Cole Buruse drove the ball over a drawn-in defense in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday to win a Class 4A Greater St. Helens League baseball district playoff game for the Skyview Storm.
The 1-0 win over Heritage at Propstra Stadium advances Skyview to face Evergreen at 7 p.m. today at Propstra. (Please note the time. Monday’s edition of The Columbian had a different time listed for this game.)
Today’s winner qualifies for the bi-district playoff round and will face Kelso at 5 p.m. on Thursday for the district championship.
Today’s loser is out. Evergreen won all three games against Skyview during league play.
Monday’s matchup between Skyview and Heritage was a pitching duel between the Storm’s Kody Watts and the Timberwolves’ Alex Foulon.
“This was one of the best pitched high school games I’ve seen in a long time,” Skyview coach Eric Estes said. “Both pitchers were throwing strikes with three pitches.”
Watts limited Heritage to two hits, struck out seven and walked two. He also scored the winning run after drawing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Ellis Henderson’s sacrifice attempt turned into a bunt single, then Riley Henderson bunted the runners to second and third with one out. Jake Dahlberg replaced Foulon on the mound. He intentionally walked Bud Collura to load the bases and set up force outs. Buruse then drove a 1-0 pitch over the drawn in outfield to win the game.
Watts took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Heritage’s Riley O’Dell broke it up with a one-out single.
Heritage advanced runners to third base in the second and fifth innings. In the second, Skyview loaded the bases with one out but Foulon struck out the next two hitters.
Class 2A baseball
Ridgefield 9, Aberdeen 3 — The Ridgefield Spudders kept their season alive with win Monday at Aberdeen in a Class 2A district pigtail baseball game.
The Spudders advance to the eight-team, double-elimination district tourney. They will play at Centralia at 4:30 p.m. today.
Jake Atchley struck out six in his complete-game win over Aberdeen.
Ridgefield used a 14-hit attack to cruise to the victory.
Chris Bones hit a two-run single in the fourth inning to give Ridgefield a 5-2 lead. Bones ended up driving in three runs.
Alex Sheridan had three hits, and Christian Boyer drove in two runs for the Spudders.
Softball
3A district set — There is one game left in the 3A Greater St. Helens League’s regular season, but it will have no impact on the final standings.
Camas finished fourth and will play No. 3 Columbia River in the opening round of the district tournament Thursday at Fort Vancouver High School. The winner of that game will take on No. 2 Prairie, also on Thursday.
The winner of that game will face top-seed Union in the championship game Friday.
Union will host Columbia River today in the final regular-season game of the season. The Titans are trying to complete a 10-0 schedule.
Camas, meanwhile, beat Fort Vancouver 12-1 on Monday. That result, coupled with Columbia River’s 4-2 win over Hudson’s Bay, left the Papermakers alone in fourth place — securing the final playoff spot.
Boys soccer
Mountain View 1, Battle Ground 0 — Jeff Carmody’s goal lifted the Thunder to the Class 4A district playoff win.
Mountain View will face Skyview at 7 p.m. today at District Stadium in Battle Ground. Today’s victor qualifies for Saturday’s bi-district playoff round, and will play on Thursday against Greater St. Helens champion Evergreen.
Carmody scored in the first half with an assist from Connor Lien. Thunder goalkeeper Stephen Gustafson made two saves in the shutout.
Girls tennis
Mountain View 5, Heritage 0 — Jenna Grillo and Shari Gray won at No. 1 doubles as the Thunder finished 4A Greater St. Helens League play at 9-1 (10-3 overall) and a share of the league title.
Grillo and Gray defeated Heritage’s Kaitlyn Tuholski and Bethany Winfield 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
