Bulldogs rally to defeat Asotin

An experienced Colfax baseball team launched their new season Tuesday with a 7-3 win over Asotin at McDonald Park in Colfax. The Bulldogs trailed 0-2 before scoring all seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Next action for the Bulldogs will be their jamboree set for March 26-27 after the spring break. Freeman and Bellevue Christian are on the guest list to date.

With just four seniors graduating off last year’s team, the Bulldogs return a lot of the veterans who advanced the club to the final 16 round of the state playoffs for the 2B title. The Bulldogs had a 19-game win string going into the regional round where they were ambushed by DeSales. They finished the season 21-2.

One of the grads off last year’s power team was pitcher Buck Hickman, now a redshirt for the Central Washington University team. Other grads were catcher Zach VanTrease, infielder Marcus Johnson and utilityman Roman Lyon.

The Bulldogs have a total of 23 players out for the season.

Brandon Hoadley, who won league MVP honors last year returns to the mound. The Bulldogs will also have Dustin Huber, a senior who missed a lot of last year recovering from an injury. Huber activated last year when the club made a strong finish.

Sophomore JJ Robinson will pick up more mound time this year and Alex Teade and Tyler McNannay, who both pitched stints last year as sophomores, will be back.

Tyler Morse returns to first base with Sam Mellor, a senior, and Jamie Bledsoe, a sophomore transfer from Pullman, also expected to get work there.

Will Hatley will be back at second for his senior year, and Robinson will be at shortstop. Hoadley and Huber will do stints at third when they’re not pitching. McNannay could also do stints in the infield and outfield.

At catcher, the Bulldogs will have Kellen Morgan, a junior who will fill the starting gap left by VanTrease.

Veterans back in the outfield are Joe Johnson, Tanner Gay, Alex Teade and McNannay.

Coach Mike Parrish starts his 14th year at the helm. Scott Parrish and Jeff Pittman are back as assistants, and Eric Patton, who has been with the program since 1999, will return as jayvee coach.

In the opener Tuesday, Asotin pegged a 2-0 lead until the fifth inning when the Bulldogs broke out for three runs to take the lead.

Morse doubled and Teade singled in front of a pinch hit by McNannay for the first two runs. Hoadley then singled in McNannay.

Asotin bounced back to tie it at 3-3 in the top of the sixth when Jackson Webb doubled off Colfax reliever Robinson and scored on a wild pitch.

Colfax came back with four more in the bottom of the sixth. Gay rapped a two-run homer; Morse and Teade walked and Morgan advanced them on a sacrifice bunt. Hatley then connected to score the last two runs.

The Panthers went down in order in the top of the seventh.

Hoadley and Robinson held the Panthers to just five hits. Each side had one error.