MARSHALL, Texas - The Coe College softball team flashed the leather in its second game of the NCAA Championships on Friday evening, combining numerous excellent defensive plays with timely hits in a 2-1 victory over Rowan University.
Hannah Ausenhus got the nod in the matchup with the Profs and earned the victory with five strong innings of work, surrendering just three hits and a first-inning run.
Ellie Thurow was called upon for the final six outs by head coach
Jake Koolbeck to start the sixth and the Woodstock, Illinois native shut the door, retiring the side in the sixth before stranding a leadoff walk in the seventh. The Kohawk bats managed five hits in the triumph, getting both runs in the bottom of the third with two hits and a walk.
Madi Parson and
Skyler Stookey came up big for Coe for the second day running, delivering back-to-back RBI hits with two down in the third. With the victory, Coe advances to the pod championship series on Sunday, needing just one win to advance to the National Championship series.
COE 2 - ROWAN 1
Game Facts
- Rowan had a strong start to the game, getting a one-out walk before putting runners on the corners with a single later on. The Profs took the lead with two outs, getting a single to center to grab a 1-0 advantage. The Kohawks tried to respond in the bottom of the inning as Heather Boeckenstedt led off with a single and was joined on base by Madi Parson who walked with one out.
- Coe got its runs two innings later, striking for a pair of two-out tallies to flip the score in its favor. Boeckenstedt walked and moved up two bases later in the inning, stealing second before advancing to third on a throwing error. Parson tied the game in the same at-bat, driving a line-drive single to right center to plate Coe's leadoff hitter. Stookey then hit a double of the right-center field wall, driving home Parson from first with her second ball off the wall in as many games.
- Rowan put a runner on with two down in the top of the fourth with a single to center but Ausenhus managed to record the shutdown inning, inducing a flyout to Ruby Kappeler in left center. The Kohawks threatened to add to their lead in the home half of the inning after a one-out single from Bree Mangelsen but she was left on second base as the Profs kept it a one-run game with a groundout.
- Coe again put pressure on Rowan in the fifth, putting runners on the corners thanks to a single from Ruby Kappeler and a two-out walk from Stookey. The Profs managed to avoid the rally yet again, getting another inning-ending groundout to keep it 2-1. Thurow entered at the start of the sixth and made quick work of the middle of Rowan's order, setting down the two, three and four hitters in succession. She ran into a bit of a jam to start the seventh, issuing a lead-off walk but the senior earned her third save of the season getting back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Up Next: The Kohawks are off tomorrow and return to action on Sunday, June 4, taking on the winner of Game 10 between no. 3 Trine and no. 8 Moravian at 2:30 PM.
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