CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa --- With the 2021 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) regular season championship and NCAA Automatic Qualifier (AQ) on the line Coe College (27-7, 18-6 A-R-C) and No.15-ranked Wartburg College (26-8, 17-7 A-R-C) split the day one doubleheader, setting up a winner take all championship game Saturday, May 8 at Lynes Field on the campus of Wartburg College.
 
In Friday’s game one of the twin bill, Wartburg used a sixth inning spark to upend the Kohawks 4-2. Game two saw come overcome a 6-0 deficit to win 9-8.
 
The game three title tilt between the A-R-C’s top two teams went to Coe College by a score of 6-4, earning the program’s sixth title. In addition to collecting their first league crown since 2018 (2021, 2018, 2014, 2013, 2005, 2000) the Kohawks earn the league’s Automatic Qualifier (AQ) to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
 
The NCAA selection will announce the 42 automatic qualifiers, one (1) pool B bid and five (5) at-large qualifiers, along with regional sites selected for the Championship on Monday, May 17 at 12:00 PM (CST). Pool B includes independent institutions and institutions from conferences that do not meet the automatic qualifying criteria. The field for the 2021 championship will include 48 teams. For 2021 only, there will be no super regional round. Six teams will compete at eight regional sites in a double-elimination tournament May 20-23. The eight teams advancing from regionals will compete at the finals site in a double-elimination tournament May 27-June 1 at Moyer Park in Salem, Virginia. The final two teams will compete in a best-of-three series to determine the national champion.
 
Finishing as the top two teams in the conference standings, Coe and Wartburg will serve as hosts of the 2021 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Softball Tournament, held Wednesday, May 12-Saturday, May 15, with Sunday, May 16 being available for an "if necessary game" or weather. With the conference’s AQ already determined this year’s tournament will serve as an opportunity for teams to improve their resume in hopes of earning one of five at-large berths to the NCAA Division III Championship.
 
The coaches voted, and the ADs approved, a change of conference tournament format for the 2021 season only which will welcome all nine A-R-C institutions. Additionally, this year's conference tournament will feature a two-pod format with the winners of each pod meeting for a best-of-three championship series. Coe earning the No.1 seed will host one pod and Wartburg as the No.2 seed will host the other. The highest remaining seed will serve as host of the championship series. The tournament will utilize a double-elimination format, except for the 8/9 play-in game which will be a single game, taking place Wednesday, May 12 at Coe College. 
 
Game 1 – Wartburg 4, Coe 2
Game one remained scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when Coe’s Ruby Kappeler hit an RBI single, scoring Kelsey Hora. Megan Weber followed Kappeler with an RBI single down the left field line to bring Madi Parson across home plate.
 
The Knights waited until the bottom of six to do their damage but damage they did. Leah Campos started off the action with an RBI triple to right field, scoring Reegan Deputy. Stepping to the plate next was Tarah Wehde, who blasted a two-run shot over the left field fence, bringing Campos home and pushing Wartburg’s lead to one with the score standing 3-2. Sydney Fellows stepped into pinch hit and delivered the games last run with a homer over the left field fence.
 
Ashley Nelson tossed a complete game for the Knights giving up two runs on seven hits. Nelson faced 29 batters, striking out four.
 
In the circle for the Kohawks was Elie Thurow, who pitched six innings giving up four runs on eight hits. Thurow struck out seven of 26 batters faced.
 
Game 2 – Coe 9, Wartburg 8
The Knights carried their hot bats into the start of game two, picking up four runs on three hits in the first inning. Kaci Sherwood got things started for the Knights, bringing in a run on an RBI fielder’s choice, scoring Sydney Illg. Next to the plate was Leah Campos who also reached base on a fielder’s choice, scoring Madison Stoaks. Continuing the scoring action for Wartburg was Tarah Wehde, who double to left, bringing Sherwood and Campos home.  
 
Wartburg held Coe scoreless in the first two innings and tacked on two more runs of their own in the bottom of two. With Olivia Brecht and Sherwood on base, Campos hit an RBI triple to right field, pushing the Knight’s lead to 6-0.
 
The Kohawk offense came alive in the top of three, adding three to the board, headed off by Madi Parson’s RBI single to right field, scoring Ruby Kappeler. A Skyler Stookey two run homer drove in Parson, making the score 6-3 in favor of the Knights.
 
