March 29, 2024

Colfax-Mingo softball rallies past Lynnville-Sully

COLFAX — The Colfax-Mingo and Lynnville-Sully softball teams were involved in another high-scoring affair on Monday night.

The Tigerhawks opened the season with a 15-7 win over the Hawks back on May 22. Less than a month later, the two teams squared off again with much more on the line.

The end result was the same as Class 1A No. 11 Colfax-Mingo came out on top, but the Tigerhawks had to rally from an early hole to win 9-8 at home during South Iowa Cedar League play.

The win by the Tigerhawks moved them into a tie for first place with No. 13 Sigourney in the SICL at 9-3. Sigourney lost 10-5 to No. 14 Belle Plaine on Monday. No. 12 Lynnville-Sully fell back a full game at 8-4 after the loss.

“The girls had a nice come-from-behind win tonight,” Colfax-Mingo coach Bryan Poulter said. “The girls had some defensive blips, but we moved on from them and started hitting the ball hard.”

Both Colfax-Mingo and Lynnville-Sully scored a run each in the first inning, but the visiting Hawks plated four in the second to take a 5-1 lead.

L-S sophomore Carson Fisk reached on an error to start the game and then advanced to third on two passed balls. Fisk scored on senior Haley James’ RBI single. James tallied three hits and three RBIs in the loss.

Colfax-Mingo junior Ries Wilson blasted a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first inning to tie the score. It was her second homer of the season, and Wilson finished with three runs and two walks in the game.

Colfax-Mingo senior Amy Russell, who started in the circle, got the first two Hawks she faced in the second, but

Lynnville-Sullly (12-7 overall, 8-4 in the SICL) plated four runs on two errors, a walk and two singles.

Another RBI by James made it 3-1 and then senior Brenna Lanser gave L-S a 5-1 lead with a two-run single. Lanser finished with two hits and three RBIs in the game.

The game remained 5-1 until the fourth inning. After Russell sat down L-S in order in the top of the fourth, Colfax-Mingo tied the game with one swing in its half of the frame.

Sophomore Chelsea Russell and Wilson each drew a one-walk and then senior Alivia Haley singled to load the bases. With two outs, junior Rhiannon Haley brought them all home with a grand slam that tied the game.

It was Rhiannon Haley’s only hit, but she now has five home runs and 30 RBIs on the season.

Russell had to get four outs in the top of the fifth and it allowed L-S to pull ahead 6-5. Fisk reached on a dropped third strike then advanced to third on back-to-back passed balls. James picked up her third RBI of the night when Fisk scored on her ground out to Rhiannon Haley at first base.

The Tigerhawks (16-7, 9-3) went ahead for good in their half of the fifth against relief pitcher Caitlin Alberts, an eighth-grader.

Sophomore Colbee Cunningham, who celebrated a birthday, led off the frame with a double and then Chelsea Russell brought her home with a two-out, RBI single.

Alberts was chased after back-to-back walks to Wilson and Alivia Haley. Freshman Mallory Loftus, who started the game in the circle, came back in to face Amy Russell. The Tigerhawk senior greeted her with a two-out, two-run double to make it 8-6.

Amy Russell walked one and hit two Hawk batters in the top of the sixth, but L-S left the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the sixth, Colfax-Mingo tacked on an important insurance run to make it 9-6. Sophomore Mackensie Brown singled to start the inning and then steals second. Brown came around to score on sophomore Delaney Underwood’s RBI single.

The Hawks made things interesting in the seventh. James opened the frame with a single and then Lanser brought her around with an RBI double. After Lanser went to third on the throw home, she scored on the next play following an RBI sacrifice fly to right field by junior McKinley Conover.

Amy Russell halted the threat though when she retired the next two batters in order to end the game.

Russell improved to 11-2 on the season. She allowed eight runs — two earned — on six hits with six strikeouts, two walks and two hit by pitches. Russell now has 104 strikeouts on the season.

At the plate, Alivia Haley, Underwood, Brown, Chelsea Russell and Amy Russell all had two hits. Chelsea Russell walked twice and scored two runs, and Amy Russell collected RBIs No. 29 and 30 on the season.

It was the Tigerhawks’ seventh straight win. Lynnville-Sully lost its second straight and has dropped three of its last four games.

Alberts (1-3) was the losing pitcher for the Hawks. She allowed three earned runs on two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.

Loftus tossed 5 1/3 innings and allowed six earned runs on 11 hits with four walks and two strikeouts.

Fisk scored three runs, and Lanser and James combined for five of the team’s six hits and six of the team’s seven RBIs.

Colfax-Mingo plays HLV (7-7, 6-6) at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Victor. Lynnville-Sully plays at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Montezuma.