Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Brady Chadwick
Nick Schultheis
Sophomore Brady Chadwick is one of a young rotation for the Wildcats.
Colton sophomore Nick Schultheis runs for second base against Waitsburg-Prescott Saturday. In the background, infield dirt and outfield dirt blend into farm hills.
With one win in a home doubleheader Saturday against Pomeroy, the Colton baseball team could clinch the Southeast 1B league championship.
The Wildcats spent the last week in non-leaugue action, splitting a home doubleheader with Waitsburg-Prescott and beating Genesee Monday night.
In the first game against W-P, a 16-5 loss, the score was tied 3-3 in the sixth inning before the Cardinals blew the game open with eight runs.
In the second game, Colton regrouped for a late-inning flurry to win 10-9.
Wildcats’ closer Austin Meyer took the mound in the seventh to hold off Waitsburg-Prescott through the ninth, when Grant Kinzer hit an RBI- double to end the game, scoring Brady Chadwick.
"We’ve never had a closer in the eight years I’ve been here," said Colton coach Pat Doumit. "Austin’s a one-inning, throw-it-as-hard-as-he-can guy."
Meyer, a senior with four saves this season, has taken the mound in addition to his third year as Colton’s starting catcher.
Doumit emphasized that Meyer’s mentality as a catcher serves him well.
"In both instances you have to be fearless and you have to want the baseball," Doumit said.
Opening the game on the mound, Colton sophomore Chadwick pitched four innings before Nick Schultheis, another sophomore, pitched the fifth and sixth.
On Monday, the Wildcats traveled to Genessee for a 15-11 win.
Down 10-7 with two outs in the top of the sixth, with no one on base, a fuse was lit by a base hit from Reece Chadwick. After two more runners reached on errors, Colton then delivered eight consecutive hits to score eight runs.
"You’re not counting on an 8-spot right there," said Doumit.
Brady Chadwick led at the plate in the game, going 4 for 5 with a double and three RBIs. His brother Reece Chadwick went 2 for 4 with a double and Peter Schultheis 2 for 3.
At pitcher, after giving up eight runs in one inning against W-P on Saturday, the Wildcats’ Cameron Bean came in to throw a scoreless fourth, fifth and sixth inning. Then Meyer took over for the last three outs.
Junior Carter Dahmen and Meyer are the lone upperclassmen pitching for Colton this year, a team that started almost completely new this spring on the mound.
Dahmen had the most experience of any Wildacts’ pitcher, with just 13 innings from last year.
"I’m really proud of our whole staff," Doumit said. "There were no set roles coming in to this season. I’ve got 10 guys that want the baseball."
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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