Wartburg made the score 7-3 in the bottom of three when Lauren Frerichs grounded out to the shortstop but brought in Sydney Fellows. The fourth inning saw Wartburg add one more run when Brecht scored on a passed ball.
 
One blast over the left field fence from Stookey in the top of five scored Parson, Kappeler, and Hora, cutting Wartburg’s lead to one with the score 8-7.
 
The Kohawk’s Parson’s drove an RBI single up the middle in the top of six, scoring Kappeler and tying the score at eight all. A Megan Weber RBI sacrifice fly to right field allowed Parson to cross home plate and put the Kohawks in front 9-8.
 
Coe’s defense came up big in the bottom of six. With one runner on base and one out, Wartburg hit two deep balls to the fence, but Coe left fielder Kappeler came up with the first great catch and center fielder Kesley Hora followed with one of her own.
 
After coming up short at the plate in the top of seven, Coe’s defense opened the bottom of seven with two straight outs. Wartburg looked to stay alive when Frerichs singled up the middle to reach first but a fielder’s choice for the next batter resulted in Frerichs being thrown out at second, giving Coe a 9-8 victory.
 
The winning pitcher for the Kohawks, Hannah Ausenhus, went seven innings giving up eight runs on 10 hits while striking out three of 37 batters faced.
 
Wartburg’s Maddie Rog started in the circle, throwing 4.1 innings, and allowing seven runs on five hits. Rog faced 22 batters, striking out three. Tara Wehde closed out the game, tossing 2.2 innings. In 16 batters faced, Wehde gave up two runs on seven hits.
 
Game 3 – Coe 6, Wartburg 4
The first inning of the championship game saw Coe College put one run on the board by way of a Madi Parson’s RBI ground out to shortstop, scoring Kelsey Hora.
 
Wartburg came away from the first with no runs, no hits and one runner left on base.
 
Coe’s Shaylee Dodd started the second with a single up the middle but was tossed out on an attempted steal two batters later by Wartburg catcher Jordan Swiatkowski. Coe finished the inning with no runs, one hit, and no runners left on base.
 
Sydney Fellows, the second batter up for the Knights in the top of two, singled up the middle to reach base. An Ella Link single to center field advanced Fellows to third but Coe was able to get out of the inning with no damage done. Wartburg closed out the inning with no runs, two hits, and two runners left on base.  
 
The top of the third saw Coe’s Natalie Blank reach first base on a bunt. She advanced to second on a steal and made her way to third on a wild pitch. Hora reached first on a walk and was pushed to second on Parson’s RBI single to center field, scoring Blank to make the score 2-0. Skyler Stookey kept the bats alive for Coe, advancing Parson to second and Hora to third with a single up the middle. With two outs and the bases loaded, Shaylee Dodd singled through the left side to bring Hora home. Wartburg was able to get out of the inning with three Coe runners left on base.
 
Coe catcher, Stookey made an athletic grab in foul territory to secure the first out in the bottom of the third, followed by a fly ball catch by left fielder Ruby Kappeler for out number two. The Kohawks made it three up, three down when Kappeler made another grab on a ball hit to left center.
 
In the top of four, Wartburg’s defense answered with a three up, three down of their own. The first out of the inning went to pitcher Tarah Wehde, recording a strikeout. Sydney Illg, playing shortstop secured the final two outs, catching a pop up and a line drive.
 
The defense continued in the bottom of the fourth with Coe recording another three up, three down. Wartburg’s Kaci Sherwood grounded out to third base for the first out. The second out of the inning came on a Leah Campos fly out where Coe right fielder, Blank, made a sliding grab. A Fellows pop up to second base ended the Knight’s at bat.
 
Coe’s offense reignited in the fifth, tallying two more runs to make the score 5-0. Parson was the first Kohawk to reach base, doubling down the left field line. One batter later Megan Weber drove one over the 220ft sign in center field to bring in Parson and touch home plate herself.
 
Leading off the bottom of the fifth for the Knights with a single up the middle was Madison Stoaks. Stoaks advanced to second on a passed ball and Lauren Frerichs reached base on a hit by pitch. Illg loaded the bases with a hit to center field that fell in territory that neither the shortstop nor center fielder could each. Olivia Brecht put the Knights on the board with a RBI sacrifice fly to left field, bringing home Stoaks. Next up was Wehde, who energized the Knights with a three-run homer over the fence in left center. Wehde’s three run shot drove in Frerichs and Illg. Coe battled their way out of the inning but not before Wartburg cut into their lead, earning four runs on three hits to make the score 5-4.
 
