Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Colfax players react after holding Northwest Christian scoreless in inning.
COLBERT - The dugout chatter was louder, the sun was brighter and the calls were closer.
Colfax and Northwest Christian (NWC) met for a charged Bi-County 2B league championship game on May 14 that ended on a Bulldogs' baserunner called for tagging up too early amidst a Colfax rally in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Crusaders took the title, 5-3, concluding the season in a year of no state tournaments following a year of no seasons due to COVID.
The Bulldogs, in all-white pinstripes, led 2-0 early until NWC, in all black, tied it on a home run by Ellie Sander over Justice Brown and the left field fence.
The smaller things felt more important. Brown, on offense, ran out a bobbled NWC throw to first. Anni Cox chased a first-baseline bunt and threw out a Crusaders runner at first.
In the fifth, it was still tied 2-2.
NWC hit a ball up the first baseline for an out. A call at first went against Colfax after Delaney Imler lost a short fly-ball catch in the sun. It landed fair and rolled out but the umpire ruled she touched it and it became a base hit for the Crusaders.
Still in the fifth, a Cox dropped ball at first loaded the bases and Bulldogs' junior pitcher Jorja Koerner was suddenly under major threat.
A line drive up the middle moved the score to 4-2 for the Crusaders. A dropped pitch followed, reversing what would have ended the inning. Another run scored, 5-2.
An NWC runner left early on a Koerner pitch.
"No pitch! Runner left early!" yelled the ump, causing the third out.
In the sixth, Colfax senior shortstop Helina Hahn got on base with a high fly ball, hitting the grass just beyond the infield. Then a fly-out from Perry Imler, a Koerner base hit up the third baseline, and Brown and Rian Jones flew out to the infield.
In the top of the seventh, the Colfax defense held and the Bulldogs had one more at-bat, needing to make up three runs.
"1-2-3 Rally Time!" yelled the team from the dugout.
Delaney Imler struck out swinging. Booth made contact and was safe at first after a drop. Taylor Parkins hit a base hit through the infield and sophomore leftfielder Karmen Akesson went in as pinch runner. A Cox bunt followed, causing confusion for NWC coupled with a bad throw, and Booth scored.
Hahn came up, two outs, two runners on, 5-3, Cox at second, Akesson at third. She was the tying run.
Hahn smashed the ball into centerfield. Akesson tagged up and took off with Cox behind her.
Clamoring came from the home plate umpire. He ruled the lead runner left early, for the third out.
The game was over.
"We've had some girls leave early before that, it just didn't get caught. This time we did," said Coach Tracy Imler.
Colfax finished the year 15-2, both losses to Northwest Christian.
"We had a good season," said Coach Imler. "We didn't quite achieve the goal we wanted but still had a good season."
Colfax graduates four seniors – Perry Imler, Cox, Hahn and Rian Jones.
"The girls were disappointed for sure. They wanted that game pretty bad, especially the seniors," said the coach. "The team fought as hard as they could."
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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