Crimson Hawks Score Walk-Off Victory to Split with Cardinals

Colville’s baseball team opened Northeast A League play by splitting a doubleheader with Medical Lake on Friday, April 17, rallying for a 4-3 extra-inning win in the opener before falling 9-1 in the nightcap.

The split moved the Crimson Hawks to 8-4 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Colville pulled out the opener with a walk-off run in the bottom of the 10^th inning after Medical Lake had erased an early deficit. The Hawks scored once in the first inning, then tied the game with two runs in the sixth before pushing across the winning run in the final frame as Kyle Bradfield scored on a wild pitch after being advanced to third on a Conor Lyng sacrifice.

Luke Bateman paced Colville at the plate by going 2-for-5, while Jet Bateman, Bradfield, Colton Hansen, and Zack Bateman each added a hit. Bradfield scored twice and doubled, and both he and Hansen drove in a run. Colville also stayed aggressive on the bases, with Braxton Brown stealing two bases and Bradfield, Jet Bateman, Luke Bateman, and Zack Bateman each swiping one.

Bradfield gave the Hawks a strong start on the mound, striking out nine over 6 2/3 innings while allowing four hits and three earned runs. Hansen picked up the win in relief, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings and allowing just one hit.

Medical Lake did its damage in the third inning of the opener, scoring all three of its runs there, but Colville’s pitching settled in the rest of the way. AJ Michaud struck out 11 for the Cardinals in seven innings.

The nightcap belonged to Medical Lake, who broke the game open with a six-run second inning and went on to the 9-1 win. Colville scored its lone run in the first.

Jet Bateman led the Hawks offensively in the second game, going 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. Bradfield and Hansen also had hits, while Luke Bateman drove in Colville’s only run.

Lyng took the loss for Colville, and Cooper Hickok provided solid relief work. Hickok tossed five innings, allowing just one hit and one unearned run while striking out four.

Medical Lake’s Aiden Fontenot earned the win in the nightcap, holding Colville to three hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts.