Channel Cats lose championship game

The Colusa Channel Cats 17-under Junior American Legion baseball team set a club record last weekend, advancing to the championship game of the Area 1 Tournament in Arcata.

The Channel Cats, who claimed the District 4 title in Chico two weeks ago, beat the eventual Area 1 champions once and were only one win away from qualifying for a berth to the State Tournament in Yountville.

Davis 3, Colusa 2

With the Area 1 title and berth to state at stake, the Channel Cats lost a 3-2 battle to Davis on Sunday afternoon.

Nolan West pitched all six innings for Colusa, allowing three earned runs on six hits and six walks in a valiant effort. He struck out five in the loss.

Tyler Kreditor and Steven Perry homered in the third and fourth innings, knotting the score 2-2, but the Blue Devils scraped together the go-ahead run in the fifth and Colusa couldn't rally again.

"We had our chances but didn't capitalize," coach Sonny Badaluco said. "But all in all it was a fantastic summer and we couldn't have asked for anything more from these kids. We knew we were one of the best teams there and we proved it by the way we played."

The Channel Cats ended the season with a record of 35-10, winning its second-ever District 4 title and first-ever Shasta Lake Bass Tournament championship.

In earlier games:

Colusa 9, Eureka 3

After losing last Wednesday's opener to Petaluma in the bottom of the seventh inning, Colusa rebounded to hammer the Eureka Dukes, 9-3, on Thursday.

The Channel Cats scored in each of the first six innings, backing Derrick Brown's strong start on the mound. Brown pitched four innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits, and struck out four.

Michael Woods and Timmy Zucco combined in relief over the final three innings, and Davis Walker went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double.

Cameron Olson smacked a two-run double, Blake Freechtle walked three times and scored twice, Kreditor doubled and Zucco was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Colusa 13, Redding 5

Olson slugged four hits, including a double and a home run, and collected five RBI to pace Colusa in a 13-5 win over the Redding Diamondbacks on Friday afternoon.

West was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, Perry was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, and the Channel Cats offense combined for 15 hits.

Brown doubled and knocked in three runs, Freechtle scored twice and Zucco was 2-for-4 with a double and pair of runs batted in.

Olson tossed five innings on the hill to earn the victory, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits, two walks and a hit batter. He struck out three, and Woods struck out a pair in a scoreless seventh.

Colusa 4, Davis 3

Colusa remained alive in the double-elimination tournament with a 4-3 win over the previously-undefeated Davis Blue Devils.

Steven Perry hurled a complete game for Colusa, allowing one earned run on six hits and six walks, while striking out six.

The Blue Devils plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Perry fanned two Blue Devils to end the rally and preserve his pitching victory.

Perry, Walker and West each had two hits, and Freechtle, Perry and West drilled two-baggers to head Colusa's offense.

Colusa 8, Petaluma 4

The Channel Cats faced a familiar foe in the semifinals, and avenged their previous loss in the tournament to eliminate the Petaluma Leghorns, 8-4, on Sunday.

Brown struck out nine batters in a complete-game victory. He gave up four earned runs on four hits and four walks.

At the plate, Brown helped his cause by going 2-for-4 with a double, and teammates Blaine Huber, Perry and Walker also doubled. Olson belted a three-run home run in the fifth inning and Freechtle scored thrice.

"We played confident even though we lost to them the first time," Channel Cats coach Badaluco said. "It was nice to come back and beat Petaluma."

Notes: Colusa's first District title came in 2007, the program's third year, and started a string of four straight Area qualifications. The Channel Cats were granted wild-card berths to Area in 2008 and 2009 as the District 4 runner-up. The Cats also set a program-high for victories this summer, and the previous-best finish at Area was the final four last summer. They lost to Grass Valley in last year's semifinals.