Bulldogs peg double wins over Davenport, Vikings

At left, Dylan Heiser of the Bulldogs slides into second base while Viking shortstop Cole Sanderson attempts to put down a tag. Above, Hunter Woltering, a 6’-5” junior, pitched the first game for the Vikings. Colfax will host four league games with the LRS Broncos booked Friday and Reardan Tuesday. Reardan’s softball team is also booked to play here next Tuesday.

Baseball season finally began at McDonald Park in Colfax Tuesday when the new Garfield/Palouse-Tekoa/Oakesdale team arrived for a non-league game against the Bulldogs. The new combo team now competes in the 2B division and they will compete in the SE league.

After being grounded two weeks by the spring weather, the Colfax Bulldogs booked four games with four wins over four days to move their season record to 6-0.

The Bulldogs now have a run of four league home games. Lind/Ritzville/Sprague will visit Friday in a league twinbill starting at 2 p.m. and then Reardan will be at McDonald Park Tuesday. The Bulldogs took two heavy wins Saturday in the league opener at Davenport and opened their home season with a pair of wins over the new Garfield/Palouse-Tekoa/Oakesdale combo which is a 2B entry in the SE league this year.

Top mark for the Tuesday home show was a no-hitter thrown by sophomore Keith Gfeller for an 11-0 win in the second game. One Viking runner at first base, on an error, kept Gfeller from claiming a perfect game.

He struck out three and allowed zero walks. Most of the Viking raps were comebackers to the Colfax infield.

Colfax Coach Mike Parrish credited the Vikings with the strongest lineup of batters the Bulldogs have faced so far this season.

The Vikings used three pitchers in the second game with starter Jesse Lopez tagged for seven Colfax runs in the first inning. Hunter Woltering, who started the first game, and Cole Sandberg finished for the guests.

Colfax totaled 11 hits in the second game with Danny Robinson tagging a single and triple, and Gfeller a single and double. Austin Getz also had two hits.

In the first game Tuesday Robinson pitched a 9-1 win. He struck out six, walled two and allowed seven hits.

The Bulldogs pegged three runs in the first inning and added six more in the sixth with Robinson and Patrick Jacobs each tagging a double to lead it off.

Woltering started for the Vikings and Wyatt Griner finished.

Gabe Cocking and Woltering each paired singles and Griner doubled to lead a six-hit attack for the Vikings.

Jacobs had two doubles in the first game and Burke and Getz each had a pair of singles.

Coach Parrish noted Tuesday strong wins by Robinson and Gfeller, a freshman and a sophomore, bolstered the outlook for the Colfax pitching staff after Jacobs and Burke posted strong performances in the two league wins at Davenport Saturday.

Jacobs, the Bulldogs’ senior lefty, threw a one-hit shutout at the Gorillas in Saturday’s opener for a 10-0 win. Jacobs struck out 10 and walked just one batter.

Colfax tagged 12 hits in the opener with Mark Webber, Robinson, and Jacobs each rapping three hits. Jacobs had two doubles and a single, and Robinson, a single, double and triple.

In the 18-4 win in the second game Saturday, Burke allowed three hits, fanned eight, and walked just four.

Jacobs tagged a pair of homers to finish off a six-hit day in the league rounds.

Other hitters for the second game were Robinson with a single and triple, Webber with a triple, and Heiser, Logan Gingerich, Jeff Davies and Matt Sharp, each with a single.