Contact: Nathan Cameron, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7243

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Apr. 17, 2021) - The Loras College softball team (1-16, 1-12 A-R-C) traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to take on the Coe College Kohawks (15-7, 10-4 A-R-C) in an American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) doubleheader. In the second game of the day, sophomore Gabriella Garcia hit her first career homerun for the Duhawks in a late-inning offensive surge but the Kohawks prevailed with two wins on the day.

Game one saw the Duhawks take a lead early, scoring three straight runs in the top of the second inning after Jadyn Anderson reached base on a walk and advanced to second on a Grace Houghton single. With two runners on base, Ellie Schill lined a double to drive in Anderson from second and put Houghton on third to bring Jessica Bulanda to the plate with two runners in scoring position. Bulanda knocked in Houghton on an RBI single and advanced to second on the throw home as Schill added on the third run of the inning. The Kohawks added two runs in the bottom half of the second on a two-run homerun to cut the deficit to one.

The score remained at 3-2 in favor of the Duhawks until the bottom of the third inning when Coe drove four runs in on four hits to go ahead 6-3. Five more runs crossed the plate for the Kohawks in the bottom of the fifth to end the game in five innings with a final score of 11-3. 

Taylor Donnell got the start in the circle for Loras and threw 2.1 innings, allowing nine runs on 11 hits with one strikeout before head coach Ashley Winter turned to Nicole Bendig to close out the game. Bendig allowed two runs on one hit with one strikeout in 2.0 innings of work. 

Schill hit the Duhawks lone extra-base hit with her RBI double in the second inning to lead the team offensively with one RBI on one hit and scoring one run. Bulanda joined Schill with an RBI in the game while Houghton also posted a hit and scored a run in game one. 

The second game of the afternoon saw the Kohawks put up a run apiece in the second and third innings, both on ground outs that scored a run from third. The Kohawks went ahead by three runs in the fifth inning on an RBI single and added two more in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-run homerun to take a 5-0 lead going into the last inning. 

In the top half of the seventh inning, Hannah Wubben led off with a single but would be thrown out at second a batter later as Hadalyn Anderson reached on a fielders choice to second base. After a popped up foul ball was caught for the second out of the inning, Garcia stepped to the plate with Anderson on first and hit a two-run shot to spark a late-game push for the Duhawks but the Kohawks took game two with a final score of 5-2. 

Kayla Stich put in 5.0 innings in the circle for Loras, allowing five runs on six hits with two strikeouts before Bendig again came in relief, throwing one inning with one strikeout. 

Garcia led the bats for the Duhawks, going 2-4 in game two with a double and her first career homerun for two RBIs in the game. 

The Duhawks return to Cedar Rapids on Sunday, Apr. 18 to close out the series against Coe. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM.