Bulldogs take league title; force pre-playoff lull

Colfax softball players stacked two big wins over Liberty Saturday afternoon at McDonald Park to finish 12-2 in league play. The Bulldogs needed the sweep to finish on top of the league with the playoff rounds approaching.

Northwest Christian, which split with the Bulldogs last week, finished in second place at 11-3, and Kettle Falls finished in third place at 10-4.

Coach Terry Eng noted the league’s top slot presented Colfax with a problem, a possible two weeks of inactivity before what is expected to be the final hectic rounds of the season.

Teams in the lower slots will have a round of playoff games next Tuesday before the survivors mix it up with the top finishers at the Merkel Field complex in north Spokane May 19.

Colfax as the number-one finisher will be idle for the first round and then play in the second round. Coach Eng has been attempting to recruit a team to play a pickup game to keep the Bulldog bats active.

The district seven 2B rounds allow three state tickets, and the Bulldogs’ top slot allows them two chances to get a win for the state show which will be back at the Gateway complex in Yakima the following week.

Saturday afternoon at McDonald Park the Bulldogs hammered Liberty 11-1 in the first game and 12-1 in the second game to finish out the 12-2 league run.

Pitcher Amy Hickman shut out the Lancers over five innings before they scored one in the top of the sixth. Hickman fanned five and walked just one.

Liberty shortstop Danielle Crosby singled in the top of the sixth to spoil Hickman’s no-hitter. Liberty scored their run in the sixth when Colfax committed a three base error. The runner scored on a fielders’ choice.

Lauren Moore finished with three singles and scored three times. Kaysha Lyman singled and tripled and had three RBIs in the game. Erica Eng rapped a two run double and Hickman and Kori Goodwin hit singles.

Liberty pitcher Jordan Solliday fanned six Colfax batters but she gave up 10 walks.

In the 12-1 closer, the teams unfolded a close game until the fourth inning when Colfax unloaded 10 runs. They had seven hits and drew four walks in the rally.

Goodwin led the charge with a double and triple in the same inning.

Hickman allowed six hits, struck out three and walked zero.

She also tripled, doubled and singled to book three of the Colfax RBIs.

Other Colfax hits included Goodwin, double and triple; Abby Muir, two singles; Moore, Lyman and Scoops Hahan each a single.

Defensive highlight for the day for Colfax was two unusual double plays. Twice Hickman fielded a rap up the middle and turned for a throw to shortstop Moore for a force at second. Moore relayed it to Sammy Pearson and first base to get the batter for the second out.