Colfax baseball bounced by Mondovi Buffaloes, slips past Durand-Arkansaw
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by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
The Colfax baseball team had high hopes of handing the Mondovi Buffaloes their first loss in Dunn-St. Croix Conference play when they met up in Colfax on Monday, May 3. The Vikings tried to keep it close but a big sixth inning by Mondovi kept their perfect conference record intact with a 12-3 win over the Vikings.
Colfax stayed home to take on the Durand-Arkansaw Panthers three days later and in a closely contested game, pulled out a seventh inning comeback win by a score of 9-8.
Colfax hosted Spring Valley Monday, May 8 and will be in Elk Mound Thursday. The Vikings will be home again next Monday, May 15 to play Elmwood-Plum City.
Mondovi
In yet another cool and windy day, the Buffaloes scored a pair of runs in both the second and third innings, but the Vikings came up with a run in the third when Zach Hiitola drew a one out walk, moved to second when Mitch Medin was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a passed ball and came in on a tag up. They added another run in the fourth with Ashton Greenwell smacked a single, moved up on a Buffalo error and came home on Kade Anderson’s double to make it 4-2.
Mondovi upped their lead to 6-2 before the Vikings added their third run in the bottom of the sixth. Anderson reached on a fielder’s choice, advanced to second on Brian Tuschl’s base hit, went to third on another passed ball and came home on Drew Buchner’s single. The Vikings just couldn’t string enough hits together to score anymore runs, however.
The Buffaloes started a stampede in the top of the seventh, scoring six runs, taking advantage of three free passes, a Viking error and four hits which included a pair of doubles. Colfax didn’t have enough firepower to make up the difference and the game ended with the nine run loss.
Four Viking hurlers including starter Medin, along with Greenwell, Hiitola and Mason Yarrington combined for 12 strikeouts but also issued eight walks. Greenwell, Anderson and Tuschl all batted 2-for-3 with Yarrington, Anderson and Buchner all picking up an RBI.
Durand-Arkansaw
It was finally a sunny day with the thermometer hitting the 70 degree mark when the two teams met for the second time this spring.
The Panthers pounded the Vikings in a five-inning game back in April but this was a much improved Colfax team this go-around. Although Durand-Arkansaw scored a run in the top of the first without a hit, using a free pass, a Viking error and a fielder’s choice to go up 1-0, the Vikings bounced back when Yarrington drew a one out walk, moved to second on Dylyn Hiitola’s single and both advanced on a wild pitch. Yarrington came home on a Panther error when Greenwell put the ball in play, Hiitola scored on Anderson’s single and Greenwell crossed home plate on a base hit by Buchner and it was 3-1 for the Vikings.
Colfax hurler Medin walked the first Panther batter in the top of the third but appeared to be getting himself out of the inning with a pair of ground-outs. But the Panthers came up with four hits, including a double to pull back ahead 4-3. Colfax knotted it up in their half of the inning on some timely hitting when Zach Hiitola doubled, moved to third on Medin’s single and came home on Yarrington’s single.
The Vikings pulled ahead in the bottom of the fourth on singles from Medin, Dylyn Hiitola, Anderson and Tuschl along with a passed ball and Anderson stealing a base and the Vikings were back on top 7-4.
The lead didn’t last long however, as the Panthers banged a pair of hits, had a batter hit by a pitch with a passed ball and a Viking error in the mix and it was knotted at 7-7. Colfax left a runner on base in the fifth, while relief pitcher Zach Hiitola set the Panthers down in order in the sixth. The Vikings also went down 1-2-3 in their half of the sixth and the teams headed into the final inning still tied.
The Panther lead-off batter singled to start things off, moved to second on a pitcher miscue then used a pair of hits to score the go-ahead run. Hurler Hiitola and his defense managed to get themselves out of the mess with a strikeout and a couple of ground-outs.
With their backs against the wall, much like the Boyceville game a week earlier, Buchner “took one for the team”, getting plunked by a pitch to start the Colfax seventh. The speedster promptly stole second base, moved to third on a Panther error off the bat of Elijah Entzminger, and came in with the tying run on a ground out by Medin. Meanwhile, Entzminger swiped second base, moved up on the error and with two outs zipped home with the winning run on a passed ball.
The Vikings outhit the Panthers 11-9 but had four errors that gave away some runs. Medin was 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. Dylyn Hiitola and Anderson both collected a pair of hits and along with Medin’s RBI, six other Vikings all picked up one RBI. Zach Hiitola was credited with the save, allowing three hits, one run with one K and no free passes in 2.1 innings. Medin picked up seven strikeouts, allowing six hits with four free passes in the first 4.2 innings hurled.