Last season, the Cowapa League proved to be among the best 4A divisions for softball.
With Scappoose and Astoria making the semifinals of the state tournament and St. Helens the quarterfinals, the coastal league boasted three of the eight best teams in the state.
With the Lions, Indians and Fishermen returning most of their players from last season, all three entered 2025 with high expectations.
St. Helens lost its top pitcher to graduation, and the team reloaded with a younger group while Scappoose and Astoria returned pitchers Saige Casey and Maddie Wilkin, who started on the mound in Thursday’s clash.
The game became a pitchers’ duel. Casey and Wilkin did not allow a runner to reach base through the first four innings. A double by Casey in the top of the fifth brought the first base runner for either side.
After Wilkin got out of the inning with no runs being scored, the two continued to battle until the seventh. Two home runs by the Indians in the top of the seventh finally broke the deadlock.
With a 2-0 lead, Casey was three outs away from not only a no-hitter, but also a perfect game, as she had retired the first 18 hitters.
But the Fishermen found a way to rally after leadoff hitter Kya Lindell got hit by a pitch. Hailey Svensen broke up the no-hitter with a double to left field to make the score 2-1. A passed ball saw Astoria tie the game at two and put a runner on third with less than two outs. But Casey pitched out of the jam.
Taryen Wray would replace Wilkin on the mound in the eighth inning. Wray pitched the eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th innings for Astoria before seeing Scappoose score a run without a hit.
Per the rules of baseball and softball, a courtesy runner is placed on second base starting in the top of the 10th inning. The Indians hit a sacrifice fly and then scored via a fielder’s choice to take a 3-2 lead.
Casey pitched through the Fishermen in the bottom of the 11th to complete her 143-pitch 14-strikeout game.
With the win, Scappoose moved to 3-1 in league play and Astoria fell to 2-1. The Fishermen have a game scheduled against undefeated St. Helens on Tuesday.

Warrenton softball swept by Banks
Warrenton softball lost a doubleheader to Banks on Thursday afternoon.
The Braves won the first game 5-3 and the second 14-3.
The Warriors fell behind 5-0 to start the first game, but battled back to make the score close behind a two-run double by Brooklynn Nichols. In total, the Warriors had seven hits and one error in the first game.
Game two got away from the Warriors quickly as Banks scored 10 runs in the top of the first. A 3-3 day from center fielder Sara Kornder and two RBIs for Lucy Smith were not enough to turn the game around.

Knappa softball demolishes Gaston
The Lady Loggers beat Gaston in all three games, winning by scores of 18-0, 16-1 and 15-3. After the three-game sweep Knappa had a record of 9-3 on the season, 3-0 in league play and ranked No. 11 in the 2A Oregon School Activities Association rankings.
Knappa was set to return to the diamond Tuesday at 3 p.m. for the start of a three-game series against Vernonia Jewell.