On the finish of a difficult week for the Columbia River baseball workforce, the Rapids by no means stopped competing.
Twice dealing with a two-run deficit in opposition to R.A. Lengthy in a winner-take-all sport to determine the 2A Better St. Helens League title Friday, the Rapids responded in each cases to drive a tie sport coming into the underside of the seventh inning.
R.A. Lengthy reliever Riley Younger struck out the primary two batters, however River discovered a strategy to make one thing from nothing with a stroll and a success batter. Then, River’s Zach Sims charged towards first base after a dropped third strike. An errant throw from the Lumberjacks allowed pinch runner Zeke Kamakea to attain the profitable run, sending the Rapids to a walk-off 5-4 win and a second straight 2A GSHL title.
“It was crazy. It was really surreal,” stated junior Luke Jenisch, who went 3-for-3 to guide the Rapids. “Zach, fastest guy in the league, he’s so fast. So, I knew he was safe at first and then when it was a passed ball, (it was) really exciting to know we won the league title.”
The league title was inside attain for the first-place Rapids coming into the ultimate three video games of the common season this week. They had been examined at each flip.
On Monday, River was no-hit by Mark Morris pitcher Tucker Morrow in a nine-inning loss to the Monarchs. River gave up a three-run result in R.A. Lengthy in a 6-4 loss Wednesday.
The 2 outcomes had been a actuality verify that pressured the Rapids to reset going into Friday.
The Lumberjacks had been first to attain within the fourth inning with an Evan Hart RBI single and Carson Libby sacrifice fly. But it surely was a superb signal when the Rapids instantly responded with two runs of their very own within the backside half of the inning.
“On Wednesday we definitely didn’t have enough energy,” Jenisch stated. “We were talking about how they need to match our energy, instead of us matching their energy, and I think we definitely brought the energy today.”
Beginning pitchers Kamble Johns (R.A. Lengthy) and Noah Coakes (River) battled by three scoreless innings earlier than the ‘Jacks struck first within the fourth. Coakes made his first look on the mound in three weeks, a precautionary transfer in response to River coach Stephen Donohue because the reigning 2A GSHL pitcher handled some lingering soreness and tightness.
Upon hitting his 60-pitch restrict within the fourth inning with 4 strikeouts, two hits and two earned runs allowed, Coakes chipped in an RBI single to knot the sport at 2-2 heading to the fifth.
“My mindset, really, was how much I could help the team. I saw an opportunity,” Coakes stated. “I haven’t got much at-bats at the start of the season, but now I’ve been starting to hit more and I’ve been kind of heating up on the bat.”
R.A. Lengthy’s second lead of the sport got here courtesy of a Nick Niday sacrifice fly and Hart RBI single, but it surely was as soon as once more short-lived. Kian Siegel and Jenisch strung collectively back-to-back RBI doubles within the fifth to drive a 4-4 tie.
Aid pitcher Ryan Chatham picked up the win after holding the ‘Jacks scoreless over the ultimate three innings with 4 strikeouts, three hits and one earned run allowed.
“The thing we said to them was, as long as you keep competing for seven innings, maybe eight or nine … good things are gonna happen,” Donohue stated. “Credit to the guys. They really got after it today and competed kind of the way that we like to compete.”
River will face the winner of Hockinson and Centralia within the first spherical of the 2A District 4 playoffs on Monday at residence.
“Our mindset as a team is coming in with the same energy we came in with this game,” Coakes stated. “Be focused all around, and once we play as a team, it’s really hard to beat us.”
