Hard-hitting Vikings beat Bulldogs for first win

Colfax certainly did not look like a team that had not won a game prior to its visit to Boyceville and Evenson Field May 2.

The Vikings entered Monday’s large Dunn-St. Croix baseball tilt with the Bulldogs without a win in its first seven games of the season including a 0-5 mark in conference play.

But the Vikings bats came alive against the Bulldogs, who shut out Clear Lake 9-0 Friday, April 29.

Colfax collected a whopping 18 hits including eight doubles en route to an 11-5 triumph over Boyceville, who saw its three-game win streak come to an end.

The Bulldogs, now 3-3 in conference and 4-3 overall, finished the game with just seven hits and had three errors.

Colfax committed five errors but it did not seem to hinder the Vikings mission to seek out it’s first victory.

The Vikings jumped on Boyceville starting pitcher Hunter Anderson early and netted six hits and five runs in the first two innings. Colfax scored three runs in the first and added two more in the second as Anderson suffered the loss.

Palmer took the mound for Boyceville in the fourth. He kept the Vikings scoreless in that frame but was rocked for eight hits and six runs – three in the fifth and sixth. Bryce Boda threw a scoreless seventh innings.

In its final atbat, Boyceville scored two runs after Jaden Reisimer and Micadin Kahl opened with consecutive singles. Both scored but the Bulldogs would be unable to get any closer as Jarrod Rudi struck out Cooper Boesl and got Luke Knudtson to ground out to end the rally and game.

Rudi went the full seven innings to get the complete game win as the Viking senior scattered seven hits and recorded seven strike outs with no walks.

Zach Meyer and Brady Simonson each had a pair of doubles for Colfax, who also got doubles from Rudi, Andrew Harmon, Nate Polden and Mitch Kiekhafer.

James Palmer led the Bulldogs with three hits in four plate appearances including a pair of doubles and two RBI.

Clear Lake

Although the hits were close, eight for Boyceville and seven for Clear Lake, the Bulldogs put together one big inning to knock off Clear Lake 9-0 Friday, April 29 in a non-conference baseball game at Evenson Field.

The Bulldogs scored seven of its nine runs in the third inning highlighted by senior Hunter Anderson’s grand slam home run. Anderson was clearly the offensive MVP of the contest as he went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI and a pair of doubles and two runs scored.

While Anderson was dominating in the hitter’s box, Boyceville junior James Palmer was in control on the mound. Palmer scored the complete game win as he threw a five-hit shutout with five strike outs and no walks.

“We are improving each game we play,” said second-year head coach Michael Roemhild. “James pitched a great game and Hunter had his best hitting game since I have coached him.”

The Bulldogs, who scored twice in the first innings, did finish with four fielding errors.

The Bulldogs will be in Elk Mound on Thursday and host Spring Valley next Monday, May 9.