LA CROSSE, Wis. - A big six-run fourth inning sparked the Coe College baseball teamon Friday night, as the Kohawks beat 20th-ranked Wisconsin-La Crosse 11-5 in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Coe opened the scoring in the first inning. Junior Craig Konrardy(Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus) started the inning with a single through the left side and scored on a two-out single by senior Jory Heckenberg (Stockport, Iowa/Van Buren). The Eagles answered in the bottom of the second with a run on a two-out error.
The Kohaw! ks broke the game open in the fourth inning with six runs. Freshman Grant Henning (DeWitt, Iowa/Central-Clinton) doubled down the right field line with one out. Junior Michael Redmond (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar) singled and senior Cole Tomlinson (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./El Toro) walked to load the bases. Junior Alec Zwanziger (New Hampton, Iowa/New Hampton) then walked to plate Henning. Coe then hit four-straight singles from Konrardy, senior Michael Goerdt (Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus), seni! or AJ Reuter (Monticello, Iowa/Monticello) and senior Jack Hoffmann (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert) to take a 7-1 lead.
Goerdt singled to start the sixth inning and moved to second on a single by Hoffmann with an hour. A single to left field by Heckenberg drove in Goerdt. Wisconsin-La Crosse added a pair of runs in the seventh inning.
The Kohawks added three runs in the top of the ninth, all with two outs. Sophomore Andrew Brierton (Cary, Ill./Cary Grove) was hit by a pitch before being pinch ran for by freshman Thomas Simon (Morton Grove, Ill./Notre Dame College Prep). Konrardy singled to third before Goerdt singled off the right field! wall, plating Konrardy and Simon. Reuter then doubled to plate Goerdt for Coe's final run. The Eagles scored two runs on three hits and an error in the bottom of the ninth, but Coe held on for the 11-5 victory.
Konrardy and Goerdt led the Kohawks with five hits apiece, as they combined to go 10-of-11 with six runs scored and four runs driven in from the top two spots in the lineup. Reuter, Hoffman and Heckenberg each had two hits apiece. Konrardy, Goerdt, Reuter, Hoffmann and Heckenberg, the top five in the lineup, each brought in two runs.
Sophomore Ben Jacobson (Ottosen, Iowa/Humboldt) three seven innings, as he improved to 7-3 on the year. He struck out four, while giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks. Hoffmann tossed the final two innings, giving up two unearned runs on three hits in two innings.
After picking up their ! 34th win of the season, the Kohawks advance to the NCAA Midwest Regiona! l Championship game on a Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. against an opponent to be determined on Sunday. A link for live video and live stats will be available at CoeAthletics.com.