CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - After going without a run in the opener, Coe College won the finale in dramatic fashion with four home runs, including a walk-off home run.
Central scored two runs on four hits in the top of the first inning. The Dutch held that slim lead until the fourth when they broke the game open with five runs on five hits. Central plated the final run in the sixth on two hits. Coe nine runners on base throughout the game.
Senior Jack Hoffmann (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert) had three hits for Coe, while fellow seniorMichael Goerdt (Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus) had two. Sophomore Ben Jacobson(Ottosen, Iowa/Humboldt) took the loss, as he dropped to 4-3 with three innings on the mound. Jacobson gave up five earned runs on five hits. Junior Tony Becker(Waterloo, Iowa/Don Bosco) gave up two earned runs on a walk and a hit. Sophomore Thomas Schaedel(Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame Prep) tossed the final four innings, giving up an earned run on four hits and a walk. Schaedel struck out three.
The Dutch jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap, scoring three runs on two hits in the third and two runs on a hit and two Coe errors in the fourth. Coe came firing back in the bottom of the fourth. Goerdt homered to right field to start the inning. Senior AJ Reuter (Monticello, Iowa/Monticello) was hit by a pitch and moved to third as freshman Grant Henning (DeWitt, Iowa/Central-Clinton) singled through the right side. Reuter scored as Hoffmann grounded out. Junior Michael Redmond (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar) singled to right center, moving Henning to third. Henning scored as senior Cole Tomlinson (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./El Toro) reached on a fielder's choice that got Redmond out at second. Tomlinson stole second and scored as senior Jory Heckenberg (Stockport, Iowa/Van Buren) singled through the left side.
Central added another run in the fifth on two hits, but Coe got the run back in the bottom of the fifth on another home run by Goerdt. Hoffmann led off the eighth inning with a first pitch home run to right field, evening the game at 6-6. On the second pitch of the ninth inning, Goerdt hit his school record third home run of the game to right field, giving the Kohawks the 7-6 victory. Goerdt became the 11th NCAA Division III player this season to hit three home runs in a game.
Goerdt led the Kohawks with three hits, while Hoffmann added two. Goerdt had three RBI and scored three runs, while Hoffmann drove in a pair. Freshman Michael Greene (Westmont, Ill./Nazareth Academy) had a no decision on the mound in four innings. He gave up six runs (four earned) on five hits, while striking out one. Hoffmann earned the victory in relief, giving up three hits in five innings. Hoffmann walked one and struck out one, as he improved to 7-1 on the year.
The Kohawks (21-10, 13-9 IIAC) return to action on Tuesday, as they travel to Buena Vista (19-10, 9-9 IIAC) for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Storm Lake. A link for live stats is available at CoeAthletics.com.