Coyotes advance to tournament semifinals with two wins
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Kansas Wesleyan used two come-from-behind wins to find itself facing top-seeded Friends in the KCAC Tournament Semi-finals. Wesleyan opened the tournament with a 15-9 win over McPherson and capped the night with a 10-6 win over rival Bethany.

GAME 1: KWU 15, McPherson 9 – Kansas Wesleyan and McPherson battled out a home-run laden game with the Coyotes plating eight runs in their final two at bats to rally for the win over the Bulldogs.

McPherson got on the board first in the top of the first inning. After Kristen Ozbun grounded out, Katie Sorenson singled and scored when Whitney Coleman took Jamie Peat’s 1-2 offering out of the park to left field, putting McPherson ahead 2-0. The Bulldogs appeared to be ready to add more runs after a single and a walk, but Peat retired Carrie Koch, and Mallory Yungeberg grounded out to end the inning.

The Coyotes answered McPherson in their half of the first with a three-run homer from catcher Michelle Webster. Jamie Peat singled with one out to first, and Megan Duchene walked, setting up Webster’s shot to right, putting the Coyotes up 3-2 after one.

Wesleyan added two more in the second and one more in the third to take a 6-2 lead after three innings.

McPherson added two more in the fourth on a home run from Erikka Viehman to cut the Wesleyan lead to 6-4. Mallory Yungeberg reached on a walk and then scored on the homer.

The Coyotes added a little cushion in their half of the fourth when Katie Coker would lead off the inning with a single and later score when Heather Watson reached on an error.

The fifth inning saw ten runs scored, five for each team. McPherson plated five runs in their at bat to take a 9-7 lead. Coleman led off with a walk, followed by a double by Courtney Bersuch. After a strikeout, Koch singled home Coleman for the first run. Mallory Yungeberg then struck out, but reached first on a passed ball to load the bases. Viehman then stepped up and took Peat’s 1-0 out to left field for a grand slam to put the Bulldogs up 9-7. Wesleyan head coach Jenny King then pulled Peat and inserted Coker into the circle to record the final two outs of the inning.

Wesleyan answered back with five runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Jenny Menke led off with a single, and later moved to second on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Jessica Barkley took Yungeberg’s second pitch of the at bat and sent it on a line drive out to center field for the game-tying home run. Coker then followed with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a single by Peat. Watson singled, and Duchene followed with a base clearing triple to the right field corner to put the Coyotes up 12-9 after five innings.

Coker struck out the side in the McPherson sixth before Wesleyan added three insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. Brittany Ludwisiak singled with one out, and later scored on a hit from Peat. Watson then singled, scoring two runs to put Wesleyan up 15-9 after six.

Coker wasted little time taking care of business in the seventh to close out the game. She struck out all three batters she faced in the seventh.

Coker picked up the win in relief, pitching 2.2 innings, allowing just one hit, while striking out seven of the nine batters she faced. Peat pitched 4.1 innings, and gave up nine runs on eight hits  while walking three and striking out four. Peat also led the way offensively, going 4-for-5 in the game and driving in four runs. Coker, Duchene and Barkley all had two hits as the Coyotes pounded out 15 hits in the game. Watson and Webster each drove in three.

Three different McPherson players had two hits to lead the Bulldogs offensively. Yungeberg went the distance, giving up 15 runs on 15 hits while walking six and striking out four.

GAME 2: KWU 10, Bethany 6 – Bethany sent Breanna Boling to the circle in its contest with the Coyotes with hopes she could duplicate the success she had against Wesleyan on April 12. It was not the case however as Boling had trouble finding the strike zone as Wesleyan rallied again for the 10-6 win.

Bethany also had an effective day against KWU pitching as Brittney Chavez homered twice and two other Swedes also had round-trippers.

Chavez put Bethany ahead 1-0 in the first with a lead off homer, but KWU pitcher Katie Coker quickly regrouped, and struck out the side to end the inning.

The Coyotes had a chance to answer in the second, but a leadoff walk by Megan Duchene and a single by Michelle Webster would go for not as a double play would end the inning.

Coker continued to dominate in the second, striking out two of the batters in the inning and forcing a lineout to center.

Wesleyan jumped on top in the third, plating three runs to take a 3-1 lead. Chanelle Thompson led off the inning with a walk, and moved to second on a stolen base. Barkley then doubled to left scoring Thompson to tie it at 1-all. Coker then singled home Barkley, and later scored on a Watson single.

Bethany got one back in their half of the third when Chavez went yard again, this time to center. Jacquelyn Hernandez would walk but then would be caught stealing to end the inning.

The Swedes tied things up in the fourth when Kelli Noonan scored after leading off with a walk on a sac fly from Laura Christopher.

The Coyotes pulled out to a 6-3 lead in the top of the fifth, thanks to Bolings ineffectiveness in throwing strikes. Walks to Peat and Watson to lead off the inning gave the Coyotes two on with no outs. Back-to-back singles from Duchene and Webster each scored a run. A third straight hit, this time from Menke scored Duchene and chased Boling from the circle without recording an out in the inning. Holly Finkbeiner entered and forced a line out double play and a strike out to end the inning.

Christopher led off the Bethany sixth with a home run, but the Swedes would strand two base runners when Jenny Menke made an amazing sliding grab in left field to end the inning.

The Coyotes blew things wide open in the top of the seventh with four runs. Webster led off the inning with a single, followed by a single from Menke. After a strike out, Thompson would reach on an error by Noonan at second that allowed Webster to score. A Barkley single plated Menke and Coker would reach on an error by Chavez that scored Thompson. Christine Thompson then pinch ran for Coker, who was obviously laboring from the long day. Watson would then single with two outs to score Barkley before a ground out would end the rally.

Darcy Bartz would make things a little interesting in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run home run, and Christopher would reach on an error, but Coker would regroup and force two pop ups, including the game ending out on a ball to center.

Coker got the win going the distance, allowing six runs on five hits while striking out 11 and walking eight. She threw 136 pitches in the game, adding to the total of 37 she threw in the first game of the day. Webster was a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish while Barkley added three hits as the Coyotes had 13 hits in the game.

Boling took the loss for Bethany, pitching four-plus innings, giving up six runs on nine hits, while striking out two and walking four. Finkbeiner finished the game, giving up four runs on four hits while walking one and striking out four.

Wesleyan will face top seeded Friends in Friday morning’s winner’s bracket semifinal at diamond number six at Bill Burke Park beginning at 11 a.m.