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Colfax girls fall short in comeback against Altoona

In a game that looked like it would be a blow out for the opposing team, the Colfax girls’ high school summer softball team fought back from a 7-0 deficit after five innings of play to take a lead in the sixth, only to see it slip away as they absorbed a 14-13 loss to Altoona July 16 on their home field.

Colfax had chances to score in the second and fourth innings but couldn’t get a key hit to bring any runners home. Meanwhile, Altoona picked up a single run in the first, three in the third and three more in the fourth off Colfax pitcher Alexis Rudi who didn’t get a lot of support as her teammates committed 6 errors behind her.

Meredith took over in the circle in the fifth inning for Colfax and Altoona went down in order on a pair of ground outs with a big K in the middle. Colfax broke the ice (which was needed as the temperature was in the mid 90s at game time), with a pair of runs in their half of the inning when Meredith sent a solid single to center and moved up on a wild pitch before Kori Buchanan moved her to third on a base hit. Meredith scored on a ground out by Courtney Ottinger and after Equality Wilson drew a walk, runners were on first and third. Ottinger came home on another wild pitch but Wilson was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning with Colfax down 7-2.

Either the hot weather was getting to the Altoona girls or the heat thrown by Meredith was as the sixth inning started with Meredith whiffing the first batter.  A walk and another strikeout followed but the third out was rather elusive as Meredith walked three straight batters, and a sore shoulder forced her to be relieved by Rudi. After a pop fly ended up in no man’s land between the outfielders, Rudi took matters in her own hands by ended the inning with a strikeout but her team was now down 10-2.

And then Colfax got their big wake up call as they came up with 11 runs in the sixth to take the lead. Eighth grader Mikaela Leibfried, getting a chance to play with and against the older girls, led things off with a stand up triple to right field and crossed the plate on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Rudi singled and moved to second on an infield error, allowing Mallie Doucette to reach first. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Emily Tuschl brought a run in when she reached on a grounder to third. Meredith slammed an RBI double to center and Tuschl came home on another errant pitch. Buchanan reached first on a slow roller to the infield and Ottinger smacked a solid hit to bring in a pair of runs, making it 10-8. Ottinger moved around the basepaths on three wild pitches and after a strikeout, soon to be freshman Bryana Buchanan drew a walk. It was back to Leibried as she came up with her second hit of the inning, followed by Karina Wait getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Rudi then brought in the tying and go ahead runs on a double to center, and Doucette tacked on two more runs with a slam through the infield. A pop fly ended the inning with Colfax up 13-10.

But getting three little outs to end the game turned out to be a tough task for Colfax as Altoona came back with four runs to regain the lead on a pair of bloop pop ups and three solid hits past the infielders, one a liner that went just off the tip of third baseman Tuschl’s glove. Colfax threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Meredith walked and Kori Buchanan reached on an error, but a pair of strikeouts and a fly ball ended the game.

Colfax tentatively plays their final game July 23 at Wakanda Park in Menomonie but according to coach Joe Doucette, a tournament or a few more games might be scheduled before the summer ends.

Altoona    1  0  3  3  0  3   4 – 14

Colfax      0  0  0  0  2  11  0 – 13