Kohawks bow out of NCAA Tournament with extra-inning loss

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Wartburg scored two runs in the top of the first inning, but the Kohawks rallied to take a 4-3 lead, but it wasn't enough as they gave up one run in the sixth to send the game to extra innings. The Knights scored seven runs in the extra frame to advance to the consolation championships of the NCAA Regional Tournament. The Kohawks end their season with a 33-16 record.

The Knights jumped out front early in the first, as they scored two unearned runs on a single by Courtney Bain. Wartburg added a third run in the third inning as Ashley Steines led the inning off with a double. After junior Ellie Schultz (Clayton, Iowa/Clayton Ridge) hit Jen Hashman with a pitch and Robin Peterson struck out, Bain connected on another hit, this time a single that scored Steines and advanced Hashman to third. Coe was able to record two straight outs to end the inning.

Coe went hitless in the first two innings before scoring two runs on one hit in the third inning. Senior April Kalmes (Springville, Iowa/Springville) led the inning off with a walk before advancing to second on a single by junior Ashley Leonard (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy). Kalmes and Leonard moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Both runners scored as junior Dani Leavens (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) reached on an error by the second baseman. Leavens was thrown out trying to reach second on the play.

After holding the Knights hitless in the fourth, Coe added two more runs in the fourth inning to take its first lead of the game. Freshmen Krystal Kopp (Solon, Iowa/Solon) and CC Williams (Lisbon, Iowa/Lisbon) grounded out to start the inning before the Coe rally started. Junior Amy Hanse (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar) had a two-out single before being replaced by freshman Emily Burress (Des Moines, Iowa/Roosevelt). Burress moved up to second on a single by Kalmes. Leonard was then walked to load the bases for freshman Alex Grell (Omaha, Neb./Millard North), whom was pinch-hitting for sophomore Erica Smothers (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy).

Grell sent a line-drive to the third baseman, who dropped the ball, allowing all runners to be safe, which tied the game at three. Leavens was then hit in the foot by the next pitch, allowing the Kohawks to take a 4-3 lead.

Neither team could get a hit again until the top of the sixth. Bain reached on an error to start the inning. She was then moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Daniels. With two-outs, Ellie Peterson doubled to drive in Bain for the tying run.

The Kohawks threatened in the bottom of the seventh as Smothers led off the inning with a single. Trying to lay down a sacrifice bunt, Leavens was thrown out a first base and Smothers was tagged out at second in a double-play by the Knights, ending the Kohawk rally.

Wartburg had back-to-back one-out singles in the eighth inning before Ashley Rogers tripled to right field, scoring two runs for the Knights. The Knights would add five more runs in the extra frame, putting the game out of reach for the Kohawks.

Coe finished the game with just four hits, one each by Leonard, Smothers, Hanse and Kalmes. Leavens drove in two runs for the Kohawks while Kalmes scored two runs in her final game as a Kohawk. Schultz fell to 20-9 on the year, taking the loss in 7.2 innings on the mound. She gave up 13 hits and eight earned runs while striking out four.