March 29, 2024

Tigerhawks get walk-off win over CMB

C-M baseball snaps six-game losing skid

COLFAX — Spinning in a six-game losing streak, the Colfax-Mingo baseball team could have given up and quit when Collins-Maxwell/Baxter rallied from a seven-run deficit to take an 8-7 lead in the sixth inning.

There isn’t much quit in the Tigerhawks.

C-M sophomore Jarrod Nichols struck out CMB junior Brady Kemp with a runner on third in the top of the seventh inning, and then freshman Zarek Hill singled and scored in the bottom of the seventh to give the Tigerhawks a 9-8 home win during non-conference action Tuesday.

Kemp came into the game batting .512. He had two hits against Nichols before strolling to the plate with the chance to give the Raiders another lead in the seventh.

Nichols went right after Kemp and struck him out on four pitches.

“He was upset at the play before,” C-M coach Greer Milledge said of an error Nichols committed on the previous play that allowed Stover to get to second base. ‘”He wanted Kemp, so I let him pitch. He went after him and got him.”

The come-from-behind win by Colfax-Mingo spoiled an impressive relief appearance by CMB junior Hunter McWhirter, who was playing for the first time since his father died on June 18.

McWhirter entered the game with CMB down 6-0 but shut down the Tigerhawks for the next five-plus innings. He fanned nine and allowed two runs on four hits.

“We didn’t lose this game in the seventh. We lost this one in the first and second,” CMB coach Max Seeman said. “And if you watched us take infield, you could have predicted that that’s how the game would start.

“I asked (McWhirter) if he could go, and he said absolutely. He said he could finish it. He fought and battled and did everything he could, but it came down to us not making the plays behind him.”

Colfax-Mingo freshman Zarek Hill started the bottom of the seventh with an infield single. He went to second after strike three on Jonathan Jacobs got away from CMB senior Brad Ritter. Junior Adam Teed hit a ground ball to second, and the ball was misplayed, which allowed Hill to score the game-winning run.

“It’s a big win. We were starting to doubt ourselves,” Milledge said. “We have had trouble finishing games, and we almost did it again.

“We could have easily given up. My seniors kept us in the game. I give credit to my older guys for keeping the guys focused. We were able to pull it out.”

Colfax-Mingo began the season 10-5 but the six-game losing streak pushed them below .500 for the first time since they started 1-2 on May 27. The win against the Raiders (9-9) evens out the Tigerhawks’ record at 11-11.

“We had the heart to push through it and come through when things weren’t going well,” Milledge said. “Hopefully, this allows us to win a lot in the next few weeks.”

The Raiders had 14 hits, drew two walks and were hit by two pitches. They stranded 11 runners on base, and Colfax-Mingo won despite committing six errors.

“It would have been nice to get a win going into Saydel,” Seeman said. “This loss could still be a good thing. If we play like this against a top 10 team in Class 3A you know how it’s going to end. I think they’ll use this one as motivation, and we’ll have a great practice tomorrow and be a lot more focused all day Thursday.”

Adam Teed started the game for Colfax-Mingo. He was in line for the win when he left the game in the fourth inning, but he gave up five runs — two earned — on seven hits.

Nichols earned the win in relief. He tossed the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts.

Nichols’ biggest strikeout came in his last out when he got Kemp swinging to end the seventh.

“That’s the guy you want up at the plate (Kemp) and that’s the kind of guy you want on base (Stover),” Seeman said. “It was starting to fall our way. We were due for something bad, and they were due to make a big play. That was a big strikeout for Nichols.”

Colfax-Mingo senior Gabe Simpson had three hits, and he scored two runs, while senior Jacob Buehrer collected three RBIs — two of which came on a two-run double in the second.

Hill added two hits, a walk and one run, while sophomore Alex Lewis was 1-for-1 with two walks and two runs. Sophomore Misha Seebeck also scored twice.

CMB, which trailed 7-0 after two innings, plated three in the third, two in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to take an 8-7 lead.

McWhirter relieved senior Nate Bishop with no outs in the second inning. Colfax-Mingo recorded six straight hits during that inning.

Ritter finished with three hits to lead the Raiders, while Kemp had two hits, one hit by pitch and two RBIs. Stover and McWhirter each had two hits and one RBI. Senior Spencer Gauch scored two runs.

Colfax-Mingo plays at 6 p.m. Wednesday at North Mahaska, while CMB plays at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at 3A No. 5 Saydel.