C-M softball edges Belle Plaine on Underwood’s walk-off hit

COLFAX — Colfax-Mingo sophomore Carley Underwood has hit in every spot in the batting order except third and fourth this season.

C-M softball coach Bryan Poulter is trying to figure out where his players best fit and Underwood started the season 3-for-28.

Poulter moved Underwood from the top of the lineup to the bottom after a few games and it’s been a moving target ever since.

But after another three-hit day for Underwood on Friday, Poulter thinks he might have her where she needs to be.

Underwood’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Tigerhawks a 5-4 walk-off win over Belle Plaine during South Iowa Cedar League play.

Underwood batted .107 in her first 12 games but is hitting .413 in her last seven as she looks to finish her third varsity season strong.

“It felt very satisfying. That will help my confidence and momentum moving forward,” Underwood said.

The win for C-M was its fifth in a row. And it came after they rallied from a 3-0 hole and lost a 4-3 lead.

Caylee Cunningham hit a one-out double to the gap in left-center field before Underwood delivered the clutch RBI single to right.

Colfax-Mingo (10-9 overall, 8-2 in the SICL) failed to score the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth when pinch runner McKenna Pleima was thrown out at home trying to score on Abi Rawlins’ single to center.

Poulter didn’t hesitate sending Cunningham in the seventh. And Cunningam wasn’t about to stop either.

“I was just ready to go. There was no looking back for me. I was going for it,” said Cunningham, who had two hits in the game.

Poulter has made the decision to send runners home in a tight game many times in his long career. This time, he made it with two outs and his best hitter standing in the on-deck circle.

“You make the defense make the play for one and we had a fast pinch runner out there,” Poulter said about his decision. “My other thought was that I would lead off with Kylie (Doty) and our 3-4-5 hitters next inning. I knew that wouldn’t be horrible.

“On the one with Caylee, the outfielder didn’t come square to it. She had to go to a side. I thought that was to our advantage. She had to plant, set and throw and that helped us.”

With members of the 2001 state championship team in attendance, Colfax-Mingo didn’t start out too well.

Belle Plaine scored three runs before C-M stepped to the plate. The Tigerhawks committed three errors in the game and two came in the first frame.

“The first inning was a yip. We just passed it around and spotted them two runs,” Poulter said. “We were able to settle in. Kylie settled in. The defense settled in. We sputtered offensively but got things going eventually.”

Colfax-Mingo closed its deficit to 3-2 in the second. Underwood singled and Charlotte Donahue doubled to put two in scoring position with no outs.

Brennan Rhone’s sacrifice squeeze bunt turned into an RBI as Underwood scored from third. Another bunt resulted in an out at home but C-M scored once more on Belle Plaine’s only error of the game.

Doty eventually settled in in the circle. Belle Plaine went down in order in the second and fourth and she pitched around singles in the third and fifth.

In the C-M fifth, Rawlins singled before Doty brought her in with an RBI double that hit the 180 feet sign in left field. Underwood’s RBI bunt single scored Doty to put the Tigerhawks in front.

Belle Plaine (11-9, 7-3) tied the game in the sixth with two singles, a stolen base, a fielder’s choice out and the Tigerhawks’ third error of the game.

Doty pitched around a single and a walk in the seventh, which set the home team up with a chance to win it in the bottom half.

Cunningham watched Doty ground out to begin the frame. But she smoked the third pitch she saw to the gap and Underwood hit a 2-2 pitch to right to win it.

“I was trying to make solid contact and tried to hit it where the defenders weren’t,” Cunningham said. “That’s what I did I guess.”

Underwood finished with three hits, one run and two RBIs. She’s 12-of-29 since June 11. Her average is up to .263 and she has 13 RBIs, which both rank third on the team.

“The last two weeks, her average is up. Some things are coming around for her,” Poulter said about Underwood. “Stats are stats but she is our No. 3 RBI person. So maybe she belongs in the No. 5 spot. As this week went on, I kind of liked her there. She won’t win many power awards but she can hit gaps and split seams.

Underwood started the season hitting in the No. 2 spot in the order. Since then, she has been moved around the bottom half of the lineup before recently being slotted in the No. 5 spot.

“I get what he’s doing. But I’m really competitive. And moving me makes me angry,” Underwood said. “I just used it as motivation. It felt good. I think I am finally starting to come around.”

The Tigerhawks had 11 hits against Belle Plaine. Underwood and Rawlins both had three apiece, Rawlins also scored one run and Doty doubled and had one run, one RBI and one walk.

Mariah Webster chipped in one hit and one run and she was hit by a pitch. Rhone drove in one and Donahue hit the double in the second.

Doty (10-5) earned the pitching win after allowing four runs — one earned — on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Notes: Doty is currently batting .587 with 24 RBIs, nine doubles, four triples and three homers. … Several members of C-M’s 2001 state championship team were recognized before the game as part of the team’s 20-year anniversary of winning the title. That squad finished 44-4 that summer and went undefeated in the Heart of Iowa Conference. The roster included Jackie Earles, Jaci Faidley, Sara Anderson, Jessica Hicks, Abby Poulter, Margaret Heggen, Heidi Whaley, Randi Alexander, Krista Warrick, Kendra Lester, Elaine Smith, Ashley Pender, Kristen Crozier, Jennifer Giles, Shantel Ahn, Dana Earles and Shawna Maher.