SEASIDE – There are still five games left in league play, but Astoria’s drive for a sixth straight Cowapa League championship took a major step toward reality Tuesday night.

The Fishermen (10-0, with a 49-game win streak in league play) now own a two-game lead and the tie-breaker over Scappoose, and a four-game lead on Seaside, following Astoria’s 8-1 victory over the Gulls at Broadway Field.

With games coming up against Yamhill-Carlton and Tillamook (a combined 6-26 overall), Astoria coach Brian Babbitt knows it would take a major collapse on Astoria’s part to prevent the Fish from winning another Cowapa championship.

On top of that, he’s feeling pretty good about his team, as the Fishermen enter the stretch run.

“I feel good about the fact that these guys keep responding,” Babbitt said. “The day before was a little crazy (a 10-8 win over Banks in eight innings), but we just show up and play.

“We get three runs in the first inning today, we had good at-bats, and it didn’t hurt that (the Gulls) gave us a little help,” he said, referring to a few Seaside errors. “But when you’re hitting the ball, (the defense) is bound to make a mistake.”

Astoria’s Conor Harber – virtually untouchable on the mound through the first two rounds of league play – will get the start today against Scappoose (5 p.m. at Ernie Aiken Field).

Meanwhile, Astoria’s No. 2 pitcher, Jeramy Poyer, tossed the first seven-inning complete game of his varsity career in Tuesday’s victory.

Poyer allowed just three hits, with four walks and two strikeouts. Babbitt called it Poyer’s best outing at the varsity level.

“Absolutely. He gave up some base hits against Banks – just to four guys – and I knew Seaside was going to be able to swing the bats through the order, so I was real happy with his pitching,” Babbitt said.

“He was keeping it in play, and letting our defense get some work, which is real nice. And Jeramy got some (fielding) work. He looked real smooth and fielded some right-back-at-you’ balls. It was all good.”

Offensively, the Fishermen had all the runs they would need in their very first at-bat.

Jake Davis had a one-out single, took second when Marc Gallegos reached on an error and scored when Harber hit a single to left.

Moments later, Trygve Olson belted a line-drive double down the left-field line, scoring Gallegos and Harber for a 3-0 lead.

The Gulls scored their lone run in the second inning as Jon Perry had a leadoff single, stole second and scored on a base hit by James Benfield.

Poyer helped himself in the third inning when he beat out an infield hit with two outs, scoring Gallegos on the play.

The Fishermen tacked on four runs in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Davis and Harber’s two-run double.

Seaside pitchers Joel Slovak and Ben DeGandi gave up 12 hits, but struck out four with no walks. The Gulls (6-4) will try to rebound today at Yamhill-Carlton.