Lady Vikings split pair of conference games; pluck Cardinals, cage Wolves
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BIG BAT — Colfax sophomore Alexis Schindler prepared to take a swing at a pitch during the Vikings home softball game versus Elmwood/Plum City April 21. Schindler smacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Colfax its first runs of the game. The Vikings rallied to win the gaem 6-5 when they scored a run in the bottom of the seventh in walk off fashion. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
RECORDING THE OUT — Vikings’ outfielder Jaida Riley (#14) caught this fly ball for an out during Colfax’s softball game against Elmwood/Plum City April 21. The Vikings rallied for a 6-5 win in the bottom of the seventh. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
THE WIND UP — Junior pitcher Mallory Field (#10) prepared to deliver a pitch during Colfax’s home softball game versus Elmwood/Plum City last Thursday, April 21. Field earned the win when the Vikings rallied for a 6-5 win in their final at bat. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
The Colfax softball team traveled to Spring Valley April 19 and came up a couple of runs short with a 12-10 loss to the Cardinals.
Two days later, the Vikings came from behind and pulled out a 6-5 win against the Elmwood/Plum City Wolves on their home field. A game at Elk Mound scheduled for the next day was postponed due to weather issues.
The Vikings are now 1-2 with all games played being conference games.
Colfax played the Wolves once again on Monday, this time in Plum City and host Glenwood City on Thursday. The Lady Vikings have a triangular in Chippewa Falls on Saturday against McDonell and Ladysmith before traveling to Boyceville next Monday, May 2.
Spring Valley
Colfax took an early 1-0 lead after the first inning and increased it to 4-1 after the top half of the fourth. But the Cardinals poured on six runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 7-4. They continued to score, adding five more runs before McKenna Shipman and Ella Peterson scored runs in the six to get the Vikings a little closer, down 12-6.
The Vikings began a comeback in the seventh when they scored four runs with Shipman, Jada Anderson, Paige Jensen and Alexis Schindler all crossing the plate, but the rally fell short resulting in the loss.
The Vikings pounded out 12 hits in the contest but defensively committed seven errors. Shipman batted 2-for-2 with an RBI and scored three times. Peterson was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and came home twice, Jenna Goodell batted 2-for-5 and brought four runs in while Anderson knocked in a couple of runs. Mallory Field pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits with six runs with four walks. Schindler threw 2/3 of an inning , also giving up six runs on two hits and four free passes.
Elmwood/Plum City
In what turned out to be a very competitive game against Elmwood/Plum City, it came down to the final at bat as Anderson banged out a single to score Shipman from second base to win the game in a walk-off.
The Wolves went ahead 2-0 in the second inning and could have added more in the third but some pretty solid defense by the Vikings stranded three E/PC players on the basepaths.
The Wolves managed to pick up two more runs in the fourth but the Vikings countered with a pair of their own when Audrey Ebert reached base on an error and Schindler smacked a ball over the fence for a homer.
E/PC tacked on a single run in the fifth but Colfax pitcher Field shut them down the final two innings.
The Vikings began a rally in the sixth with Emma Medin banging a single, stealing second and moving to third on a throwing error. Shipman then drew a walk and swiped second and Anderson ripped a double to right-center field that scored Medin. Peterson grounded out to the shortstop but Shipman scored on the play and Goodell spanked a single to bring Anderson in with the tying run.
Not only did Field shut the Wolves down in the seventh with some clutch pitching, she made some great defensive plays as well. After the lead-off runner reached second on a double, Peterson, the Colfax catcher gunned her down trying to steal third for the first out. A pop up to third made the second out, but Field issued a pair of free passes – one intentionally – before shortstop Anderson chased down a foul pop up for the third out.
The stage was set for the bottom of the seventh and it could not have been more exciting. With two outs and no one on base, Shipman managed to earn a walk, then promptly moved in to scoring position by stealing second. On an 0-2 count no less, Anderson sent a base hit to left and Shipman raced home to score the winning run on a very close play at the plate.
Field hurled seven innings for the win, scattering 12 hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Only three of the runs scored for the Wolves were earned.
Shipman led the hitting brigade with a 2-for-3 performance including a triple, two runs scored and two stolen bases. Anderson was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, Peterson batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and also had two stolen bases and Medin finished 2-for-4, crossing home plate once and swiping a base. Schindler had just one hit but it was the two-run home run while Field was 2-for-4 with a double, Jaida Reilly smacked a double and Goodell had a hit and collected an RBI.
“I am very proud of how this team has come together and improved in our first three games,” Colfax coach John Dickinson said after the win.
“Like everyone, we have been struggling to even get to practice outside (with the weather and field conditions), much less on the infield. The girls fought the entire game and never gave up. We finally got some runners to cross the plate the last couple of innings and we gritted it out on defense. I’m looking forward to seeing continued improvement,” he added.