Kansas Wesleyan Softball finally got to play its home opening doubleheader on Tuesday as the Coyotes faced the Concordia University Bulldogs at Salina South High School.
After dropping the first game 4-3 to Concordia, the Coyotes won the second game on Kendell Wilcox's walkoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 4-3.
Head Coach Daryl Hoelting, who was elevated to the head coach position last week, picked up his 217th career win at Kansas Wesleyan, making him the all-time wins leader in program history, passing Mike Smith for the honor.
Hoelting spent six seasons coaching the Coyotes from 2011 to 2016 and had rejoined the coaching staff this season as an assistant before being elevated to the head coaching position.
In the opener, the Coyotes fell behind 4-0 before rallying.
Elli Han and Brooklyn Lange led off the bottom of the third with singles, and then moved up a base on Keira Hammen's infield fly. Cadence Mallet followed with a two-run single to right to get the Coyotes on the board.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the seventh. Lange walked, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before scoring on Hammen's RBI ground out. The Coyotes could not push another run across to tie the game.
Han had three of KWU's 11 hits in the game. Mallet drove in two runs and Hammen one. Alli Mickelsen would take the loss, allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits.
Wilcox had an outstanding second game for the Coyotes.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, she led off the inning with a solo homer to tie things up at 1-1.
Mallet singled to lead off the third inning for the Coyotes and three batters later Wilcox drove Mallet with a single to give the Coyotes a 2-1 lead.
Concordia scored twice in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead but the Coyotes tied it back up in the fifth. Hammen doubled and pinch runner Becca Kennon would score on Wilcox's fielder's choice to tie the game.
In the seventh, the Coyotes came through. Hammen led off the inning with a single and Han came in to pinch run. Brooklynn Smith grounded out and advanced Han to second, and Wilcox then doubled home Han to give the Coyotes the walkoff win.
Wilcox was 3 of 4 at the plate with four RBI in the game. Hammen and Kylar Smith had two hits each for the Coyotes. Bella Allen went the distance for the win for the Coyotes allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out four.