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Fun with friends is the big winner at Clark County Senior All-Star Baseball

High school seniors reconnect with friends that were first made in Little League

By Tim Martinez, Columbian Assistant Sports Editor

Published: May 31, 2022, 9:24pm

4 Photos

Prairie's Reece Walling smiles at the opposing dugout after attempting a bunt during the Clark County Baseball All-Star series at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Center on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. (Tim Martinez/The Columbian) Photo Gallery

RIDGEFIELD – For the fans, Tuesday’s Clark County Senior Baseball All-Star games was a showcase of the area’s best high school senior players.

The field included several Division I signees including Columbia River’s Sam Boyle (Washington), Prairie’s Reece Walling (Washington State), Battle Ground’s Zach Hauser (Utah) and Skyview’s Tyler Howard (Portland).

For the players, it was a chance to play with friends.

“Obviously, I’ve grown up playing with most of the kids,” Howard said. “My dad today was wearing his Hazel Dell jersey from back when we were in Little League. So it’s kind of cool to see Sam Boyle, Henry Palmersheim (River) and Seth Minor (Skyview) … go through the ranks and finally be here today. So it was a lot of fun.”

Howard delivered an RBI double in the first game as the National League all-stars beat the American League 6-1.

Another wrinkle of the series is it puts teammates during the season on opposite squads of these all-star teams.

Howard got to get in the box against Skyview pitcher Parker Harris.

“That was fun,” Howard said. “He got me the first time with that double play, but the next time I got him. You do scrimmages during the year, but it’s something different when get to step into the box and there are fans in the stands and it’s actually opposite teams. But it’s all love afterward.”

And there was time for in-game teasing. After Walling belted a two-run homer for the American Lean off Hauser in the second game of the series, the National dugout yelled “Watch out for the bunt!”

Walling smiled – and then he attempted to get on by bunt. It went foul, and then the Prairie senior laced a single to right as the Americans won the nightcap 11-0.

The two teams played two eight-inning games Tuesday that served as feeder games to the All-State Series in Yakima on June 25-26.

Prairie’s Colin Schiller (National) and Heritage’s Nikki Scott (American) were selected as the MVPs of the series.

Scott pitched three shutout innings in the second game with six strikeouts.

“It was kind of a long day,” Scott said. “I finally got to pitch. … I was pretty tired at the end. It was a long day. But it was worth it. Today was a fun day to get to see everyone for a last time. I know a lot of the guys from playing summer ball, Little League. It was fun to see everyone together, and everyone had a fun time.”

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