CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Coe College baseball team opened its American Rivers Conference schedule with a walk-off 4-3 victory over Wartburg College in 12 innings Friday evening at Mount Mercy University. The Kohawks outhit the Knights 10-7 but found themselves behind after five innings, as the visitors scored one run in each of the second, fourth, and fifth innings to lead 3-2 midway through.
Ryan Thoreson and
Jon Wille were responsible for Coe's two runs, picking up RBI to help keep it close as Coe got another strong starting pitching effort from
Jack Walsh. Wartburg did well to escape damage in the sixth and seventh despite runners on for Coe, but the hosts finally leveled the game in the eighth. A one-out single from
Luke Schieltz and, later, a walk from
Jack McMann set the table for a clutch pinch-hit single from freshman
Louis Smelcer that made it 3-3. Coe's relief pitchers were dominant out of the pen, holding long enough for the Kohawks to finally cash in during the 12th inning.
Evan deVally came to the plate with runners on second and third and wasted no time, delivering a single through the middle to plate the winning run.
Trevor Morse, who worked a perfect top half of the 12th, earned his second win of the season while
Brady Alexander provided excellent cover for Walsh with 2.2 scoreless innings.
COE 4 - WARTBURG 3 - 12 INNINGS
- Wartburg jumped ahead in the top of the second, getting a two-out hit batter immediately followed by an RBI double. Schieltz helped eliminate another potential run for the Knights in the second, gunning down a runner trying to score on a two-out single. Coe had an answer in the bottom of the third, using a hit batter and a walk to give Thoreson a chance. The Kohawk catcher delivered, driving home Jack Casey with a single to left. Wartburg regained the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring again with two outs. Schieltz's arm again limited the damage to one, throwing out another runner at the plate attempting to score after the initial go-ahead run. A leadoff homer in the fifth made it a 3-1 game in favor of the Knights, but Walsh did well to limit the damage, leaving a pair of runners on. Coe got the run back in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases before a groundout RBI for Wille made it a one-run game. The Kohawks tied the game in the bottom of the eighth as Smelcer delivered the clutch RBI single in his first collegiate at-bat. Coe went down in order in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings before a one-out double from Thoreson put pressure on Wartburg. A wild pitch moved Thoreson to third before Wille walked in the next AB. Wille stole second to clear the double-play opportunity, giving deVally the stage for the game-winning knock.
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