Bulldog girls snag last ticket to state

After being derailed by the neighboring Garfield-Palouse/Tekoa-Oakesdale combo team Saturday in the first round of the softball SE-NE regional round at Richland, the Colfax Bulldogs posted two wins in the consolation bracket to claim the fifth and last ticket to the state B playoffs at Rotary Gateway Park in Yakima.

The Bulldogs will go up against Adna in the first round of the 16-team tournament at 11 a.m. Friday.

Adna’s Pirates will arrive at Yakima with a 15-4 overall record. They qualified for the number one slot out of their district after defeating Toutle Lake, the defending champions, in the final round.

Colfax was stopped 7-4 by Garfield/Palouse-Tekoa/Oakesdale in the first round Saturday at the Columbia playfield in Richland.

Coach Terry Eng said he believes the last time Colfax played the neighbors from Garfield was in the 2009 state tournament when both teams were in the B division.

Saturday’s opener saw the game tied at 4-4 going into the top of the seventh. The Vikings’ Kamryn Lehn rapped the key hit to score the tie breaking run in the top of the seventh. Two walks and a passed ball also fueled the rally.

Sammi Johnson led the Vikings’ eight-hit attack with a three-for-three game at the plate.

Coach Eng noted leadoff hitter Alexa Lindgren was one of the keys for the Vikings. Lindgren, Lexi Rodriguez, Payson Griner and Bri Brown had the other hits for the Vikings.

Colfax had 11 hits in the opener with Kori Goodwin, Kasey Cloaninger, Brittany Lewis and Erica Appel each getting two singles. Andra Hamilton, Carolyn Knaack and Sarah Appel had the other hits.

Format for the SE-NE playoff requires first-round losers to win their next two games to land a ticket to state.

Colfax passed the test by taking out Springdale 13-9 and the eliminating Tri-Cities Prep in the game for the last ticket to Yakima.

Springdale lost to DeSales in the first round which matched the number four NE team against DeSales, the number two team out of the SE.

Colfax stacked an 8-2 lead over Springdale when the Chargers charged for four runs with two out. The rally was stopped when Erica Eng relieved Kasey Cloaninger and struck out the next batter.

Colfax regained the lead with four runs in the sixth inning. Most of the runs came off 12 walks allowed by Springdale.

Colfax finished with 12 hits. Appel, Goodwin, Scoops Hahn, Kindra Kneale and Cloaninger each had two hits with Hahn tagging a double. Hamilton, Amara Huber and Lewis had the other hits.

Springdale batters totaled nine hits. Cloaninger struck out two and walked four, and Eng struck out four and walked just one after going to the circle in the bottom of the fourth.

In the closer against Tri-Cities Prep, the Bulldogs scored eight runs over the first two innings and led the Jaguars 11-0 until the bottom of the fifth when TCP scored five runs. That launched a high offense battle which ended with a 14-8 Colfax win to claim the last ticket.

The five-run Colfax start in the first inning came off five hits with Hamilton booking the big blast of the game, a three-run triple.

Colfax totaled 20 hits in the game which reflected the last-round toll on pitchers for both teams. Hamilton had singles for her other hits. Appel, Eng and Goodwin each had three singles. Lewis and Knaack each had two singles. Amara Huber tagged a double, and Hahn had a single.

Northwest Christian stopped DeSales 11-1 to take the regional title. The Crusaders will take a 22-3 record to state where they placed second the last two years.

The finale left the Irish as the number two entry with Asotin third, GP/TO fourth and the Bulldogs fifth.