Wildcats pass tough title test; keep tilt on 3-0 run at Gateway

Colton’s Wildcats ran a string of three wins to bag their third straight title in the eight-team state 1B finals at Gateway Park in Yakima Friday and Saturday. The Wildcats finished with a dramatic 10-8 win over Almira-Coulee-Hartline late Saturday in the championship game.

Coach Brad Nilson noted the 3-0 title campaign proved booking a threepeat can be tough with other contenders ramping up for a derailment.

The win over ACH netted a little revenge after ACH bumped Colton to get the number-one seed in last week’s qualifier at Medical Lake. That put Colton in the number-two slot at the start.

“I really think the number-two seed can also make it a lot tougher,” Coach Nilson noted. “When you study the results, it shows up.”

ACH in its first round Friday pounded Highland Christian 35-7.

Colton locked up in a second round battle with Sunnyside Christian and cooked a 7-5 win after playing into the eighth inning. The two team locked up at 4-4 over the first seven innings.

Colton advanced with a 7-5 win over a competitive Selkirk team in the semi-final round.

The championship game Saturday ended with Colton taking a 10-6 lead into the first half of the seventh.

The Warriors scored two runs to close at 10-8 and had the bases loaded with nobody out.

Colton cut off the charge and claimed the title with two quick force plays at the plate. Successive Warrior batters hit the ball down on the infield. Third baseman Jenna Moser scooped up the first one and fired it back to catcher Mollie Kramer for the first force.

Shortstop Kaitlin Druffel scooped up the next hit and threw to Kramer for the second force play.

“When they have the bases loaded, there’s only one place to make the play,” Coach Nilson noted.

Still with three runners on the bases, the Warrior season ended when Kaitlin Druffel gathered in a long Warrior fly in centerfield for the last out.

Colton started to celebrate while the three stranded Warrior runners trotted off the field.

Friday, Colton started the three-game run with the dramatic win over Sunnyside Christian in the eighth inning.

The two teams locked up at 4-4 after seven innings. The Wildcats then broke it open with three runs in the top of the eighth inning and held Sunnyside to one hit their half of the eighth.

Kramer started it with a hit, and Erin Weber doubled to score her. Meghan Heitstuman then hit to score Weber, and Jenna Moser booked the last RBI. Colton left two runner on.

Down by three runs, Sunnyside put a runner on with a one-out single but lost her on play at second Pitcher Mikayla Nygreen fanned the last batter to shut it down. Nygreen threw a seven hitter for the opening win.

Colton then went up with a spirited Selkirk team in the semi-final round with Taylor Nilson allowing three hits and fanning 10 of the Rangers.

Colton posted an 8-0 lead after four innings before the Rangers came back to score five runs over the last two frames.

Colton finished out their third championship season with a 23-2 record after positing the 3-0 run at Gateway.

The Wildcats will lose just two players to graduation, but those two are key players, pitcher Nygreen and catcher Kramer.