OKLAHOMA CITY – Kansas Wesleyan Softball coach Ryan Cooper picked up his first career win on Saturday as the Coyotes split the season opening doubleheader with Mid-America Christian at Allen Field.

The Coyotes dropped the opener 2-1, but bounced back in the second game, using a five-run seventh inning to claim a 7-2 win, earning Cooper’s first career win.

In the opener, Mid-America Christian got on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a run on a single, and added a second run in the third inning with a home run.

The Coyotes got on the board in the top of the sixth on Samantha Herrera (SO/Lake Jackson, Texas)’s solo homer.

Wesleyan was unable to put together a late-inning rally, falling in the opener 2-1.

Natalie Zamora (SO/Houston, Texas) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in five innings of work. Miranda Fogal (JR/Monticello, Ill.) pitched one inning in the game. Herrera, Rivas and Thibert each had a hit.

In the second game, the teams traded runs back and forth over the first six innings, until the Coyotes broke it open in the seventh for the win.

MACU got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of a pair of walks and an error to plate the run, the inning would end on a great defensive play as Josie Buhr (JR/Buffalo, N.D.) threw out a runner at home trying to score.

The Coyotes then tied it in the top of the third inning Anne Thibert (JR/Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) led off with a single, stole second and then scored on Buhr’s single.

MACU regained the lead in the fourth, taking advantage of a triple and then a fielder’s choice to bring in the run.

Back came the Coyotes in the fifth. Thibert walked and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sarah Sanders (JR/Hillsboro, Texas). Buhr then tripled to bring in the game-tying run.

The Coyotes broke it open in the seventh with five runs.

Thibert led off with a single, and after a sacrifice by Sanders and a bunt single by Buhr, Jocelyn Alcala (JR/Fullerton, Calif.) brought in the first run of the inning with a hit to left. Bailey Rivas (SR/La Puente, Calif.) followed with a RBI bunt single, and Alcala would later score on a wild pitch. Herrera singled home another run for the Coyotes, and Sydnee Fordham (FR/Thornton, Colo.) called the scoring with a RBI single.

Buhr had three hits to lead the Coyotes, while Fordham and Thibert had two each. Fogal got the win in relief for the Coyotes, going three and two-thirds in relief, holding MACU to only one hit, while striking out five. Jewell Henry (SR/Kingston, Okla.) went three and a third, allowing two runs on three hits.

Next up for the Coyotes are four games at the PC Dome Tournament, hosted by Presentation College in Aberdeen, South Dakota on Friday and Saturday. KWU then returns home for the home opener on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Hastings College at Salina South High School.

More information regarding Sunday’s home opener will be released next week ahead of the game.