At the end of a challenging week for the Columbia River baseball team, the Rapids never stopped competing.
Twice facing a two-run deficit against R.A. Long in a winner-take-all game to decide the 2A Greater St. Helens League title Friday, the Rapids responded in both instances to force a tie game entering the bottom of the seventh inning.
R.A. Long reliever Riley Young struck out the first two batters, but River found a way to make something from nothing with a walk and a hit batter. Then, River’s Zach Sims charged toward first base after a dropped third strike. An errant throw from the Lumberjacks allowed pinch runner Zeke Kamakea to score the winning 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,” said junior Luke Jenisch, who went 3-for-3 to lead 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.”
All-Region Sports Awards Ceremony
The Columbian will be hosting its second annual All-Region Sports Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at The Hilton Vancouver Washington.
The event will be 6-8 p.m. Admission is $15 and includes food and drink.
Tickets are available now by clicking on link.
The league title was within reach for the first-place Rapids entering the final three games of the regular season this week. They were tested at every turn.
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 lead to R.A. Long in a 6-4 loss Wednesday.
The two results were a reality check that forced the Rapids to reset going into Friday.
The Lumberjacks were first to score in the fourth inning with an Evan Hart RBI single and Carson Libby sacrifice fly. But it was a good sign when the Rapids immediately responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
“On Wednesday we definitely didn’t have enough energy,” Jenisch said. “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.”
Starting pitchers Kamble Johns (R.A. Long) and Noah Coakes (River) battled through three scoreless innings before the ‘Jacks struck first in the fourth. Coakes made his first appearance on the mound in three weeks, a precautionary move according to River coach Stephen Donohue as the reigning 2A GSHL pitcher dealt with some lingering soreness and tightness.
Upon hitting his 60-pitch limit in the fourth inning with four strikeouts, two hits and two earned runs allowed, Coakes chipped in an RBI single to knot the game at 2-2 heading to the fifth.
“My mindset, really, was how much I could help the team. I saw an opportunity,” Coakes said. “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. Long’s second lead of the game came courtesy of a Nick Niday sacrifice fly and Hart RBI single, but it was once again short-lived. Kian Siegel and Jenisch strung together back-to-back RBI doubles in the fifth to force a 4-4 tie.
Relief pitcher Ryan Chatham picked up the win after holding the ‘Jacks scoreless over the final three innings with four 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 said. “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 in the first round of the 2A District 4 playoffs on Tuesday at home.
“Our mindset as a team is coming in with the same energy we came in with this game,” Coakes said. “Be focused all around, and once we play as a team, it’s really hard to beat us.”
