Colfax defeats Davenport for top slot at Franklin

Colfax hammered Davenport Tuesday 13-1 at McDonald Park to advance to the semi-final round of the NE District tournament which will resume Saturday at the Franklin Park complex in north Spokane. The Bulldogs are booked to play Chewelah, an 11-2 winner over the LRS Bronco, in another playoff round Tuesday.

Northwest Christian and Liberty, the only NE team to top Colfax this year, will play in the other semi-final round.

The final NE rounds at Franklin will offer four tickets to the state tournament which will be next week at Gateway Park in Yakima. A win in Saturday's semi-final will guarantee a state ticket because both teams in the NE title game qualify.

Losers of the semi-final will face survivors coming out of the consolation brackets at Franklin. Both teams in the consolation final will also get state tickets.

Coach Michelle Miller Tuesday credited Jorja Koerner with stopping the Gorillas Tuesday. The freshman faced just 16 batters in the playoff game which was shut down after four innings in the 12-run lead rule. Koerner struck out four batters, allowed just three hits and booked another no-walks game.

Sophomore Anni Cox made four defensive plays at second base.

Davenport scored their lone run in the top of the first inning to take the lead, but the Bulldogs scored seven runs to take control in the second inning,

Colfax led 11-1 going into the bottom of the fourth and added two runs for the 13-1 finish.

The game shut down after 55 minutes.

Koerner led the 13-hit Colfax offense with a double and a single, and Abby Lobdell tagged three singles. Perry Imler and Justice Brown each hit a double. Hitting singles were Riane Jones, Helina Hahn, Cox, Kyla Hansen and Desi Brown.

Macie Hopkins, Kylee Buchanan and Brynna Hopkins had the hits for Davenport.

The Gorillas rolled into the playoffs with senior pitcher Sydney Zeiler out of the lineup after sustaining a head injury in a collision with a runner in a north side game with Springdale. Zeiler was also out of the lineup when the Gorillas lost to Colfax twice in non-league games last week.