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Cowapa League Teams Advance in Softball The Cowapa League has been the power of the nineties in Girls softball. This year may even surpass the great showing of 1998 when Scappoose and St. Helens advanced to the state semi-finals. Scappoose, St. Helens and Banks advanced to the round of eight Friday in impressive style. The Scappoose Lady Indians showed why they are league champions when they dispatched the Stayton Lady Eagles 17-1 in five innings. The game was over before most fans had purchased the mandatory hot dog and a coke. Two time all starter Elise Burch led off for the Indians with a slap single to left field and Stayton pitcher Rachael Hiatt experienced control problems. Soon the bases were loaded. Cowapa league all star Lindsey Dunkel took care of that problem with a triple and the rout was on. The Indians crossed the plate seven time in the inning and then in the fourth they added ten more to close out the Eagles playoff season. Scappoose freshman pitcher Amy Wilson threw a 2 hitter to hold the Eagles in their lair and her effort was backed by error free play by the Scappoose Nine. Wilson is now 12-0 for the season with a 1.26 earned run average. The Stayton team got only two hits but one was a spectacular home run by Val King in the fourth inning. Home runs at Scappoose field are a rare occurrence and this was by far the hardest hit ball this writer has ever seen exiting the park. Offensively the Indians were led by Elise Burch who went four for four and Lindsey Dunkel's 7 RBI's. . . . . . .

The Banks Braves finished second in the Cowapa League but it didn't take long for them to dispatch the Skyline League Champion Henley Hornets in five innings at Klamath Falls. The Braves Scored six times in the first inning and added six more in the fifth to sandwich a lone third inning Hornet run. Both teams played error free ball but the Braves out hit the Hornets 16-4 and Emily Headrick ran her record to 16-2.

The third Cowapa league entry, the St.Helens Lions, faced a more daunting task as they made the eight hour cross state trip to face the number one ranked Ontario Tigers. The Lions fell behind by a run in the first inning but then pulled it together to tie the score in the second and take the lead in the fourth. That's how things ended with the Lions sending the Tigers to the showers on the short end of a 2-1 score. St. Helens sophomore Courtney Bushaw held the Tigers to four hits as she pushed her season record to 13-5.

All three teams advance to the round of eight but it's road trip time for all three. Scappoose travels to Tillamook to face their old rival. The Cheesemakers were never able to break into the Cowapa League elite and we see no reason for that to start this season. The Braves will face Tri-Valley League champion LaSalle in what should be a close game. The Lions will travel to Eugene to face the Sky-Em Champion Marist and don't count the Lions out yet. Our prediction: All three Cowapa League teams will advance and the three semi-finalists show will better last years great showing.

St. Helens Lions Advance in Baseball The St. Helens Lions are the last remaining Cowapa league team in the class 3a playoffs .On Friday, May 28, they met the Pleasant Hill Billies from the Sky-Em league. The lions powerful offense to the fore, as they sdcored in every inning but the second and tallied 10 runs. Senior Josh Goff led the Lion 13 hit attack with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs. Pitcher Justin Olsen logged his 8th win of the season as he held the Billie offense to 3 hits. The visiting Billies didn't help their cause as they committed 8 errors in the field. The Lions will next meet the LaSalle Falcons on Monday, May 31 at a time yet to be announced.