Playing at home in a doubleheader against Durham last Friday, the Colusa RedHawks swept the season series from the Trojans in shutout fashion to remain unbeaten and put themselves in the driver’s seat in the Sacramento Valley League.
In the early game, Ethan Lay continued to mow down the opposition, leading Colusa to the 1-0 victory.
Lay tossed a complete game one-hitter, striking out 11, and out dueling Durham’s Rico Merlot, who fanned 10 batters and yielded just two hits.
Those two knocks would ultimately be the difference in the game, as the RedHawks took advantage of the opportunity, which presented itself in the fourth inning.
Justin Lee led off the frame with an infield single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then moved over to third, when Lay flied out to right field, bringing Luke Kalfsbeek to the plate.
Down 1-2 in the count, Kalfsbeek lined a single to right to drive in Lee for the game’s only run.
Although Durham made things interesting in the seventh, after doubling to put a runner in scoring position, Lay slammed the door shut with a strikeout, before inducing a pop-up on the final play.
It was the second straight shutout for the senior, who leads the Northern Section in strikeouts with 63 and has a 0.00 ERA over 30 innings of work.
Helping Lay’s cause in the seventh was recent call-up Bo Coronado, who, in his first varsity appearance, made an impressive diving catch down the left field line to get the first out of the inning.
In the nightcap, Colusa sent Kalfsbeek to the mound and the sophomore didn’t disappoint, going the distance, striking out eight, and scattering five hits in the 6-0 win.
Kalfsbeek has been a dual threat for Colusa this season, sporting a .357 batting average. In addition to the 0.00 ERA and 26 strikeouts, Kalfsbeek has recorded 15 innings of work on the hill.
While the RedHawk bats were unable to muster a run early on, they got some timely hitting over the last three innings to break the game open.
Lee had a big game at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a double, while Coronado finished 2 for 3 with two RBI.
Others chipping in included Lay, with a double and an RBI, Kalfsbeek and Seth Kalisuch with RBI singles, along with Emanuel Frias, who had a hit and an RBI.
Now 10-0, and on an 18-game win streak dating back to last year, the RedHawks may not have gotten the hitting production they would like, but the pitching has been exceptional, logging seven shutouts and three no hitters.
For Coach Eric Lay, the success represents the commitment his pitching staff has for continued improvement.
“Our pitchers have been outstanding,” Lay said. “They’re setting the tempo of the game by pounding the zone. We’ve been getting after it since we returned from winter break in January, and the hard work shows.”
This week, Colusa squared off against Gridley on Monday in a game at Raley Field. The RedHawks hosted Paradise on Tuesday and will hit the road to complete the series with the Bobcats on Friday. ■