Coe baseball team to regional championship

LA CROSSE, Wis. - The Coe College baseball team finds itself one victory from an improbable trip to the NCAA Division III World Series.

Coe got five hits each from Craig Konrardy and Michael Goerdt and beat host Wisconsin-La Crosse, 11-5, Friday night in a regional tournament winner's bracket final. The victory assures Coe a spot in the regional championship game or games.

Coe (34-12) is the only unbeaten team remaining in the eight-team regional. La Crosse, defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater and Concordia (Chicago) are the other teams alive, and they will battle it out Saturday to determine who Coe will play in Sunday afternoon's first championship game.

If Coe loses, there will be a winner-take-all title game Monday.

Starer Ben Jacobson threw seven strong innings to get the pitching win Friday night. He allowed six hits and three runs, two earned.

Coe broke the game open with a six-run fourth inning. The Kohawks finished with 18 hits, the top five hitters in the order combining to go 16-for-26 with 10 RBIs.