Late inning rallies by the Kansas Wesleyan Softball team in both games of Tuesday's doubleheader with Hastings College came up just short as the Broncos got the sweep of the Coyotes at Salina South High School.
 
It was the long-awaited home opener for the Coyotes, who were supposed to open the home portion of the schedule on February 15, but inclement weather forced the postponement of the games.
 
Hastings won the first game 4-2 and the second 9-8.
 
The Broncos did a majority of their scoring in the first game in the first inning, scoring three runs, but after that, relief pitcher Bella Allen was extremely effective for the Coyotes in the circle, holding Hastings to one run and four hits the rest of the way.
 
It seemed like every time the Coyotes hit the ball, it was right at a Hastings defender. The Coyotes had two hits in the bottom of the first as Elli Han led off with a single and two batters later Brooklyn Lange singled but the Coyotes couldn't get a run across hitting into a fielder's choice with an out at home and then a ground out to end the inning.
 
Hastings added its only other run in the third inning on a homerun and the score would stay 4-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning.
 
It was a 2-out rally for the Coyotes as Han hit a solo homer to start the rally. Briannah Kutschkau then singled and stole second, then scored on Lange's double to halve the Hastings lead.
 
The Coyotes couldn't find another run in the game, however, dropping the opener.
 
Han and Lange combined for four of KWU's six hits in the game. Allen went six and a third innings of relief for the Coyotes scattering five hits and one run with five strikeouts.
 
In the second game, the Coyotes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Han walked, Kutschkau was hit by a pitch and then Cadence Mallet reached on a fielder's choice and error that allowed Han to score on the play.
 
Hastings tied it in the second, and then used a 7-run third inning to take an 8-1 lead as the Broncos used eight hits and capitalized on two KWU errors in the inning.
 
KWU's rally started in the bottom of the inning. Kutschkau doubled and then scored on Mallet's single. Keira Hammen and Jenna Soule walked to set up Grace Pierce's 2-run single to make it 8-4.
 
The Coyotes got three more back in the fifth. Mallet reached on an error and two batters later Soule hit a 2-run homer off the scoreboard in left field to get KWU within two at 8-6. Pierce then singled, Takara Kolterman reached on a fielder's choice, then Shiloh Johnson doubled to right center to bring in Kolterman bringing the Coyotes within a run at 8-7.
 
Hastings got a big insurance run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to make it 9-7.
 
The Coyotes tried to rally in the last, but came up just short. Soule led off the inning with a single, two batters later Kolterman reached on a fielder's choice, then stole second base on the play. Johnson then reached on an error that allowed Kolterman to score. It looked like the Coyotes had a chance to tie it, but Han's hard hit ball to the right side of the infield was caught to end the game.
 
Pierce had three of KWU's nine hits while Soule and Johnson had two hits each.
 
Marah Walley took the loss for the Coyotes, allowing seven runs, five earned, on seven hits in two and a third, while Alycyn Nash went the rest of the way allowing two runs on four hits.
 
The busy week of softball continues on Wednesday as the Coyotes head to Kansas City to play Park University starting at 1 p.m. The games will be played at Homefield Complex, 1501 N 90th St in Kansas City, Kansas. KWU returns home on Thursday to play Cottey College at 1 p.m. at Salina South.