LEWISTON, Idaho - Kansas Wesleyan's run at the 67th Annual Avista NAIA World Series came to an end on Saturday as the Coyotes dropped an 11-5 decision to the Hope International University Royals at Harris Field.
Hope International scored eight of its 11 runs in the game when there was two outs in an inning, taking a page from the Coyote playbook where 2-out rallies played a big part of KWU's success throughout the season.
Things started well for the Coyotes in the top of the first inning as Jacob Williamson led off with a walk and then Kendall Foster hit a 2-run homer to put the Coyotes up 2-0.
KWU got two outs in the bottom of the first on the Royals, but then Hope International got things going, loading the bases and then scoring twice on a 2-run double and added two more runs on an error by the Coyotes.
The Royals added another 2-out run in the bottom of the second, to make it 5-2, but the Coyotes got right back into it in the third. Foster led off the inning with a double and went to third on Jarrett Gable's ground out. Cruz Oxford brought in a run with a ground out, and then Tyler Favretto hit a homer to make it 5-4.
HIU added another 2-out run in the bottom of the frame to make it 6-4, and put three on the board in the fourth to extend the lead to 9-4.
Reece Bishop homered for the Coyotes in the sixth, but the Royals got two more on the board, again with two outs to make it 11-4.
Foster and Gable had two hits each to lead the Coyotes on offense. Brett Maddock took the loss on the hill, allowing six runs, four earned, on seven hits. Ritter Steinmann pitched two thirds of an inning allowing three runs on four hits and KT Gearlds closed things out going four and two-thirds allowing two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
KWU finishes its best season in school history at 48-12 overall. The Coyotes set new school records for overall wins and conference wins, the 32 KCAC wins also setting annew KCAC record for wins in a season. The Coyotes also won their first-ever NAIA Opening Round Championship and made the program's first-ever appearance in the NAIA World Series.