The Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes headed into the bottom of the ninth of Friday's series opener with the Tabor Bluejays trailing 6-4.
 
Niko Olson's walk-off sacrifice fly that scored Lakin Franz from third propelled the Coyotes to a 7-6 victory at Dean Evans Stadium.
 
Fernando Ruvalcaba started Wesleyan's rally leading off the bottom of the ninth with a single. Chris Finocchario followed with a walk and a passed ball moved the runners up a station.
 
Logan Arndt stepped up and hit a ball deep in the hole at short and beat the throw to first bring in the first run of the inning. Blake Dale followed with a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up and Tabor intentionally walked Zac Goldenberg to load the bases and keep a potential double play on the docket.
 
Pinch hitter Tyler Nordyke would walk on four pitches to bring in Finocchario for the game-tying run and Olson stepped up and sent a 1-2 pitch into center field and Franz would slide into home for the walk-off run.
 
The Coyotes took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Olson walked and Carter Allen singled. Two batters later Ruvalcaba popped out to foul territory on the first base side and Olson came home to score, and Allen would also score on the play after an errant throw to the plate.
 
Tabor got a run back in the second, but the Coyotes responded with a run in the bottom of the inning. Arndt singled and Dale doubled to put two on. Two batters later Chase Aurand was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Olson drove in the run on a fielder's choice.
 
The score stayed the same until the bottom of the fourth when Dale led off the frame with a homer off the trees in center field to make it 4-1.
 
Tabor would tie it up in the sixth as Jared Mack hit a 3-run homer off the light pole in left field, and the Bluejays would take a 6-4 lead in the seventh scoring twice.
 
Wesleyan avoided danger in the top of the ninth, getting a big pop out double play for the first two outs of the inning and Daniel Turnham would get a strikeout to end the inning.
 
Allen and Arndt had three hits each for the Coyotes. Olson drove in two runs. Daniel Turnham got the win for the Coyotes pitching the ninth inning with a strikeout ahead of the Coyote rally. Starter Shaw Lee went six innings allowing four runs, three earned on five hits with two strikeouts.
 
The teams will meet again on Saturday for a doubleheader to decide the series. First pitch from The Dean is scheduled for 1 p.m.