LA CROSSE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- Benedictine University erased a three-run deficit in the ninth inning to force extra innings, but gave up three runs in the 10th as Coe College emerged with a 9-6, 10-inning victory in game two of the 2024 NCAA Division III Baseball regional at Copeland Park.
The Eagles (32-13) will face Bethel University in an elimination game at 11 a.m. Saturday with the winner facing either host UW-La Crosse or Coe in another elimination later that evening.
Coe 12, Benedictine 9 (10 innings)
The Eagles opened the scoring with a run in the first inning as DeShawnte Carraway drove in Logan Gregorio with an RBI single.
Coe countered with a pair of runs in the second on the strength of three straight one-out hits. Jack Allison doubled to right center, moved to third on a Reid Rausch single, the scored on a RBI double down the left-field line by Creighton Kreshel.
Benedictine stranded two runners each in the second and third innings, opening the door for the Kohawks to add to their lead. Rausch obliged in the fourth inning, blasting a two-out pitch over the wall in left-center to push the Coe lead to 3-1.
The Eagles saw their offense get on track in the bottom of the fourth with five runs on four hits and a Kohawk error. Gregorio drew a two-out walk to put runners at first and second for Kevin Bushnell, who blasted a three-run home run over the fence in left-center to give Benedictine a 4-3 lead. Brennan Fisher followed with a double, then scored when a Carraway single was misplayed in left field. Following a walk to George Betevis, David Rubin drove in Carraway to make it 6-3 in favor of the Eagles.
Coe scratched out a run in the sixth as Allison scored on another Kreshel RBI double, then tied the game in the seventh as Jon Wille scored on a Tyce Johnson RBI single to right and Jake Brosius came in on a bunt single by Ryan Thoreson.
The Kohawks worked around a leadoff double by Betevis in the seventh, then took advantage of a Benedictine error in the top of the eighth. Mitchell Eckhardt reached on a two-out error, ending up on second base when all was said and done. Wille was then hit by a pitch before Brosius cleared the bases with a three-run homer to left center to put Coe up 9-6.
Benedictine stranded a pair in the eighth but was able to retire the Kohawks in order in the ninth to give themselves a chance in the bottom half of the frame.
Betevis and Rubin led off the Eagle half of the ninth with back-to-back singles before pinch-hitter Justin Nonnenmann tied the game with a three-run blast to left field. Coe relief pitcher Ethan O'Donnell retired the next three batters to send the game to extra innings.
In the 10th, the Kohawks put the pressure to Benedictine pitcher Nick Shelton, loading the bases with a leadoff walk and back-to-back singles before Shelton was able to record a pair of strikeouts. Thoreson drew a bases-loaded walk to give Coe a 10-9 lead. The Kohawks then tacked on two more runs as Allison hit a two-run single to left-center.
O'Donnell was able to neutralize the Benedictine threat in the bottom half of the inning, allowing only a one-out walk to Fisher.
Coe outhit Benedictine, 17-13, with Wille, Allison, and Kreshel each registering three hits for the Kohawks. Brosius and Rausch were both 2-for-6 with a home run. Five different Eagles - Bushnell, Fisher, Carraway, Betevis, and Rubin - finished with two hits, while Bushnell and Nonnenmann each drove in three.
Six different Kohawk pitchers appeared in the contest with Ethan O'Donnell picking up the win after not allowing an earned run and conceding just a walk in two innings of work.
Benedictine also made use of six pitchers. Starter Andrew Kurcz allowed four earned runs while scattering nine hits and striking out one in 5-2/3 innings. Shelton was tagged with the loss.