April 7, 2008

Katie Coker tossed her first collegiate no-hitter in game one as the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes swept McPherson College 14-0 and 10-2 in softball action on Saturday afternoon in McPherson.

GAME ONE: KWU 14, McPherson 0 (5 innings) - The Coyotes scored 11 runs in the first inning, capitalizing on five McPherson errors to cruise to the game one win. Coker allowed just five base runners all afternoon on four walks and on an error.

Coker led off the first with a single, and scored on a single by Jamie Peat after stealing second base. Two straight errors allowed Peat to score before Michelle Webster stepped up and took Mallory Yungeberg's 1-0 offering out of the park for her fifth homerun of the season, this time a three-run shot.

Chanelle Thompson then drove home a pair of runs with a single and later scored herself on a single from Peat. Heather Watson then drove in a pair with a double and scored two batters later when Jessi Barkley reached on an error. Jenny Menke then grounded out to third to end the Wesleyan barrage.

Coker struck out the side in McPherson's half of the first before the Coyotes added another pair of runs in their half of the second.

After a lead off single by Tara Earley, back-to-back one-out walks loaded the bases and forced a pitching change for McPherson. Watson drove in her third and fourth RBIs of the game with a single.

McPherson got its first baserunner in the second when Courtney Bersuch walked, but was stranded when Leah Heide grounded out to Coker to end the frame.

Duchene capped Wesleyan's scoring when she hit her third homerun of the season to lead off the Wesleyan fifth.

McPherson stranded two runners that reached on walks in the bottom of the fifth, when Coker ended the game with two strikeouts.

Peat, Watson and Duchene all had two hits each as the Coyotes had 11 hits in the game, while scoring 14 runs. Watson led the way driving in four, while Webster drove in three. Coker recorded the no-no in five innings, walking four and striking out 11.

Yungeberg took the loss for McPherson, pitching one and a third innings, giving up 13 runs in eight hits while walking four. Jessica Arpin pitched three and two-thirds in relief, giving up one run on three hits and walked one.

GAME TWO: KWU 10, McPherson 2 - Coker led off game two with her second homerun of the season as the Coyotes jumped out to a 5-2 lead after two innings and never looked back en route to the 10-2 win in five innings.

Four consecutive singles in the top of the second produced three runs, and Watson doubled home Peat as the Coyotes scored four in the frame to jump out to a 5-0 lead.

McPherson (4-15, 2-4) got two back in the bottom of the frame off Wesleyan pitcher Jamie Peat. Kristen Ozbun tripled home Karrie Koch who had reached on a third strike passed ball, and then scored on a single by Shaylin King.

Wesleyan (12-11, 6-2) added a single run in the third on Jenny Menke's third homer of the season, and added another in the fourth when Coker scored on a single by Watson.

The Coyotes blew the game wide open in the top of the fifth with three runs. Megan Duchene led off with a double and later scored on Barkley's single. Menke then stepped up and nailed her second homerun of the game, and fourth of the year for two more runs.

Erikka Viehman struck out swinging for McPherson in the bottom of the fifth as the Coyotes got the run-rule shortened win in game two.

Peat went the distance for the game two win, pitching five effective innings, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out seven and walking none.  Coker and Watson each were 3-for-3 in game two, while Menke was 2-for-3, but both hits were homers, as she led the Coyotes with three RBIs.