The Astoria girls softball team had two critical Cowapa league matchups, the Seaside boys baseball team won Clatsop Clash No. 1 and the Astoria boys baseball team picked up a bounce back win on Tuesday.
Though the Clatsop Clash doesn’t quite have the same intensity on the diamond as it does on the hardwood and gridiron, bragging rights are still on the line.
Monday was the first Clatsop Clash of the year for both baseball and softball.
The Seaside girls were plagued by errors in their Monday softball game showdown with Astoria.
Giving the Fishermen bats extra outs is something you cannot do and unfortunately for Seaside, that’s what happened.
After a straightforward first inning with Astoria scoring just one run, the floodgates opened. Over the next three innings, the Fishermen would take advantage of three Seagulls errors to score 17 more runs en route to an 18-1 four inning victory. This was exactly the breakout Astoria had been looking for as the girls entered Monday on a three-game losing streak.
Despite the score being lopsided, the game didn’t really play out like that. Though the Fishermen were able to get 12 total base runners in four innings, most of it was due to having extra opportunities at the plate. Seaside pitcher Allie Corder was only charged with three earned runs in her four innings of work. The unearned runs proved decisive as the Seagulls seemed to get a beat on Astoria pitcher Taryen Wray the second time through the lineup. Without the errors, this game could have been much closer.
To Astoria’s credi, the team took advantage as the girls got big hits to really blow the game open.
Junior catcher Finley Cameron was the standout as she hit a grand slam to cap off the five run second inning for Astoria. In total, she had five RBIs. Hailee Svensen led the team with a perfect day at the plate. The junior leadoff hitter reached base all four times with two hits and two walks. Maggie Falleur and Kilee Svensen had big hits from the eighth and ninth spots with three RBIs a piece.
The Seaside girls were led at the plate by Corder, as she hit a home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the fourth inning to get the Seagulls on the board. Carly Corder and Tiera Spivey worked walks in the fourth inning, but ended up being stranded.
Astoria returned to the diamond on Tuesday for a state championship rematch against St. Helens.
With bad weather hitting the North Coast this game played out a little differently than years past.
After splitting four matchups a year ago, this game started out like fans expected. With two of last year’s games being 1-0 finals, the first three innings were following a familiar script.
Wray and St. Helens pitcher Eme Curaming took turns throwing up zeroes. But mother nature decided to step in around the fourth inning. A downpour hit Astoria for about an hour during this game and things changed.
Both pitchers lost control of the strike zone due to the wet ball and hitters took advantage.
St. Helens struck first with four runs in the top of the fourth. This was capped off by an opposite field home run from senior catcher Madelyn Hancock. Astoria wouldn’t trail for very much longer as they battled back to score six in the bottom half. With Curaming and her fielders really struggling, the Astoria girls took full advantage as they batted around in the inning. Astoria continued to cash in on St. Helens’ fielding mistakes and got their lead up to 9-5. The Lions scored two in the top of seventh to make things interesting, but Astoria did hold on for a 9-7 victory.
The win keeps Astoria within striking distance of 4A top ranked team Scappoose in the league standings.
The other Clatsop Clash went the way of Seaside boys baseball.
With this game being played simultaneously as the girls’ game in Seaside, the Cowapa League rivals had a good old fashioned pitchers duel.
Seaside starter Hayden Halsen and Astoria pitchers Archer Hawkins and Timber Gilmore combined to give up just 11 total hits and four total runs in Seaside’s 3-1 victory.