TUCSON, Ariz. - The Coe College softball team improved its 2023 record to 11-3 during the past two days of competition, going 3-1 in four non-conference games on Wednesday and Thursday. Coe earned a pair of run-rule victories on Wednesday afternoon, defeating RIT 11-2 in six innings in game one and Webster 16-2 in five innings in the Kohawks' second game of the day. On Thursday, the Kohawks opened the day with a 6-1 win over #16 Concordia (Wis.), taking advantage of a strong pitching effort from
Hannah Ausenhus. Coe fell in its final game of the day to Sul Ross State, dropping a 9-4 decision with the Lobos scoring multiple runs in four innings to get past Coe.
The Kohawk bats were lively all day on Wednesday, racking up 27 runs and 28 hits in the two matchups. Coe and RIT battled in the early moments of the game but the Kohawks maintained a manageable lead throughout the contest. The Kohawks broke it open in what proved to be the final inning of play as
Skyler Stookey hit a walk-off homer to clinch the game-one win. Coe continued its hot hitting in the second matchup, erupting for 10 runs in the top of the first inning. Freshman
Marisa Vodicka delivered the biggest blast of the opening inning for Coe, belting a grand slam to put her team ahead 5-0 just five batters into the game.
Ellie Thurow surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning but settled in for the remainder of the game, allowing just one hit over the final four innings as Coe claimed its second run-rule victory of the day.
Coe got some revenge on Concordia (Wis.) from earlier in the week, earning a regular-season split with the Falcons with a 6-1 victory. Kohawk starting pitcher
Hannah Ausenhus pitched all seven innings, allowing just one run while scattering seven hits. The senior hurler struck out three hitters and threw just 78 pitches as she earned her third win of the season. Offensively, Coe got a solid game from
Skyler Stookey who finished with two hits and two RBI in three at-bats.
Bree Mangelsen also drove in a pair of runs for the Kohawks, bringing her season total to 16. Sul Ross racked up 13 hits in Coe's second game of the day, turning them into nine runs as the Lobos claimed a 9-4 victory. The opponents scored multiple runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, putting the Kohawks out of reach early on. With the results, Coe improves to 11-3 overall and 6-2 during its Arizona spring trip.
COE 11 - RIT 2 - SIX INNINGS
Game Facts
- The Tigers got the scoring started in the top of the first, taking advantage of a leadoff triple to grab a 1-0 lead. The Kohawks quickly took the lead and momentum, answering with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame on an error and RBI hit from Skyler Stookey. The Kohawks added one run in the third and two in the fourth, extending their lead to 5-1 midway through the game. Addie Menke picked up the RBI in the third inning, singling home Bree Mangelsen with two outs. The Kohawks produced a pair of sacrifice flies in the fourth to hit five runs, getting RBI from Ruby Kappeler and Bree Mangelsen.
- RIT scored its second run in the following frame, getting a pair of hits including a leadoff triple to slice the deficit to three. The Kohawks clinched the win in the bottom of the sixth inning, exploding for six runs on four base hits. Nicki Wood led off with a double and was quickly joined on base by Heather Boeckenstedt and Ruby Kappeler as the leadoff hitters walked the bases loaded. Bree Mangelsen delivered a bases-clearing triple in Coe's next at-bat, driving home all three runs to make it 8-2. Marisa Vodicka doubled Bree Mangelsen home to keep the momentum going before Skyler Stookey hit a walk-off two-run homer.
COE 16 - WEBSTER 2 - FIVE INNINGS
Game Facts
- The Kohawks kept their foot on the gas pedal in their second game of the day, exploding for 10 runs in the top of the first inning to grab a substantial lead. The Kohawks had 15 batters go to the plate during the outburst, posting eight hits along the way. Madi Parson drew a bases-loaded walk to push home the first run and force an early pitching change from the Gorloks. The change had the opposite effect on Coe's next batter as freshman Marisa Vodicka blasted a grand slam for her first collegiate homer.
- The Kohawks kept up the pressure despite the bases being empty, again loading the bases later in the inning with one out. Keera Ball and Nicki Wood kept the rally going on the base path, forcing an error from the catcher on a double-steal attempt as Ball scampered home to make it 7-0. Ruby Kappeler, Parson and Vodicka extended the lead to 10-0 prior to the end of the inning, recording a trio of RBI singles to cap off the explosive inning.
- Webster answered in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of one hit and one Kohawk error to put two runs on the board. The Kohawks clapped back in the top of the third, putting four more runs on the board to regain a double-digit lead. Kappeler led off with a triple to center and was immediately brought home by Bree Mangelsen who recorded a sacrifice fly to center. The next two runs came from a Webster error as a dropped fly ball allowed Parson and Vodicka to cross home plate. Shaylee Dodd picked up the final RBI of the inning, grounding out to second to allow Skyler Stookey to score from third. The final two runs of the game came off the bat of Gabrielle Buckridge in the top of the fourth with the junior producing a two-run double to make it 16-2.
COE 6 - #16 CONCORDIA (WIS.) 1
Game Facts
- Ausenhus allowed two hits in the first inning, giving up a pair of one-out singles but she got a groundout and strikeout to avoid any early damage. The Kohawk offense picked her up in the bottom of the first, scoring one run on an RBI single from Bree Mangelsen. Coe added to its lead two innings later, pushing three runs across the board in the third inning thanks to a pair of base hits. Coe put a pair of runners on base with two outs and did big-time damage, getting an RBI single from Shaylee Dodd and a two-run double from Skyler Stookey who put the icing on the cake.
- The lead continued to grow in Coe's next offensive plate appearance, adding two more runs thanks to some wild pitching from the Falcons. Ruby Kappeler and Bree Mangelsen picked up the RBI for the Kohawks, recording a fly out and groundout to push Coe's lead to 6-0. Ausenhus saw her shutout snapped in the top of the sixth with two outs on a solo homer but the Kohawk righty buckled down and recorded the final four outs to secure the win.
SUL ROSS 9 - COE 4
Game Facts
- Both teams were scoreless in the first two innings despite early base runners for each. The Lobos took the lead in the bottom of the third inning, striking with a two-out, two-run homer to jump ahead. Coe responded in the top of the fourth, getting one run on one hit to slice the deficit in half. Madi Parson picked up the RBI, driving home Ruby Kappeler with a sacrifice fly after Kappeler's lead-off single.
- Sul Ross had an immediate answer for Coe in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs on four hits. Two of the first three hitters reached for the opponents before an RBI single brought home the first run. The Lobos then added two more runs on a fielder's choice and a single, increasing their advantage to 5-1 after four innings.
- Coe hung tough and kept itself in the game, scoring two runs in the top of the fifth to make it 5-3. Shaylee Dodd led off with a triple and was brought around to score on a double from Keera Ball. The second run of the inning came thanks to an error from the Lobos as Ball scampered home following a defensive mistake.
- The Lobos regained momentum over the following two innings, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings to push their lead to 9-3. Sul Ross used six hits across the two innings, getting RBI from four different players to pad the lead. Coe put together one final rally in the top of the seventh, getting one run on an RBI single from Addie Menke but the Lobos got the final two outs for the victory.
Up next: Coe wraps up its Arizona trip with its final two games tomorrow, taking on UW-La Crosse and Dickinson at 1 PM CT and 3:30 PM CT.
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