KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas Wesleyan Softball split with the Avila University Eagles on Saturday at the Zarda Family Multisport Complex. KWU won the first game 4-2, while Avila held on for a 6-5 win in the second game.
In the first game, the Coyotes had to battle back after falling behind 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning.
The score was still 2-0 Avila until the fifth when the Coyotes got on the board.
Jenna Soule led off the inning with a single, followed by a hit by
Hailey Summers.
Sydnee Fordham was hit by a pitch and
Trenity Miller walked to bring in the run.
Wesleyan took the lead in the sixth with two runs.
Josie Buhr led off the inning with a single and went to second on a sacrifice by
Ollievia Lowe. Two batters later, Soule reached on an error that brought home Buhr and Summers followed with an RBI triple to give KWU a 3-2 lead.
Miller walked to lead off the KWU seventh, and pinch runner
Anne Thibert scored on a passed ball later in the inning to make it 4-2.
Caitlyn Collier got the win in the first game, tossing a complete game allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Summers, Fordham and Buhr had two hits each.
The Coyotes nearly completed the sweep of the doubleheader, but gave up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth and suffered 11 left on base in the game.
Avila rocketed out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Coyotes responded with four in the second.
Eliza Flores led off with a walk, followed by a walk to
Jocelyn Alcala. Buhr singled to load the bases and Lowe walked to bring in a run.
Grace Pierce then singled home a run, and Soule brought in a run on a squeeze bunt play and the fourth run of the inning scored on a wild pitch.
Avila tied it in the second, and the score stayed there until the fourth when the Coyotes took a 5-4 lead on Fordham's sacrifice fly the brought in pinch runner
Viviana Alaniz after Pierce led off the inning with a walk.
The Eagles tied it again in the bottom half of the inning. The score stayed the same until the bottom of the sixth when Avila took the lead.
Wesleyan had a chance to tie it in the seventh. Buhr walked, Lowe singled and Pierce was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Soule would reach on a fielder's choice as Avila got the out at home, but the Coyotes couldn't push a run across.
Buhr was the lone player to have more than one hit for the Coyotes in the game.
Miranda Fogal suffered the loss in the circle coming in to relieve
Jewell Henry after just two-thirds of an inning. Fogal went five and a third allowing three runs on five hits with six walks and three strikeouts.
KWU is at York on Wednesday before hosting Evangel on Friday at 1 p.m. That game will be at Bill Burke Park, and the Coyotes conclude the regular season on April 24 at Salina South High School, hosting the Bethany Swedes at 6 p.m.
