Win over Iowa Valley keeps Tigerhawk baseball on top of SICL

COLFAX — The Colfax-Mingo baseball team has some standout pitchers and the offense is starting to come around. But the Tigerhawks are built a lot on defense.

And three big defensive plays helped keep Colfax-Mingo on top of the South Iowa Cedar League standings Friday night.

A throw to the plate from center field by freshman Trinity Schroeder, a nifty glove by Jonathan Jacobs at shortstop and a game-ending double play highlighted the Tigerhawks’ 8-3 triumph over Iowa Valley.

The home victory pushed the Tigerhawks to 11-2 overall and 11-1 in SICL play. Colfax-Mingo has won six straight games and has not lost a conference game since June 2.

“We are built on great defense and making plays,” Colfax-Mingo coach Greer Milledge said. “Being able to shut them down and make some big plays is what keeps us in these games. We pride ourselves on being able to play good defense and keep the runs down.”

Iowa Valley’s Noah Mumby came up with a game-tying RBI single in the fifth inning, but Schroeder made sure the game stayed tied when he threw out another Iowa Valley runner trying to score.

The throw by Schroeder was up the third-base line but arrived well before Parker Wieck reached home, and sophomore Zarek Hill applied the tag to keep it at 1-all.

“I ultimately just want to stop them from advancing anyway I can. I honestly just wing it and hope it gets there,” Schroeder said.

The Tigerhawks answered Iowa Valley’s single run in the fifth with a three-run bottom of the fifth.

Junior Alex Lewis, who started on the mound, walked to begin the fifth and then Schroeder singled.

Freshman Brady Berkey put the home team back in front with an RBI single and then senior Jimmy Camp made it 3-1 with an RBI groundout.

Berkey later scored on an Iowa Valley (5-7 overall, 5-5 overall) error.

Lewis breezed through the first 17 outs for Colfax-Mingo. Six of the first seven outs he recorded came on groundouts. Through four innings, he allowed only a single to Tiger hitters.

Iowa Valley tied the game in the fifth, but Lewis retired the first two batters he faced in the sixth.

That’s when trouble came. The next four batters reached base and two of them scored to make it 4-3.

Milledge pulled Lewis in favor of freshman Trystin Ross. Ross walked in a run before getting out of the jam with a strikeout.

The Tigerhawks plated four runs in the sixth to pull away before Ross finished off the win by facing the minimum in the seventh.

Ross walked Iowa Valley’s Jake Jordan with one out, but he was erased on the basepaths when Ben Smith grounded into a game-ending double play. Lewis started the double play with a nifty snag at third base.

“It seems like we have been able to halt any big runs this season,” Milledge said. “They had the bases loaded in the sixth there and only scored two runs. We put ourselves in good positions defensively and then had great at-bats at the plate.”

The Tigerhawks scored four runs in the sixth off three hits and two walks. Junior Misha Seebeck led off the frame with a single and then Ross doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs.

Junior Jarod Nichols was walked intentionally to load the bases. Seebeck then scored on a wild pitch.

Lewis loaded the bases again with a walk. Schroeder drove in another run with an RBI single, Nichols scored after Iowa Valley failed to execute a run down and Berkey made it 8-3 with an RBI groundout.

Schroeder finished with three hits, two RBIs and a run at the plate. Seebeck had two hits and Nichols and Lewis both scored twice.

“I try to get my hands through, swing hard, keep my head on it and hope to hit it in the gap somewhere,” Schroeder said.

Lewis improved to 1-1 on the mound after allowing three earned runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings with 74 pitches. Ross needed 22 pitches to finish the win in 1 1/3 innings.

“He was going to be done in the seventh anyway,” Milledge said of Lewis. “That was a very quality outing. I will take that any day of the week.”

Milledge had to shift around some players to work through not having senior Adam Teed in the lineup. Teed missed the game following an ejection Wednesday.

Seebeck moved from first base to left field to fill in for Teed and Nichols played in Seebeck’s normal position of first base.

The defense did not commit an error. The Tigerhawks didn’t miss a beat.

“We can put guys in several different spots and still be in good position to win the game,” Milledge said. “That throw by (Schroeder) was a big play. He hasn’t had that confidence all year, but he’s finally getting it. He is starting to take over the outfield and be the captain out there. He came up throwing a couple times and that was good to see.”

Colfax-Mingo plays second place Lynnville-Sully at 6 p.m. Monday in Sully. The Hawks come into the game 9-2 in SICL play.