March 28, 2024

Raiders walk off again, advance in regional playoffs

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COLFAX — For the second night in a row, Collins-Maxwell/Baxter let a seventh-inning lead slip away.

And for the second night in a row, the Raiders saved their season in walk-off fashion.

CMB freshman Mikayla Eslinger scored from second base on an infield error in the bottom of the seventh to give her team a 7-6 victory over Colfax-Mingo Wednesday night. The play served a fitting end to the Class 2A Region 6 playoff game that was low scoring early before both teams’ defenses unraveled.

After Colfax-Mingo scored twice to tie in the top of the seventh, Eslinger smacked a double off the center-field fence with two outs. Megan Ritter then hit a ground ball to Colfax-Mingo third baseman Jena Teed, who fielded cleanly but threw low to first. First baseman Erin Earles couldn’t corral the ball for the third out, allowing Eslinger enough time to score the winning run.

“We talk about making things happen and hustling all the time,” CMB head coach Troy Houge said. “We had one of our quicker girls out there and she didn’t slow down. Once that ball hit the dirt, they had no chance of getting her at home. It was awesome, just awesome the way it happened.”

Defensive miscues accounted for a majority of the runs scored in the game.

The Tigerhawks capitalized on an error in the top of the fifth when Ries Wilson’s sacrifice bunt attempt turned into three runs. An errant throw to get Wilson at first sailed into the right-field corner, allowing Brooke Nicholson, Jade Lewis and Wilson to all score on the play.

Colfax-Mingo then gave up that lead in the bottom half, in part because of two errors and a third defensive lapse that potentially cost the Tigerhawks the second out of the inning.

CMB sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth and had only three hits. Colfax-Mingo’s miscues mounted and the Raiders scored five times.

“Most of the runs they scored were the result of inadequate defense on our part,” Colfax-Mingo head coach Bryan Poulter said. “It’s been one of our problems throughout the year. It seems like we have an inning defensively where we just kind of have some problems and they multiple. It was the fifth inning tonight.”

The Raiders rallied against Colfax-Mingo relief pitcher Ries Wilson, who came on after Russell was ejected in the top of the seventh for colliding with CMB catcher Abbey Appelgate on a play at the plate.

Wilson retired the first two batters before Eslinger, who had made solid contact in her three previous at-bats but was hitless, stepped to the plate.

“I was kind of nervous,” Eslinger said of her at-bat. “I had hit well all game, but they all went straight to the other team. I was just hoping it would work out for everybody because I know it’s a big deal to move on in a game like this.”

CMB will move on and play in the regional semifinals for the first time in six years, according to Houge.

“It was a tight game, and it was fun,” he said. “When you’re on the winning side, it’s more fun.”