C-M clipped by Blue Devils in 1A regional

MARTENSDALE — Two ranked teams squared off with a Class 1A state tournament berth at stake in Monday’s 1A Region 6 championship game, so one would see its 2016 softball season come to an end.

On a hot and muggy night, 12th-ranked Colfax-Mingo’s Tigerhawks and the fourth-ranked Martensdale-St. Marys Blue Devils (32-6) staged a wild back-and-forth contest. It came down to the final at-bat in the regulation seven innings to decide.

Colfax-Mingo was up 7-6 and three outs away from earning its first trip to the state tournament since 2001. The Blue Devils had the final at bat and pulled out an 8-7 walk-off victory for its eighth trip to the state tournament.

“These girls worked hard all season. All the experience they had within the season and in the postseason will carry forward with them,” Colfax-Mingo head coach Bryan Poulter said after the game. “They feel they should be going to state. They have the desire to get there, and they’ve seen how hard it is to get there.”

The teams were knotted at 6-all heading into the seventh inning.

Colfax-Mingo sophomore catcher Rhiannon Haley laced a one-out double to the left field corner. Freshman Colbee Cunningham was hit by a pitch and freshman Mackensie Brown drew a walk to load the bases.

After freshman Chelsea Russell was retired on the infield-fly rule, the Blue Devil sophomore pitcher Kylie Sherwood made a mistake. She was called for a balk which allowed the Tigerhawks to score the go-ahead run as Rhiannon Haley was waved home.

Protecting the one-run lead, Colfax-Mingo retired the first Blue Devil batter in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sophomore catcher Brinley White delivered her first hit of the night, a double down the left-field line for MSM.

Kailyn DiCesare, freshman, came in as a courtesy runner for White. The Tigerhawk junior pitcher Amy Russell got senior Kyla Morris to hit a ground ball to third base, but an errant throw allowed Morris to reach safely. On the play, DiCesare scored the tying run.

Russell recorded a strikeout of eighth-grander Morgan Dunn for the second out. Freshman Hannah Sweet connected for her third hit of the game — a double to the center field fence to drive in Morris for the victory.

Colfax-Mingo closed out the best season it has had in recent memory. The Tigerhawks, who do not have a senior on the team, finished 25-10. It is the first time a C-M softball team has won 20 or more games since going 20-13 in 2011.

In their first season in the South Iowa Cedar League, the Tigerhawks rolled up a 13-2 conference mark to win the SICL championship. They moved from the Heart of Iowa Conference, in which they went 10-23 a year ago.

“We’ve always had the fundamentals to get it done. This year, we came together and played like we should,” Sophomore Ries Wilson said. “This year it all clicked. It was amazing to be a part of it.”

The Blue Devils, who won the 1A state title in 2012, opened Monday’s game scoring three runs on three hits and a Tigerhawk error. Colfax-Mingo battled back with a run in the second inning.

Cunningham hit a one-out single to left field and Brown reached on an error. Chelsea Russell was safe on a fielder’s choice followed by a two-out RBI single by Braedynn Rawlins.

Martensdale-St. Marys got the run right back, scoring an unearned run on two Tigerhawk errors and a sacrifice bunt. The Blue Devils held a 4-1 lead after two innings.

Wilson answered with a blistering line drive over the fence for a solo home run to open the Tigerhawk third inning. The score stayed 4-2 through four frames.

“I was really mad at myself for making that error in the first inning (in center field),” Wilson said. “I figured I’d better take all my anger out on the ball in my next at bat.”

C-M freshman second baseman Delaney Underwood left the game after three innings because of heat-related matters, Poulter said.

“We had scramble a bit, making some defensive changes because of it,” Poulter said. “I’m proud of how our girls responded in that situation. They stayed in the game through the changes and adversity we had. We came back to take the lead.”

Wilson drew a walk to start the fifth and Alivia Haley reached on a one-out error. Poulter sent Wilson home trying to score from first on the play. Wilson was tagged out at the plate on a close play. Rhiannon Haley ripped a RBI double to center field to pull the Tigerhawks to within one run, 4-3.

Martensdale-St. Marys loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning on a hit batter, a walk and a fielder’s choice. Wilson, who started in center field, fielded the ball at shortstop and threw to Alivia Haley at third.

The Blue Devils’ Katelyn Amfahr beat the throw on another close play. Alivia Haley questioned the umpire’s call and was ejected from the game. Once action resumed, Amfahr attempted score on a passed ball, but Rhiannon Haley made a reaching tag for the out.

Colfax-Mingo survived the bases-loaded, no-out situation. The Tigerhawks were still within one run.

Brown singled to begin the sixth inning for the Tigerhawks and scored the tying run on a one-out double to left field by Rawlins. Rawlins ended up on third on the play. Shanen Shedenhelm laid down a bunt which created trouble for the Blue Devils.

Jamie Jordan fielded the ball down the first base line, turned and appeared to have caught Rawlins off third base. Jordan’s throw back to third base was off the mark and Rawlins raced home to score. Shedenhelm was chased home on a RBI triple by Wilson. Wilson was out at the plate on a squeeze bunt attempt by the Tigerhawks.

Back came the Blue Devils, a one-out single followed by a double put the tying runs on base in the bottom of sixth inning. A throwing error to first allowed MSM to plate both runs.

“We have a lot of young girls on our team. Most of them have not had this type of experience playing in this type of an environment. I know everyone was nervous,” Wilson said. “This game is going to fuel us for the next couple of years, knowing we were this close to making it to state.”

Unofficial, Amy Russell allowed seven hits, walked one, hit one batter and struck out four in the loss. She finished her junior campaign in the circle at 16-5.

Wilson had a triple and a home run, which was her sixth of the season. Rhiannon Haley hit two doubles. Rawlins hit a single and a double. Alivia Haley doubled. Cunningham and Brown each had a single.

“We see the errors killed us — not many of their runs were earned,” Poulter said. “As many freshmen as we had playing, those things happen. We have everyone coming back and they’ll learn from this game. They won’t be freshmen next year.”

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com