delivering a three-run homer of her own while cutting the deficit to just three. Coe continued to battle for the final few innings but a pair of insurance runs for the Beavers in the top of the sixth inning put the contest out of reach. The Kohawks haad just seven hits in the contest with Natalie Blank and Bree Mangelsen each recording two. 
 
GAME TWO
COE 3 - SIMPSON 1
The Kohawks struck first in their second game of the day, scoring one run in the bottom of the second inning as Megan Weber launched a solo homer over the left-field fence. The Storm responded immediately, scoring one in the top of the third inning to tie the score at one. Simpson's run came from the bat of Liv Erickson as she doubled home Camrey Leo from first base. Both teams went quiet in the fourth inning but the Kohawks got one run in the bottom of the fifth inning to retake a narrow lead. Chloe Severson walked to start the inning and was then pinch ran for by Kaitlyn Filter. Following two quick outs, Parson stepped to the plate with a two-out RBI opportunity. The reigning A-R-C female athlete of the week delivered a clutch, RBI-double which scored Filter and put Coe back in front. 
 
Coe starting pitcher Ellie Thurow returned to the circle in the top of the sixth inning and stranded a runner on second, getting three-straight outs to send the game into the bottom of the frame. The Kohawks picked up a key insurance in the inning as Mangelsen crushed her sixth homer of the year to put Coe up 3-1. Thurow then worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh inning to secure the victory and advance Coe into tomorrow's first game. 
 
Up next: Coe advances to the loser's bracket finals where it will take on the loser of the game four, which features 
 
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