The Coe College softball team will have to win three straight games at Clark Field Sunday to capture the Iowa Conference Tournament, but there's a nice prize waiting for them even if they don't.

The ninth-ranked Kohawks have a 34-7 overall record and are considered a lock for an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III national tournament even if they do not get the league's automatic berth as the tournament champion.

Alise Miller broke up a pitcher's duel in the top of the eighth inning Saturday afternoon with a two-run homer to give 11th-ranked Luther a 2-0 victory over Coe in the winners bracket finals.

Arran Weeces of Coe and Becca Girvan of Luther matched goose-eggs for the first seven innings Saturday, sending the contest into extra innings.

Weeces (12-4) walked the leadoff batter in the top of the eighth, and two batters later Miller blasted her fifth homer of the season to deep left-center field.

The Kohawks put two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Girvan (17-3) ended the game with her ninth strikeout.

Weeces also fanned nine batters. Both pitchers allowed only three hits, but Miller had the only one that counted.

Coe will face Simpson at 10 a.m. Sunday in the loser's bracket final. The winner of that game will move into the championship round, needing to beat

Luther twice to win the tournament with games scheduled at noon and 2 p.m. (if necessary).