Colfax baseball team loses regional semifinal game to top-seed Marathon
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by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
MARATHON — After winning their first-round regional game at Spencer a week earlier, the Colfax baseball team knew they had their work cut out for them when they had to go on the road again to face Marathon Tuesday, May 30.
Although the Red Raiders had just a 16-7 record, they won the highly competitive Marawood South Conference and earned a number one seed in the regional tournament. The Vikings gave them everything they could handle but in the end, Colfax, a number-nine seed, came up short in a 5-2 loss. The Red Raiders went on to take the regional with a 2-0 win over Stratford, another Marawood South team, and will play Dunn-St. Croix Champion Mondovi in a sectional semifinal game.
Colfax ended the 2023 season with an 8-8 overall record and tied for third in D-SC Conference play with a 7-7 record.
The Vikings made an attempt to jump out of the box early when Mitch Medin led off with a single and Mason Yarrington drew a walk. But a hard smash off the bat of Ashton Greenwell that looked like it could go up the middle for a hit was snared by the Marathon pitcher who turned it into a double play instead, and a ground out ended any threat.
“If that ball had gotten through we would have scored at least one or two runs,” Colfax coach Kirk Secraw said.
The Red Raiders used that defensive play to spark their offense as they came up with four runs in their half of the first. Colfax ace Medin gave up a free pass and after an infield error, Marathon used a double and a couple of singles to make it 4-0 at the end of an inning of play.
The Vikings chipped away with a run in the second when Kade Anderson singled, stole second and third and came home on Drew Buchner’s ground out.
Medin shut the Red Raiders down in the next two innings and the Vikings drew closer with a run in the top of the fourth. Dylyn Hiitola was hit by a pitch and was replaced by courtesy runner Brison Tuschl. Anderson slammed a double to move him to third and twin brother Brian Tuschl brought him home on a ground ball for the second out. Anderson was thrown out trying to steal third to end the inning.
Marathon gained that run back in the bottom of the fourth with a free pass and a pair of singles but Medin and the Viking defense didn’t give them any more the rest of the game.
Colfax went down in order in the fifth inning and after Dylyn Hiitola and Ashton Greenwell both singled in the sixth with one out, Marathon turned another double play to end the inning. The Vikings went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to conclude their season.
“Mitch Medin threw a heck of a game and we were right there and hung with them,” coach Secraw said.
Colfax banged out five hits with Anderson batting 2-for-3 with a double. Medin gave up nine hits and five runs, but only two of the runs were earned. He struck out two batters and walked two batters in his final high school game.
Coach Secraw will say good bye to several seniors including Medin who did the majority of the pitching and was a team captain and great leader who earned firstteam all conference for his efforts. Dylyn Hiitola was named honorable mention all conference and was solid at the catcher spot and the team will miss his bat, according to Secraw. Greenwell was a great first baseman who filled in on the pitcher’s mound and always had a positive attitude, was a great teammate and was a very good influence on the younger kids. Brian Tuschl really developed into a good outfielder his senior year and Brison Tuschl used his speed as a courtesy runner for most of the season. Other seniors on the roster were Braden Kiekhafer, Brodee Everson and Micah Bailey.
“This was one of our most successful seasons we have had since I have been coaching the Vikings,” coach Secraw concluded.