Following her fifth inning homer, Wehde went to work in the circle for Wartburg, striking out the first Kohawk batter. With a fly ball hit to left field, Fellows made a running over the shoulder catch to record out number two. Coe’s Hora connected on a hard-hit ball up the middle to reach first base. Kappeler moved Hora to second with a single that just reached the grass behind second base. Frerichs got Wartburg out of the inning with a pop fly catch in right field.
 
Following a ground ball to third base, Fellows remained on first after an error by the firstbaseman. Stoaks then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Fellows over to second. Coe ended the inning when third baseman Dodd made a running grab on a line drive hit between third and shortstop. She then made a heads up toss to second, locking in out number three before Fellows could tag up.
 
To the top of seven we headed with Coe leading 5-4. After Wartburg secured the first out on a Hannah Happ fly ball catch in center field, Coe’s Weber sent one deep over the left field fence to make the score 6-4. Dodd kept the bats rolling for Coe, hitting a double to right field. Wartburg then made a pitching change, bringing Maddie Rog into the circle. Rog’s second pitch grazed pinch hitter Bree Mangelsen, placing her on first base. Keera Ball then enter the game to pinch run for Mangelsen. Following a passed ball, Dodd advanced to third and Ball made her way to second. Pinch hitter Gabrielle Buckridge made her way down the first base line after being hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Coe. Wartburg was able to escape the inning on a 5-2-3 double play.
 
Coe brought Hanna Ausenhus into the circle in the bottom of the seventh, who collected out number one on softly hit grounder back to her. Wartburg’s Illg reached first by way of walk, bringing Brecht up to bat. Brecht singled up the middle, advancing Illg to second. Ausenhus stuck out the next batter and an ensuing pop up out earned Coe the 6-4 win and 2021 American Rivers Conference Championship.
 
Ellie Thurow earned the win for Coe, going six innings in the circle. Thurow gave up four runs on five hits and struck out two of 26 batters faced. Ausenhus came in for the seventh to earn the save, giving up one hit and striking out one.
 
Wartburg’s Ashley Nelson took the loss, tossing three innings and giving up three runs on five hits. Wehde pitched 3.1 innings for the Knights, striking out three of 17 batters faced and giving up three runs on seven hits. Maddie Rog came in for the final two outs of the seventh inning. Rog faced three batters, giving up no hits and no runs.
 
2021 American Rivers Conference Softball Tournament Schedule
Wednesday, May 12 | (Play-in game)
No. 8 Buena Vista vs. No. 9 Loras at No. 1-Coe College | Tentative - 3:00 p.m.
 
Thursday, May 13 and Friday, May 14
Pod 1 | Seeds: Coe, Luther, Simpson BVU/Loras | at No. 1-Coe College 

Thursday, May 13
Game 1 - No. 4 Luther vs. No. 5 Simpson @ 10:00 a.m.
Game 2 - No. 8 BVU/9 Loras vs. No. 1 Coe @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 3 - Loser 4/5 vs. Loser 1/(8/9) @ 2:00 p.m.
Game 4 - Winner 4/5 vs. Winner 1/(8/9) @ 4:00 p.m.

Friday, May 14
Game 5 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner @ 2:00 p.m.
*Game 7 - Played if Game 5 winner WINS Game 6 @ 4:00 p.m.

*if necessary game

Pod 2 | Seeds: Wartburg, Central, NWU, Dubuque | at No. 2-Wartburg College
Thursday, May 13
Game 1 - No. 6 NWU vs. No. 3 Central @ 10:00 a.m.
Game 2 - No. 7 Dubuque vs. No. 2 Wartburg @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 3 - Loser 3/6 vs. Loser 2/7 @ 2:00 p.m.
Game 4 - Winner 3/6 vs. Winner 2/7 @ 4:00 p.m.

Friday, May 14
Game 5 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner @ 2:00 p.m.
*Game 7 - Played if Game 5 winner WINS Game 6 @ 4:00 p.m.

*if necessary game
 
Saturday, May 15 | (Championship series, best-of-three)
Game 1 - Pod 1 winner vs. Pod 2 winner 
at highest seed | 12:00 p.m.

Game 2 - Pod 1 winner vs. Pod 2 winner
at highest seed | 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 16
Game 3 - Pod 1 winner vs. Pod 2 winner (if necessary...)
at highest seed | 1:00 p.m.
 

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