Softball splits two with Kohawks

The Wartburg Knights softball team split their doubleheader with Coe Sunday afternoon, topping the Kohawks 5-4 in the first game and dropping a 3-0 second game.

Lexy Determan put her 9-0 record on the mound to start the first game.  Early in the first inning, Coe knocked in two runs on two hits.  The Knights didn’t answer until the bottom of the second when Tina VandeHoef homered to left field.

In the sixth inning, the Kohawks started the inning with a walk.  Another walk and two wild pitches by Determan plated one run.  A double helped the Kohawks score another run to make it 4-1.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Knights started their own rally with an Amy Daniels double.  Emily Braem followed with a single to left, which scored Daniels.

VandeHoef was hit by a pitch which put runners on first and second. An Ashley Stout double scored Braem and VandeHoef.  A single by Paige Gerstner scored Stout.  The Knights scored four runs on four hits in the inning.

“It was great to see us hit the ball so well in that inning.  Coe has two good pitchers and early on in game one we saw Tina VandeHoef step up and drive a pitch. Throughout the game we knew in the back of our minds that we could hit the ball hard and for extra bases, which gave us confidence later in the game,” head coach Kara Kehe said.

The four-run sixth-inning outburst proved to be enough as Angela Hartwig came in for Determan to close the game and pick up the save.

Determan ended the game giving up six hits, five runs, walking five and striking out two.  Leading the way offensively for the Knights was Stout, who went 2-for-2 with two RBI’s.

In the second game, Hartwig took the mound looking to improve on her 10-1 record.  The first three innings were all defense as Hartwig retired the first nine batters. 

Wartburg had an opportunity in the first inning  with Lynn Heitkamp at third but couldn’t push her across home.  In the second, Wartburg again stranded runners, this time two at first and second.

The middle innings proved to be a pitchers duel as Hartwig and Coe’s Sonja Schwenker threw scoreless third, fourth and fifth innings to keep the score locked at 2-1.

In the fourth, Coe’s offense finally caught up to Hartwig.  Two doubles pushed across one run to make it 1-0.

The Kohawks continued the scoring in the fifth as they produced two runs off of a single, a double and a passed ball, making the score 3-0.

Wartburg’s last chance was a quick one as Coe’s Schwenker continued to stump the Knights. 

Schwenker earned the win holding the Knights to no runs on two hits.  She struck out 14.

“She is a good pitcher and she did some things really well.  She threw the best we have ever seen her throw.  Hopefully we can really take some of those experiences and learn from them down the road,” Kehe said.

Hartwig, in the losing effort, pitched a complete game but allowed three runs on six hits.

“She pitched well, she put forth a great effort.  In the same respect Coe had some good hitters and put some good swings on what she was throwing and that was the difference of the game,” Kehe said.

The Knights host Simpson this Wednesday at Lynes field for a 3 p.m. start.

“We’ll evaluate what went well for us today and what we need to keep working on … at practice tomorrow and then get ready and game plan for Simpson,” Kehe said.