On most days, a non-league softball game would garner little more than a linescore in the high school scoreboard of The Columbian.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a non-league softball game. It’s just on some spring days, the shear volume of prep results that get reported on a given day allows for little more than that. Don’t believe, just look on page B5 of Saturday’s edition of The Columbian.
With that many results to report, we’ll leave the roundups and game stories to league games, and games that will help determine which teams will advance to the postseason.
But this week, we may break from that rule for a special event.
On Wednesday — weather permitting — Kelso will travel to Union to play a softball game. Kelso is the defending 4A state champion and is currently the top-ranked 4A team in the state. The Hilanders are 5-0.
Union is 7-0 and the top-ranked 3A team in the state.
Both rosters are loaded with talented players. Last week, Kelso belted eight home runs in a five-inning game against Hudson’s Bay.
On Friday, Union’s Mariah Dawson struck out 12 batters in a one-hit shutout of Evergreen. She also was 3 for 3 at the plate with a double and a home run. And Dawson is just one of several college-bound players on the Union roster.
So if you find yourself available on Wednesday — and one forecast projects partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 60s, if you want to believe any spring forecast in the Northwest — head out to Union High School for a real treat for softball fans.
Here’s a look at other key events this week:
BASEBALL: Camas and Columbia River, both 5-1 in the 3A Greater St. Helens League, play twice this week in games that could determine the league championship in the 3A GSHL. The first meeting is Thursday at River. Friday’s game is at Camas. Mark Morris plays at Hockinson on Tuesday in a key 2A GSHL matchup.
SOFTBALL: League openers will be played Friday in the 4A and 3A GSHLs.
BOYS SOCCER: Unbeaten and top-ranked Camas faces a big league challenge Friday at home against Columbia River. Skyview and Evergreen, the last two unbeaten teams in the 4A GSHL, face off Tuesday at McKenzie Stadium.
GIRLS TENNIS: Most of the area’s top players will clash at the Thunder Invitational, which will be held Friday and Saturday. This tournament was formerly the Heritage Tournament, the brainchild of former Heritage coach Mat Clark.
When Clark moved from Heritage to Mountain View in 2006-07, he took a break from coaching girls tennis, but the Heritage Invitational carried on under the guidance of Joel Bieker at Heritage.
Now, Clark is back coaching girls tennis at Mountain View, so the annual event moves to Mountain View this season.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports/prep coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached by phone at 360-735-4538 or e-mail at tim.martinez@columbian.com
