Kelso baseball falls just short of winning league title
VANCOUVER - Kelso baseball had the 3A Greater St. Helens League title within its grasp, just needing a win over Prairie.
But it wasn't meant to be.
The Hilanders fell to the Falcons 5-3 on Thursday at Prairie High School, coming up just short of securing the title. They finished in second place in the conference behind Mountain View.
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Before the game, the odds seemed in Kelso's favor.
The Scots and Thunder were tied at 8-3 in league play. If they both won or both lost on Thursday, they would have shared the conference championship, and the Hilanders would have earned the No. 1 seed in the district tournament since they hold a 2-1 lead in the season series over Mountain View.
The league title and No. 1 seed were just within reach.
But Kelso will have to settle for second. The Thunder beat Evergreen on Thursday to claim the league championship and the top seed.
"You obviously hate putting your fate in somebody else's hands," Kelso coach Tyler Parsons said. "We didn't do a great job at really trying to control our own destiny there."
Kelso baseball: Bryce Collins
Kelso's Bryce Collins, right, runs home during a baseball game against Prairie on Thursday, April 30, at Prairie High School. The Scots fell to the Falcons 5-3, missing out on many chances to score and coming up just short of winning the 3A Greater St. Helens League title.
Runners left on base
The Hilanders had their chances against Prairie, leaving runners on base multiple times, including twice with the bases loaded.
"Especially early in the game, for the first four innings, we just couldn't take the opportunity to scratch a couple runs through," Parsons said. "Just couldn't find that one hit to really get the job done for us."
The Scots took their only lead of the game in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Adam Swanson. In the second, they had the bases loaded with two outs, but couldn't bring anyone home.
The Falcons scored 4 runs to pull ahead in the bottom of the frame and added another in the third to go up 5-1. Kelso countered in the following inning with 2 runs as Carter Huntley grounded out, but batted in a run, and Bryce Collins scored on a Prairie error caused by contact from Blake Larwick.
Kelso baseball: Blake Larwick
Kelso's Blake Larwick hits the ball during a baseball game against Prairie on Thursday, April 30, at Prairie High School. Lariwck finished the game with two hits and also struck out four batters in three innings of work on the mound.
Trey Snow hit a lead-off double for Kelso in the top of the fifth, but he didn't make it to third base after three straight outs. The Scots had runners on first and second with two outs in the sixth, but they didn't advance any further.
In the seventh, Westyn Bell reached first base due to a Prairie error, Cole Bochart singled, and Brady Snaza walked to load up the bases. However, with two outs on the board, the next batter struck out for Kelso, ending the game.
Larwick took the loss for the Scots after giving up four hits and four earned runs while striking out four batters in three innings of work on the mound. Bell came in for three innings of relief action and gave away two hits and no earned runs while generating two strikeouts.
Kelso baseball: Westyn Bell
Kelso's Westyn Bell throws a pitch during a baseball game against Prairie on Thursday, April 30, at Prairie High School. Bell struck out two batters and only gave up two hits in three innings of relief action.
"I thought Blake Larwick and Westyn Bell did a good job battling without their best stuff today," Parsons said. "We just weren't able to help them too much offensively."
Kelso (12-7, 8-4) will get another shot at Prairie in the district tournament. The Scots will host the Falcons - the No. 3 seed - in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13. Before that, the Hilanders will welcome Peninsula to Rister Stadium for a nonleague game at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
"I feel confident with the arms we have rolling into the postseason," Parsons said. "We really just gotta put together some productive swings. We've got a chance to beat anybody. It's just a matter of those pieces fully getting put together."
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include the game time for the district semifinals and Kelso's next game.
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 4:26 AM.