March 29, 2024

Miscues in seventh plague C-M softball in loss to Warhawks

NEW SHARON — Not even five home runs was enough for the Colfax-Mingo softball team during a South Iowa Cedar League loss to North Mahaska on Thursday.

The Class 1A No. 11 Tigerhawks blew a two-run lead in the final inning because of two miscues, and the Warhawks handed Colfax-Mingo a 12-11 road loss to end South Iowa Cedar League play.

Despite the loss, Colfax-Mingo still clinches the SICL West Division title. The Tigerhawks and Lynnville-Sully both finished 11-5, but Colfax-Mingo won the division title because of two head-to-head wins.

The Tigerhawks-Warhawks game Thursday was a completion of Wednesday’s suspended game. To be able to play the game before the regular season ended, Colfax-Mingo’s scheduled doubleheader with Moravia was canceled.

Colfax-Mingo led 1-0 in the first inning when the game was postponed due to weather.

The game featured a combined 30 hits.

Sophomore Colbee Cunningham hit her third and fourth home runs of the season, and seniors Amy Russell and Alivia Haley and junior Rhiannon Haley all homered once.

Russell and Rhiannon Haley now have 10 home runs this season, which is tied for second in Class 1A. Kee’s Kendra Cooper leads 1A with 12.

The Tigerhawks (22-10) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when junior Ries Wilson singled and scored on a Russell single.

Colfax-Mingo went up 5-0 with a four-run third inning. Wilson singled and Alivia Haley walked in front of a Rhiannon Haley two-run single. Cunningham hit her first home run of the night to give the Tigerhawks a five-run lead.

North Mahaska plated five runs off Russell in the bottom of the third to tie the game. The Warhawks (13-13 overall, 10-6 in the SICL) took the lead off Cunningham with a single run in the fourth.

Colfax-Mingo regained the lead with three runs in the fifth. Alivia Haley smacked a lead-off home run and then Rhiannon Haley crushed a one-out solo home run to put the Tigerhawks up 7-6. The Tigerhawks added to their lead when Cunningham hit her second home run to go back-to-back.

North Mahaska used a lead-off home run in the fifth to help tie the game after five innings.

In the sixth, the Tigerhawks scored three more runs to regain the lead. Eighth-grader Madison Gilkison, sophomore Chelsea Russell and Wilson had consecutive singles.

Wilson’s single scored Gilkison, but a double play halted momentum for a moment. That was until Amy Russell blasted a two-run home run to make it 11-8.

Amy Russell came back into the circle after North Mahaska led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and a single.

The Warhawks only scored one run though as Amy Russell retired the home team with a strikeout and two groundouts.

Colfax-Mingo started the top of the seventh with back-to-back singles by Cunningham and sophomore Mackensie Brown, but another double play halted the threat and North Mahaska got out of the inning without any runs scoring following a fly out.

Leading 11-9, Amy Russell got the first two Warhawks by ground out in the bottom of the seventh inning.

North Mahaska kept the inning alive with a double and then another batter walked to put two on with two out. The next batter struck out but reached base on a dropped third strike. One run scored on the play to make it 11-10.

The Warhawks loaded the bases with a single, and the home team scored the walk-off win when the Tigerhawks committed a two-run error in the outfield.

Amy Russell (14-4) took the loss in the circle. In her 4 2/3 innings pitched, she allowed eight runs — five earned — on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Cunningham allowed four earned runs on nine hits with three stikeouts in her two innings.

Cunningham led the Tigerhawk offense with three hits, two home runs, three RBIs and two runs. Wilson also had three hits and scored three runs.

Rhiannon Haley and Amy Russell both had two hits and three RBIs. Rhiannon Haley scored two runs and walked once. Alivia Haley scored two runs, too.

Colfax-Mingo hosts 2A No. 9 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (26-8) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Colfax. The Rockets lost 9-2 to 3A Clarke on Thursday.