CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College baseball team claimed its fourth American Rivers Conference tournament title on Saturday afternoon, defeating sixth-seeded Wartburg 10-6 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Knights opened the game with three runs in the top of the first inning, getting a bases-clearing double to jump ahead. The Kohawks immediately responded in the bottom of the inning, racking up seven hits and seven runs to quickly regain control of the game. Coe and Wartburg added a run during the next two innings but the Kohawks picked up a pair of late insurance runs in the seventh and eighth. The Knights attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the ninth, getting a one-out two-run homer but reliever TJ Johnson clinched the title with a game-ending double play. The victory, which is Coe's fourth straight, moves it to 21-19 on the season.

COE 10 - WARTBURG 6
Game Facts

• The Knights jumped ahead quickly, taking advantage of three-straight free passes before the bases-clearing double. Coe immediately responded, getting four-straight hits to start the frame. The first RBI came from Reid Rausch who doubled to right field, plating TJ Johnson for Coe's first run. TJ Deardorff earned the second RBI of the inning, reaching on a fielder's choice ground out that allowed Rausch to get home. Jack Allison then cleared the bases with a single to right center, driving home Deardorff and Creighton Kreshel to put Coe in front 4-3.
• The Kohawks added three more runs before the end of the outburst, getting a pair of RBI hits and one sacrifice fly to jump ahead 7-3. James VanHooser made it 5-3 with a single to right, driving in Allison. TJ Johnson picked up Coe's fifth RBI hit of the inning, singling to center-field to push home Tyler Elliott. Rausch ended the scoring in the frame, picking up a productive lineout to right that scored Tyce Johnson.
• The Kohawks added another run in the bottom of the second, getting a pair of hits to start the inning. Jacob Brosius singled to lead off and immediately stole second before Deardorff drove him home with a single to left-center. Wartburg got on the board in the top of the third inning, scoring one run on an RBI single but reliever Ethan O'Donnell avoided any further damage with a doubleplay and a strikeout.
• The game went scoreless for the next three frames, with O'Donnell stranding runners on base in the fourth and sixth innings. The Kohawks added an insurance run in the seventh and eighth inning, extending their lead to 10-4. The first RBI came from Tyce Johnson who got a two-out single in the seventh to score Deardorff. Coe's final run of the game came on a sacrifice fly as Kreshel lined out to center, driving home TJ Johnson to give the Kohawks a 10-4 lead.
• TJ Johnson entered the game to pitch the final inning for the Kohawks and quickly recorded a flyout. The Knights made things interesting two batters later, getting a two-run homer to left to slice Coe's lead to 10-6. He ended the game two batters later, getting a game-ending double play to secure the title for Coe.

Up next: Coe will find out its NCAA tournament destination during the NCAA DIII Baseball Tournament selection show on Monday, May 16 at 11 AM CT.