SALINA, Kan. – The Dawgs and Coyotes tussled in an even split doubleheader as each dugout won 4-3 at the Salina South High School Softball Field on Tuesday (Feb. 24). Concordia University, Nebraska outlasted Kansas Wesleyan in game one, and the home team won in walk-off fashion in game two as the two games combined for 41 hits. Mary Beth Hart continues to be efficient from the top of the order.
Head Coach Brock Culler and company remain at .500 with a 6-6 overall showing through 12 games.
“We had a moment where I thought we stole momentum offensively and defensively,” Coach Culler said. "We are doing a lot of good things out there. Our young players are doing some good stuff. This is a team that should have come down here and performed a lot better. The execution. Just missing signs. Just little stuff that costs us big innings. We just have to make a note of it and put it in the practice plan. We got to get over it quick.”
In the opener, the Bulldogs put four on the board with two runs each in the second and third frames. Taryn Ganstrom cracked an RBI (Grace Maguire) double, and Bailey Merritt pushed a ball deep score Topp, who doubled earlier in the inning. With two singles by Hart and Avery O’Boyle to lead off the third, Aubriana Krieser pushed across a run and Topp hit an RBI single to score O’Boyle.
The Lloydminster, Canada, native, went a perfect 3-for-3 in game one. The center fielder hit a double and drove in two runs with another tally coming from her.
Coach Culler added, “Tobi has been a steady hand so far this season. She’s cool, calm and collected at the plate. She has a plan and plays disciplined softball. It’s no surprise that she’s having this success.”
Pitcher Kaylei Denison and the defense survived a Coyote response scoring two in the third and one in the seventh. Denison hurled all seven innings, giving up 11 hits, but the defense had her back with a clean game through zero errors.
Hart went 4-for-8 on the day acquiring two knocks in both games. The Lincoln Southwest product had one extra base hit, an RBI and scored two runs from the leadoff spot.
Both teams continued to leave runners stranded as Concordia left on eight and Kansas Wesleyan 15.
In a tie game (3-3) in the bottom of the seventh of game two, the Coyotes’ Keira Hammen singled. Two batters later, Kendell Wilcox hit an RBI double to plate pinch runner Elli Han, ending the contest.
Kierstyn Linn and Lilly Elsasser (L) combined for the 6.1 inning performance. Elsasser gave in to seven hits, two earned runs, a walk and struck one out in 15 batters faced.
Concordia (6-6) will make the drive to the Top Gun Invite this weekend to play four teams in two days. The Bulldogs will take the field at the Mid-America Sports Complex in Shawnee, Kan., starting at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday.