MONTCLAIR, N.J. - After a 4-2 national semifinal win over Gustavus Monday morning, the Coe softball team did what no Coe athletic team has done in school history.  They played in a National Championship game, where they fell 2-0 to Messiah.The Kohawks scored two runs in the top of the first inning against the Golden Gusties, which doubled their total runs for the first three games of the tournament.  Senior Ashley Leonard (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) singled to left field to start the game.  A sacrifice bunt by freshman Katie King (Altoona, Iowa/SE Polk) moved Leonard into scoring position.

Coe scored its first run as junior Chelsea Zaugg (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) singled to right field to plate Leonard.  Zaugg moved to third on the throw.  The Kohawks scored the second run of the inning as senior Amy Hanse (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar) dropped a suicide squeeze bunt to score Zaugg from third.

The Golden Gusties cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first inning with one run on two hits.  Gustavus tied things up in the third inning with an unearned run, but wouldn't be able to tally anymore runs for the rest of the game.

Freshman Amanda Hanson (Riverside, Iowa/Highland) led off the fifth inning with a single to right field.  A double by Leonard moved Hanson to third, while Leonard was thrown out trying to stretch the double into a triple.  On the very next pitch, King singled through the left side to plate Hanson, putting the Kohawks ahead for the final time.

Coe added an insurance run in the sixth inning.  Senior Sonja Schwenker (Burlington, Iowa/Burlington) singled to lead off the sixth inning.  With one out, junior Mackenzie Lang (Urbandale, Iowa/Johnston) doubled up the middle to plate Schwenker.

Zaugg led the Kohawks with three hits in the opening game, while Leonard and Schwenker had two apiece.  Five other Kohawks added a hit apiece.   Schwenker struck out eight ,while walking just one and giving up just one earned run.

"That is the thing I'm most proud of. After a tough loss last night, these kids had all night to think about it and they could have just let it go by the wayside today, Head Coach Bob Timmons said after the win over the Golden Gusties. They didn't. They chose to come out and fight and beat a very good Gustavus Adolphus team. I'm just proud of the fact that we were in the championship game."

The Kohawks were faced with a tough task in the national championship game, facing a pitcher, Jessica Rhoads, that had nearly 400 strikeouts on the year.  Rhoads struck out 19 Kohawks in the first meeting, while following that performance with 13 strikeouts in the championship game.

Senior Dani Leavens (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) singled in the second inning for the first hit of the game for the Kohawks.  Leavens was thrown out trying to move into scoring position on a steal attempt.  With two outs in the third inning, Hanson walked and moved to third on a wild pitch.  She was left stranded on base.

The Falcons added their first run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.  Coe lost another chance to score, as Leonard had a single to center field with two outs in the sixth inning.  Messiah added another run in the top of the seventh inning on a solo home run.

Freshman Ashlee Simon (Riverside, Iowa/Highland) took her second loss in two days to Messiah as she fell to 24-6 on the year.  Simon struck out five, while giving up two earned runs.

The trip to Montclair marked the second trip to the College World Series for three seniors.  Leonard couldn't have been happier with the return trip by the Kohawks.  "Being our second time [in the National Championship], I kind of knew what to expect and I wasn't as nervous as I was as a freshman, Leonard said. I decided that whether we played two games or four games, I was going to play as hard as I could and leave the field regretting nothing."