Kansas Wesleyan Softball split Saturday's Senior Day doubleheader with the Ottawa University Braves at Salina South High School.
The Coyotes won the first game 6-0 behind an outstanding pitching performance by Alli Mickelsen. Wesleyan tried to rally after falling behind in the second game but came up just short in a 5-4 loss.
The first game of the doubleheader was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Coyotes finally broke through. Madison Geer led off the inning with a single, went to second on Deja Rubio's sacrifice and then scored on pinch hitter Brooklynn Smith's double.
KWU broke open the game in the sixth. Kendell Wilcox reached on an error to open the inning and then scored on a fielder's choice by MacKenzie Vela. Cadence Mallet reached on a bunt single to load the bases and Geer followed with a bases-clearing double to put the Coyotes up 5-0. Rubio then singled and Geer scored on a throwing error on the play.
Geer and Rubio had two hits each to lead the Coyotes. Mickelsen was exceptional in the circle, tossing a complete game two-hitter, striking out seven along the way for the win.
Ottawa took a 1-0 lead in the second game, but the Coyotes came back and tied in the bottom of the first. Brooklyn Lange was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice by Elli Han and then scored on a Wilcox double.
The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the second and held the lead until the fifth.
The Coyotes got a RBI double by Lange to score Rubio who walked. Han followed with a RBI single to put the Coyotes up 3-2.
Ottawa put three on the board in the sixth to take the lead back at 5-3.
Wesleyan tried to rally in the sixth, putting the first two batters on base on a Geer single and a double by Smith. Lange was hit by a pitch to load the bases and the Coyotes got a run home on a single by Han to make it 5-4. The Coyotes would lead the bases loaded in the inning.
Mallet singled in the bottom of the seventh, but the Coyotes could not push the tying run across.
Han, Wilcox and Mallet had two hits each to lead the Coyotes. Addie Herrera suffered the loss in the circle.