PVL mates Colfax, Bear River off to strong starts on the diamond

The two-time defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division V baseball champion Colfax Falcons have seemingly picked up right where they left off last season. Colfax, which returns 12 players from last year's championship squad, is off to a fast 3-0 start for 2020. The Falcons began the season with a 13-5 win over Truckee on Feb. 22. They followed with a 10-0 blasting of Rosemont and a 10-3 beating over Golden Sierra Saturday in a home doubleheader to get off to a hot start. In the win over Rosemont, junior Nolan Mulay went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs while seniors Mike LaVigne and Jason Harris – last season's Pioneer Valley League MVP – each doubled. Max Koenig drove in two runs while Trevor Davis and Alec Beall also knocked in one apiece. Jaron Nicholas threw five innings of scoreless ball, giving up just three hits and striking out six. Colfax scored in every inning against Golden Sierra with Davis leading the way with a 3-for-4 day with four RBIs. LaVigned added a double and Harris was 2-for-2 with an RBI, three runs scored and two stolen bases. Junior Anthony Packard, who transferred from Foresthill this season, went four innings with just one hit and no runs allowed and struck out seven. Colfax heads to Nevada this weekend for the Mark Bearman Memorial Tournament. Meanwhile, the Bear River Bruins, whom Colfax defeated in last year's section finals, has also gotten out to a solid start by the beginning of March. The Bruins beat Western Sierra 2-1 on Feb. 22 before losing in eight innings to Union Mine Friday. Bear River rebounded Monday with an 11-2 romp over El Dorado, thanks to three-run sixth- and seventh innings. Cole Winters went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs to lead Bear River at the plate. The Bruins also got a pair of hits each from Colby Lunsford and Reid Zoldan while Caleb Hurst drove in two. Branden Koppes went five innings while giving up just one earned run and striking out four for the Bruins (2-1).