Colfax softball returns to state with No. 4 ticket

Colfax booked a 1-2 record Saturday in the regional softball round at Merkel Field in Spokane to collect a number-four seed into the 16-team state softball tournament which will be back at the Gateway complex in Yakima. The Bulldogs will open against Kittitas, a number-two team from districts 5 and 6.

Colfax has made the trip to state in 12 of the last 13 years.

The state format puts 16 teams on the grid with the championship trophy going to the team that can link four wins. A loss can bring second-day action on Saturday with as many as four games.

Colfax at Merkel hammered Asotin 15-1 in the opening game, a win that guaranteed the state ticket. They then dropped a one-run game to DeSales in the semi-final round and were bounced 5-8 by Northwest Christian in the third-fourth seed game which matched the semi losers.

Colfax will make the state trip with a 21-4 overall record.

In the first game Saturday, Colfax took out the Panthers 15-1 by mixing nine hits with 11 walks allowed by the Panthers.

Brittany Lewis and Jolee Aeschliman each had two hits with Aeschliman collecting four RBIs on her raps and Lewis tagging three RBIs.

Pitcher Erica Eng allowed the Panthers just one hit, struck out 11 and walked one. Amara Huber had a double, and Sarah Appel, Eng, Kori Goodwin, and Goldie Akesson each singled.

In the 4-5 loss to DeSales in the semi-final, the Bulldogs had solid pitching and rapped eight hits, but they went down in defeat with three errors at crucial points in the ball game.

Colfax had a 4-3 lead going into the fifth, but DeSales took the lead in the sixth off two Colfax fielding mistakes. The score remained locked at 4-5 through the last inning.

Eng allowed the Irish just three hits, fanned 11 batters and walked just one.

The Colfax offense was led by Andra Hamilton with a single and a double. Appel, Eng, Goodwin, Kindra Kneale, Aeschliman and Abbie Miller tagged singles.

The 5-8 loss to NWC in the last round came after Colfax had trouble bouncing back from the semi loss. The Crusaders stacked an 8-0 lead before Colfax offense let out the clutch.

Colfax finished with eight hits with Appel tagging three of them. Goodwin, Hamilton, Allison Dunning and Miller had the other hits.

Colfax put runners on first and second in the last inning with nobody out, but they couldn’t collect.