Riding a 28-game win streak, the No. 1 seeded Colusa RedHawk baseball team began its quest for the Northern Section CIF Division IV crown by shutting out No. 8 Paradise 10-0 in a first round playoff game at home last Friday.
As it has all been season long, the key to the win was pitching.
Colusa sent ace Ethan Lay to the mound and the senior turned in another dominant performance, tossing four innings of no-hit ball, in which he fanned 10 and issued a lone walk before giving way.
Over 70 innings on the bump this season, Lay has maintained a 0.00 ERA, struck out 136 batters, and conceded just 23 hits, compiling some of the best statistics in the state.
Luke Kalfsbeek, the other half of the RedHawks’ one-two punch on the hill, closed out the final two innings, allowing one hit while striking out five.
In his sophomore season, the lefty has also put together an impressive stat line, which includes a 0.38 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 55 innings of work.
Run support was not an issue as Colusa banged out 13 hits against two Bobcat hurlers led by Bo Coronado, who was a perfect 3 for 3 with an RBI and Kalfsbeek who went 2 for 2 with two RBI.
Lay got into the act as well, driving in one with a single in the first, then tripling in the fifth.
Tyler Oliver also delivered a big blow, plating a run with a double to seal the win in the sixth.■
