CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College baseball team shook off an opening-game loss to the University of Dubuque in the American Rivers Conference tournament on Thursday morning, responding with a 4-3 walk-off win over Wartburg in its second game of the day to remain alive in the postseason tournament. Coe, which fell behind early in the matchup with the Spartans and fell short with its comeback attempt, bounced back in game two with the victory. The Kohawks again fell behind in the second game of the day, spotting the Knights a 2-0 lead after three innings. Coe battled back with one in the fourth and one in the eighth, tying the game at two while forcing extra innings. Wartburg scored once in the top of the 11th after a scoreless 10th but
Kaden Haller came up clutch for his team in the home half of the inning, delivering a two-out two-run double to give Coe the walk-off victory.
Ethan O'Donnell, Drew Osterman, Jacob Schmit and
Michael Bonner combined to allow just two earned runs in the game while racking up seven strikeouts. With the win, Coe advances to the second day of the A-R-C tournament while going to 23-16 on the year.
GAME ONE
UD 6 - COE 4
Game Facts
- UD opened the game with runs in the initial two innings, getting one in the first before adding three in the second to take an early advantage. The Spartans then added two more in the fourth inning, extending their lead to 6-0 on a pair of Kohawk fielding errors.
- Coe finally came to life in the bottom of the fifth inning, getting four runs on two hits and two Spartan errors to pull itself back into the contest. The Kohawks loaded the bases with one out after an error, a single and a walk. Mitchell Eckardt put the first runs on the board for Coe, reaching on an error from the Spartans to allow Tyler Elliott and Reid Rausch to score. Jack Allison then delivered a clutch two-out double one batter later, driving home James VanHooser and Eckardt to cut the deficit to two.
- The Kohawks threatened for more in the seventh, getting a two-out triple from VanHooser and a walk from Eckardt but the chance ended with a lineout to second. Coe had another chance in the bottom of the ninth, getting two runners on with one out however the Spartans got back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and secure the win.
GAME TWO
COE 4 - WARTBURG 3 - 11 INNINGS
Game Facts
- Wartburg began the scoring in the elimination game, getting a solo homer in the top of the second inning. The Knights doubled their lead one inning later, getting one run on a pair of hits and one Coe error. The Kohawks got one back in the bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of a leadoff walk from Mitchell Eckardt. Jake Brosius drove home Coe's leadoff man later in the frame, driving a double to left center to push Eckardt across the dish.
- The game went quiet for the next few innings but Coe refused to go down without a fight, getting three hits and one run in the bottom of the eighth. Gavin Guns, Eckardt and Jack Allison recorded three-straight one-out singles to load the bases before Brosius tied the game on a sacrifice fly. Coe still had a chance with runners on second and third but Wartburg got out of the jam with an inning-ending strikeout.
- Wartburg struck first in extras, getting two hits and one run in the top of the 11th to retake a 3-2 lead heading into the home half of the frame. Coe fought back despite a flyout from Brosius to start the inning, getting a double from Creighton Kreshel and a single from Elliott with one down. Haller came up big two batters later, smashing a double to the center-field gap to clear the bases and give Coe the walk-off victory.
Up next: Coe is back in action for the second day of the A-R-C tournament, taking on Luther at 3 PM in an elimination game at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
#KohawkNation
Visit https://kohawkathletics.com/ for complete coverage of Coe College Athletics
Like Coe College Athletics on Facebook
Follow @CoeAthletics on Twitter
Follow @CoeAthletics on Instagram
Coe Athletics Mobile App - Android | iPhone
