WHITE SALMON — The Columbia High School baseball program lost a two-game Trico League series with Seton Catholic, losing 14-1 at home on April 21 and then on the road, 3-2, on April 23.
The Bruins (5-9, 5-5 Trico), led by head coach William Gross, never seemed to get going against the Cougars (13-3, 10-0 Trico) in the first game, but turned things around in game 2 on the road.
“After a lopsided loss on Tuesday, I was very proud of how we fought back in Game 2, losing 3-2,” said Gross. “We have a young team and many of these underclassmen are getting priceless experience in important, pressure-filled Trico League games. We are starting to prove that we are able to play with anybody in our league and some of the best teams in the State. This baseball season is a grind, and for some of these younger players, it is the first time they are experiencing a season as busy as this one.”
In game one, Seton got off to a hot start and never cooled down. Freshman Ryder Graves went 1 for 2 at the plate, scoring the lone run for the Bruins.
In the second game, CHS kept things much closer in the one-run loss behind a solid group effort on the road. Junior Kellen Olson led the Bruins at the plate, going 2 for 3, while junior Brody Landgren went 1 for 4, scoring two runs, and freshman Sam Knott went 1 for 3. Olson also led the way on the mound, giving up seven hits and two runs in six innings pitched.
“At 5-5 in league play, we are still in the hunt for a District playoff berth, which would be the first since 2019 for our program,” said Gross. “We are very focused on improving each week and ensuring that we are playing our best baseball by the end of the year and hopefully into the postseason. Excited for what the next two weeks will bring for us.”
This week, CHS has three games, with two against La Center High School and one against Heritage High School. First, the Bruins face the Wildcats (13-3, 9-1 Trico) at 4 p.m. on April 28 at home, then they face the WIAA Class 3A Heritage Timberwolves (7-10-2) on April 29 at the Hillsboro Hops Ballpark in Hillsboro, OR. Columbia finishes the week at 4:30 p.m. on April 30 in La Center.
Commented