Softball splits with Ottawa
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

OTTAWA – Kansas Wesleyan picked up a 10-4 game one win, but dropped the second game of the Coyotes’ doubleheader with Ottawa University 7-1 on Tuesday afternoon at the Dick Peters Athletic Complex.

Brecken McDaniel doubled with one out in the first inning of the opening game, and Jenny Menke followed with a two-out walk, but a ground out would thwart any scoring chance for the Coyotes in the inning.

Freshman starter Megan Novotny got through the first inning with little trouble, but got in a bind in the second, giving up three runs. Josie Hildenbrand led off the inning with a triple, and then scored when Erin Hamel dropped a fly ball by Myah Sprew. Back-to-back hits loaded the bases, but the Coyotes held the Braves off the board, getting the lead runner when Korey Higbie grounded into a fielder’s choice. The Braves did get two more runs, plating two on Michelle Bowman’s hit to left field.

Wesleyan answered back with four in the top of the third. Three straight singles from Alison Clark, Hamel and McDaniel loaded the bases and Aimee Fisher drove in the first run with a sac fly to center field. Menke followed with a RBI knock to left and Jessi Barkley plated two more with a double that put the Coyotes up 4-3.

Novotny then settled into her groove, allowing just two hits over the next three innings to the Braves. Meanwhile the Coyotes added three more in the top of the fifth to pull out to a 7-3 lead. Fisher led off the inning with a single and Menke followed with a double. Barkley then singled to center, scoring Fisher. Casee Contreras then nailed a two-out, two-run hit to right to make it 7-3.

Ottawa got its final run of the first game in the sixth, doing all the damage with two outs. Bowman and Erin Michael put together back-to-back hits, and pinch hitter Emily Fuerst reached on an error by Hanel that allowed Bowman to score.

The Coyotes put three on the board in the top of the seventh for a little insurance. Back-to-back hits by Menke and Barkley opened the inning, and an error by Hildebrand allowed Menke to move to third and stting up Kelsi Wetzel’s RBI single to short. Kristen Partin then singled to load the bases and after a strike out, Clark hit a RBI single to center field, and Hamel followed with a sac fly to left to score Wetzel.

Novotny gave up a one-out double in Ottawa’s half of the seventh, but the Braves could get nothing going as Novotny struck out Samantha Skinner to end the game.

Wesleyan pounded out 16 hits in the first game, led by Barkley who was 3-for-4 and Menke, who was 3-for-3 with a walk. Barkley also drove in three runs in the first game. Novotny got the complete game win, giving up four runs on nine hits, while walking one and striking out four.

Ottawa starter Ashley Renaldi took the game one loss, giving up seven runs on 11 hits while walking one and striking out six in five innings of work. Traci Gelskey pitched two innings, giving up three runs on five hits, while striking out two. Bowman had two of Ottawa’s nine hits, and drove in two, while seven other Braves had one hit each.

Ottawa got on the board first in the third when Bowman led off with a single and advanced to third on two stolen bases and then scored on Michael’s two-out single.  Hildebrand then reached on an error in right field that allowed Michael to score.

Wesleyan (10-21, 2-2) got on the board in the fourth. Menke walked with two outs, and back-to-back errors by Ottawa loaded the bases. Partin was then hit by a pitch to force in the run.

Ottawa (14-14, 2-2) got one in its half of the fourth capitalizing on Lindsey Adams’ leadoff double. Higbie hit a sac fly to score Adams after the Braves loaded the bases with one out.

The Braves blew things open in the home half of the sixth. Bowman led off with a single and moved to second on a stolen base. A sac bunt by Higbie moved Bowman to third and Ashley Mundy’s sac fly scored Bowman. An error by Novotny allowed Michael to reach and Michael then scored on Hildebrand’s double to center. Fuerst followed with a two-run homer to left that chased Novtony from the circle. Reliever Jessi Barkley gave up a hit to Skinner, but was able to fan Adams for the final out of the inning.

Ottawa pitcher Ali Salter struck out the side in the top of the seventh to close things out.

Wesleyan only managed one hit in the nightcap, a single by Barkley in the top of the sixth. Novotny took the game two loss, giving up seven runs on ten hits, but only two of the runs were earned. She struck out one and walked one. Barkley recorded the final out in the sixth, giving up one hit and striking out one, facing only two batters.

Salter got the win for the Braves, giving up one hit and one run while walking two and striking out seven. Three different Ottawa players had two hits apiece, while Hildebrand and Fuerst each drove in a pair.

Wesleyan is back in action on Thursday as the Coyotes head to Leavenworth to take on Saint Mary starting at 2 p.m. at the Saint Mary softball field on the USM campus. The Coyotes return home Saturday to take on Southwestern.

-- KWU SI --