WICHITA – Kansas Wesleyan Softball fell in both games of a doubleheader on Thursday in Wichita at Two Rivers. Friends won the first game 4-1 and the second game 9-5.
 
The games were moved from Saturday to Thursday to avoid forecast weekend inclement weather.
 
In the opener, Wesleyan led off the game with a home by Brooklyn Lange to take a 1-0 lead that held until the third when Friends tied it with a homer.
 
Friends took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Coyotes nearly tied it in the sixth as Kendell Wilcox singled and Keira Hammen walked. MacKenzie Vela then singled, but Wilcox was thrown out on a close play at the plate trying to score.
 
Friends used two RBI doubles in the sixth to take a 4-1 lead.
 
Alli Mickelesen took the loss allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. Four different Coyotes had one hit each.
 
In the second game, the first nine combined runs all came on home runs as the wind was blowing strong out to left field.
 
Friends used a solo homer in the bottom of the first to take an early lead before Cadence Mallet homered for the Coyotes to tie things up 1-1 in the second. Friends took the lead 2-1 with a homer in the second and a grand slam in the third extended the Friends lead to 6-1.
 
Mallet homered for a second time in the fourth, this time a 2-run shot to make it 6-3.
 
Friends scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 9-3 lead.
 
The Coyotes tried to rally again in the seventh. Mallet and Brooklyn Smith led off the seventh with singles and Kylar Smith reached on an error to load the bases. Lange drove in a run on a fielder's choice and Elli Han drove in a run on a single to make it 9-5, but the Coyotes couldn't push another run across.
 
Mallet had three hits and drove in three runs to lead the Coyotes.
 
The Coyotes have a pair of key doubleheaders next week at home, hosting Saint Mary on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at South High School, and Ottawa on Saturday at 2 p.m. at South High School.