Colusa falls in district finals

The Colusa County Cats reached the championship game of the district playoffs over the weekend, but they did it the hard way.

After losing their first game of the tournament at Doryland Field in Chico to the Red Bluff Junior Bulls, Colusa fought back to defeat the Westside Braves, won a rematch with the Junior Bulls and then beat Chico Suns Red to advance to the finals against Chico Suns Blue.

The Cats were unable to defend their district crown, however, falling to Chico Blue 11-2 in the second game on Saturday.

The Cats end the summer with a record of 30-9.

Despite solid pitching from Tyler Wells and Josh Embree in the opener, Colusa fell 4-2 to Red Bluff on Wednesday. The Cats got one hit each from James Bowen, Jeremy Hubbard, Cody Hansen and Wells. Memo Rodriguez scored in the first inning and Hubbard scored in the fourth.

The Cats bounced back to defeat Westside 11-3 in six innings on Thursday. The Cats broke the game open in the third with a 7-run rally.

Rodriguez and Wells each led the offense, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Wells drove in two runs while Rodriguez plated one. Steven Perry was 2-for-3 with three RBI while Brian Wunsch had two RBI. Rodriguez, Rawlin, Hayden Meyers, Brandon Rader, Darren Swearinger and Wunsch all had a double apiece. Sean Rawlin and Meyers each had two hits as well.

Hubbard, Rodriguez and Dylan DeWit all pitched two innings apiece with Rodriguez getting the win.

Colusa avenged the early loss to Red Bluff with a 12-4 whipping on Friday. Colusa scored in every inning, getting two runs in the first and third innings, one in the second, three in the fourth and fourth in the fifth.

Rawlin paced the offense, going 4-for-4 with two RBI and four runs scored. Meyers had the big hit of the game with a two-run homer in the third inning. Rodriguez was 2-for-2 with two runs scored while Ottie Harris was 2-for-3 with a double and Tyler Wells was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Steven Perry was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

The Cats closed out the game with hits by Perry, Rawlin, Jeremy Hubbard, Swearinger and DeWit, whose hit drove in a run and ended the game via the 8-run rule.

Brandon Rader started on the mound and got the win. He gave way to James Bowen in the fourth inning.

The Cats advanced to the championship game with a 5-2 win over Chico Suns Red on Saturday afternoon. Colusa got an outstanding pitching effort from Hubbard.

Hubbard had a no-hitter for three innings and gave up just two runs on five hits in going the distance.

The Cats scored all of their runs in the second and fourth innings. In the second, Meyers beat out an infield hit and then stole second. Following a walk to Wells, Swearinger singled to load the bases.

Wunsch hit a grounder to the third baseman, who stepped on his bag and threw to first for the possible inning-ending double play. But Wunsch beat the throw to keep the inning alive and bring in the run. Bowen was then hit by a pitch and Rodriguez walked to force in a run for a 2-0 Colusa lead.

In the fourth, Swearinger and Wunsch both walked and Bowen hit a bunt single to load the bases. Rodriguez singled to drive in one run and Perry lashed a basehit to score two and put Colusa ahead 5-0.

The Cats didn’t threaten again, but didn’t need to thanks to the pitching of Hubbard.

Swearinger was 2-for-4 to lead the offense.

The Cats lost to Chico Blue in the nightcap on Saturday 11-2. Information on the game was unavailable at press time.