Doty powers C-M softball to win over state-ranked Sigourney

COLFAX — Colfax-Mingo softball coach Bryan Poulter had a few simple words for his best player before her at-bat in the fifth inning against Sigourney on Wednesday.

Kylie Doty stepped up to the plate in a scoreless game with a runner on base and did exactly what her coach told her to do.

“Poulter told me to hit the ball. So I told him ‘will do,’” Doty said.

Doty did just that and her two-run blast to left field put the Tigerhawks in front and she finished off the win in the circle during the Colfax-Mingo softball team’s 2-0 home win over Class 1A No. 9 Sigourney in South Iowa Cedar League action.

The Tigerhawks started the season ranked in 2A but things haven’t gone as well early as the team would have hoped. Poulter and Doty hope a win like this over the Savages can create some much-needed momentum.

“It was a nice win,” Poulter said. “We didn’t lose a soul from last year. This year, we just aren’t together yet. Hopefully this one can help us get there. We keep trying to tell them it’s how you finish not how you start.

“Maybe we won’t be the conference champion, but maybe by the time we get to the postseason teams won’t want to play us.”

Sigourney, who came into the game ranked fifth in 1A but dropped to ninth after the loss, out-hit Colfax-Mingo 6-4 but Doty pitched out of trouble to keep the Savages off the scoreboard.

Both teams stranded two in the first inning. Sigourney got a two-out triple past a diving Mariah Webster in right field but stranded two runners on base again.

In the seventh, Sigourney got a one-out single by starting pitcher, Carly Goodwin, but a line drive to Caylee Cunningham in center field ended the game.

Doty had maybe her best performance of the season in the circle. Her seven-inning shutout included two strikeouts and three walks and she scattered six hits.

“Her pitching was slow early. But I can see confidence in her in the pitching circle that wasn’t there a week or so ago,” Poulter said of Doty. “She is starting to accept the challenge of being the pitcher of this team.”

The Tigerhawks had a few opportunities before Doty’s winning homer in the fifth.

In the first, Doty opened the frame with a hard infield single to third base. Joslyn Chadwick hit a ball to nearly the same spot and reached on an error.

But with two outs, Goodwin got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts.

Goodwin struck out the side in the second and pitched around an Abi Rawlins single in the third. Holland Robinette reached on an error in the fourth but was stranded.

In the fifth, Carley Underwood walked with one out in front of the Doty two-run homer. Doty said she had an idea of how Goodwin was going to pitch her.

“I knew most of her first or second pitches to me were down the middle,” Doty said. “She didn’t want to always throw me a first-pitch strike, but I was just looking for one that was mine and not swing at the high ones.”

After the homer, Poulter tried playing small ball to force Sigourney’s defense to make plays in the field. The Tigerhawks (5-8 overall, 5-2 in conference play) didn’t score again but they had success in the bunt game.

Rawlins reached on a bunt single and then Chadwick’s attempted sacrifice bunt led to another base runner as she reached on a fielder’s choice.

Cunningham also bunted but Rawlins was thrown out at home on the play.

“We can’t always just swing and drive it. We have to be creative and do things with the bat that puts pressure on the defense,” Poulter said. “We did some slugging and bunting tonight. Some of it worked and put some pressure on their defense. The hope was to make the defense make plays instead of her striking out 16 people. I thought it was better to take a chance to put it in play.”

Doty pitched around a double and a walk in the sixth to keep Sigourney (8-4, 5-1) off the scoreboard. The Tigerhawks went 1-2-3 in the sixth, but Sigourney stranded two more in the seventh and Doty ended the game with a strikeout.

Doty and Rawlins each had two hits to lead the C-M offense. Rawlins also stole two bases. Underwood walked and scored a run, but the Tigerhawks struck out eight times at the plate.

Goodwin took the loss in the circle but allowed just two earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts. The only batter she walked scored. Goodwin led the Savages’ offense with three hits.

Colfax-Mingo 14, Iowa Valley 3, 6 innings

MARENGO — The Tigerhawks tallied a season-high 18 hits and routed Iowa Valley 14-3 in six innings in SICL play on Friday night.

Colfax-Mingo scored six runs in the first inning and never trailed in the easy win. The Tigherhawks scored three in the fourth, three in the fifth and two in the sixth to end the game early.

Doty finished with four hits, four RBIs and one run to lead the offense. She also got the win in the circle after allowing three runs — one earned — on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks in six innings.

Doty is batting .585 with 12 RBIs and 14 runs scored in 13 games this season.

“She is going to give you a good at-bat and put the ball in play somewhere usually,” Poulter said about Doty. “She has a natural sight and hands to the ball and uses the whole field. She’s a well-balanced hitter.”

Cunningham had two hits, including a home run, four RBIs, three runs and a walk. Robinette collected three hits and two RBIs and Underwood, Rawlins and Brennan Rhone also had two hits.

Underwood tallied three RBIs and scored two runs, Rhone walked once, scored one run and had an RBI and Rawlins scored a run.

Madison Stackhouse and Webster each had one hit, one run and one walk. Chadwick added one hit and Devan Chadwick, Danica Linn and McKenna Pleima each scored one run.

Iowa Valley (4-8, 2-5) was limited to five hits and committed two errors.

Southeast Warren 14, Colfax-Mingo 0

COLFAX — Class 1A No. 4 Southeast Warren scored early and often against Colfax-Mingo during a 14-0 win on Thursday night.

The Tigerhawks were held to two hits and committed two errors in the non-conference game.

Doty and Joslyn Chadwick had the hits and Webster drew a walk.

Rawlins took the loss in the circle after allowing five runs — four earned — on five hits with seven walks, two hit batters and one strikeout in 5 1/3 innings.

Doty tossed the final 1 2/3 innings and allowed nine runs — seven earned — on six hits with one walk.

Southeast Warren (14-0) finished with 11 hits. The game went seven innings as it was 5-0 after five.