Tigerhawk softball gets in win column after rout

COLFAX — Colfax-Mingo softball coach Bryan Poulter expects the top of his lineup to be very productive this season.

There is a good blend of speed and power with all four hitters, and the group collectively had eight of the Tigerhawks’ 11 hits Thursday during a 10-0, five-inning victory over Grand View Christian.

Lead-off hitter Ries Wilson had three hits, three runs and produced two RBIs thanks to her first career home run. Amy Russell also had two hits, two runs and an RBI and Rhiannon Haley collected two hits and two RBIs one day after homering in a loss to Greene County.

“I really think the first five or six hitters can be very effective for us,” Poulter said. “The top four will drive a lot of balls and they’ll have a lot of doubles. They all seem to square balls up pretty well. There isn’t a lot of soft-contact swings. I think they’ll be a good combination and when the year is over, I think they’ll each have quite a few home runs.”

Wilson crushed her first career home run during an eight-run third inning. She was on base in all three of her at-bats and hopes a productive day will get her offense on track.

“I knew coming into the game that I needed to pick up my hitting because I hadn’t done as well in the first two games. I have set a few offensive goals this year and I thought if I got off to a good start that it would help.

“Hitting the home run and seeing my teammates at homeplate ready to celebrate was really exciting.”

Wilson’s home run came on the first pitch she saw from Thunder senior Kaylee Wittington. Wilson knows from her days of pitching that the first pitch is often times the best pitch a batter will see during an at-bat.

And the home run left no doubt as she cleared the fence in left-center field by several feet.

“Since I have pitched before, I know that it’s their goal to get ahead in the count so normally the first pitch is the best pitch you’ll see,” Wilson. “I wasn’t sure it was going to be gone. I had one of those last night that I thought was going to go over but it ended up a few feet in front of the fence.”

The big third inning helped the Tigerhawks (1-3) get into the win column for the first time this year. And that was more than enough support for Russell, who allowed only five hits and fanned four in four innings of work.

Russell, who has been pitching with a blister on her finger of her throwing hand, pitched out of jams in the second and third innings to keep the Thunder (0-2) scoreless and winless on the year.

Eighth-grader Colbee Cunningham threw the fifth and final frame and didn’t allow a baserunner.

“I think it plays well for us in a few different angles. It takes some of that pressure off of getting that first win,” Poulter said. “It also assures them that they can do this and that they are a good team. I think they’ll build off it and not press as much moving forward.”

The Tigerhawks broke the scoreboard just two batters into the game. Wilson led off with a single and then scored on Russell’s double that went over the head of Thunder left fielder Mack Frey. Brooke Nicholson then plated Russell with a two-out RBI single to left.

Wilson led off the third with a hard single to left then took third on another hit by Russell. Haley brought both runners home with a two-run double.

Chelsea Russell and Aranda Woods each had run-scoring hits in the frame before Wilson capped the scoring with two her two-run shot.

Notebook

The Tigerhawks’ started the new year 0-2 but both losses came to teams that were top-three placewinners at last year’s state tournament. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont was the runner-up in Class 2A last year, while Greene County took third in 3A. ... Colfax-Mingo will try to get win No. 2 on Friday when they travel to South Hamilton for a 7:30 p.m. first pitch. The Hawks were third in the Heart of Iowa Conference last year, while Colfax-Mingo finished fourth.