CHICO, CA (MPG) – Since 2013, Colusa and Winters have gone head-to-head for a Northern Section baseball title four times, with the RedHawks coming out on top in three of those games.
And even in their only loss to the Warriors in 2019, the outcome was never really been in doubt as the average run differential was six.
However, that trend changed last Saturday at Butte College when No. 1 seeded Colusa needed some seventh inning heroics to defeat No. 2 Winters 4-3 in walk-off fashion and claim its fourth consecutive NSCIF Division IV title.
It was an uncharacteristically bad start for the RedHawks, who had swept the regular season series from the Warriors, as they committed two errors in the top of the first and yielded three unearned runs to find themselves in an 0-3 hole going into the home half of the frame.
Although unable to put any runs on the board in response in the home half of the first, from that point on the defense stepped up behind its ace, Luke Kalfsbeek, who retired the next 17 batters in a row, before vacating the mound with two down in the top of the seventh having reached his pitch limit for the week.
In his six and two-thirds innings on the hill, the senior, who is a fierce competitor, yielded just a single hit and no earned runs, while striking out seven in an effort that came as no surprise to his coach, Eric Lay.
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Nobody wants the ball more than him,” said Lay. “He’s just a bulldog. What else can you say?”
Helping Kalfsbeek’s cause was some outstanding play in the outfield, as fellow seniors Bo Coronado and Landon Humphrey also drew praise from Lay as they robbed several Warriors’ batters of what on a normal day would more than likely have been hits.
“Our outfield play was absolutely a big part of our win today,” said the coach who is in his 12th season as the RedHawks’ skipper. “We probably took away three or four hits today and getting those outs on one or two pitches allowed Luke to stay in the game longer.”
As the game continued, and buoyed by a quick top of the second in which Kalfsbeek retired the side in order, Colusa was able to pull within one with some timely hitting.
Seth Kalisuch led off the frame by getting plunked by a pitch and was followed by Kane Nall, who muscled a single onto the grass, which brought Adan Travis to the plate.
In his first week back from injury, Travis then delivered the clutch hit, doubling to drive in the two base runners and impressing Lay in the process.
“Adan was out six weeks with an ankle injury and has been back exactly one week,” said Lay. “He has just earned his spot back and today had great at bats and was solid at third base.”
Yet despite getting off good swings against Winters starter Jordan Calvert, the RedHawks left nine men on base and as result found themselves with their backs to the wall down 2-3 in the bottom of the seventh.
But Colusa proved resilient as Will McCoy, another of the team’s seniors, led off the inning with bloop down the right field line off the Warriors’ new pitcher that he stretched into a double, then advanced to third on a passed ball.
Following an unproductive out, Kalisuch worked the count to 3-1 with a calculated approach, then singled to left to knock in McCoy tying the game at three and giving Colusa a chance.
“I’ve been in this situation before at the Nipomo Tournament and I popped out, so it has become sort of a team joke,” said the RedHawks’ first baseman. “I knew this time I needed to hit it on the ground, so I looked for a fastball and got it.”
Now aboard, Kalisuch put himself in scoring position by stealing second, something that Lay said is indicative of the way the senior has always played the game, “Seth is undoubtedly a calming influence on our team. He is always playing the game the right way. No one works harder at trying to do the right thing and that shows at both the plate and in the field.”
After consecutive walks to Peyton Humphrey and Nall to load the bases, Travis lined out on a nice play by the Warriors’ second baseman and gave Colusa one last chance to win it outright when Julian Mendiola settled into the box.
Mendiola, who had entered the game for Kalfsbeek and induced the final out in the top of the seventh, was facing a 3-2 count against the third Warriors’ pitcher of the frame, then laced a single to right, which plated Kalisuch for the walk-off.
With the hit, the junior lefty has the distinction of not only picking up the win, but with the walk-off hit as well.
After the ensuing celebration, Kalfsbeek reflected on both the moment of victory and the fourth straight section title he has won with the RedHawks.
“It was a beautiful thing watching JuJu (Mendiola) get that last hit,” said the University of Washington commit. “I have to admit this win might be the sweetest of them all, because we didn’t exactly make it easy on ourselves. I do think it is a testament to the program over the last four years though. The other team may have landed the first punch, but we weren’t going away. I’m really proud of the way the guys rallied today.”
Overall, Colusa outhit Winters seven to one with Nall going 2 for 3, McCoy and Travis both doubling, while Kalisuch and Mendiola each singled to drive in a run in the final frame.
To get to the championship game, the RedHawks defeated U-Prep (Redding) 8-2 in a second round game on May 14 behind a big day from Sutter Moss who went 3 for 4 with a home run, his fourth of the year.
With the win over the Warriors, Colusa (27-3) now awaits its seeding in the CIF State Regional Championships which will be announced on Sunday, May 26.