Colfax hands Bear River first PVL loss

The first major shakeup of the Pioneer Valley League softball season came on Tuesday as rivals Colfax and Bear River met in Lake of the Pines. The Falcons were winless in league entering Tuesday's contest and were outscored 28-1 against league opponents, while the Bruins were the lone unbeaten team in the PVL with a five-game winning streak. Records rarely matter in rivalry games, and Colfax proved that Tuesday, jumping out to an early lead and holding on for a 4-3 victory to secure its first league win of the season. Colfax did its damage early and then leaned on Addy Pratt the rest of the way to secure the narrow victory. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first, the Falcons added what proved to be a crucial insurance run in the second. Samantha Gawly got things started with a double to center field, and Lila Hamasaki followed with an RBI single down the left field line as Colfax took early control. In the second inning an RBI knock from Gawly pushed the advantage to 3-0 and gave the Falcons some breathing room. Pratt handled the rest in the circle, working a complete game while navigating traffic throughout. Bear River collected seven hits and drew five walks, but Pratt limited the damage to three runs, two earned, while striking out six. She repeatedly worked out of jams and kept Bear River from finding a breakthrough inning. Bear River made things interesting late, trimming the deficit behind RBIs from Lily Fiddyment and Ella Bailey. Adalaide Mason led the Bruins with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate. The Falcons' defense came through in a key moment, turning a double play to halt one of Bear River's threats and preserve the lead. At the plate, Lila Hamasaki and Gawly each collected two hits and drove in runs to lead the Falcons' offense. The loss drops Bear River to 8-5 overall on the season and 4-1 in PVL play, but the Bruins still sit on top of the standings tied with Lincoln for first. Bear River visits Marysville on Thursday. Colfax (2-3, 1-2 PVL) hosts Oakmont on Thursday.