WASHOUGAL — By now, the Hockinson baseball team is used to riding the bus, sitting in visiting dugouts, and not tending to its home field after games.
That’s because the Hawks played all 18 games this season on the road. Hockinson’s field was rendered unplayable in March because of the spring’s record wet weather.
“It’s different,” junior Matt Henry said, “but it’s nice.”
As it turns out, no home games is no problem for the red-hot Hawks, because they keep winning no matter what field they play on.
Wednesday’s 6-5 victory over Washougal in a continued game from April 25 clinched at least a share of the 2A Greater St. Helens League title and earned top seed to the 2A district tournament.
Another opponent’s field — Clark College’s Kindsfather Field — is the site for the Hawks’ (13-5 overall, 9-3 league) first-round district game at Tuesday against Centralia.
Henry’s walk-off RBI single drove in Noah Stecher for the team’s second walk-off victory in 24 hours.
That’s now nine straight wins for Hockinson after a five-game losing skid in March. Henry credits the team playing for each other over individualism as a big difference.
“It’s been crazy,” said Henry, who went 3-for-3 with a run scored along with the game-winning RBI. “Everyone is coming together, whether it’s sacrificing for a bunt, a pop fly or moving a guy over.
“Everyone is doing their job … and playing for the team in order to be successful.”
Even a league title — the program’s first since head coach Shaniko Ristau’s first season in 2014 — is something extra special, given the special circumstances Hockinson’s faced all season, he said.
Ristau said his team embraces the “Road Warriors” mentality.
“It seems like we play our best on the road,” he said.
And some of that was displayed Wednesday.
Just like Tuesday’s 4-2 nine-winning victory over R.A. Long, courtesy of Colton Wheeler’s walk-off home run, the dramatics continued scoring all its runs over the final two frames.
Washougal (6-7, 3-6) took a 5-3 lead in the fifth (the game resumed in the third with Hockinson’s lead at 3-1), but Hockinson tied it at 5-5 with a two-run sixth. They sent seven batters to the plate, getting RBI hits by Wheeler and Conner Newman.
Stecher’s one-out double set up Henry’s game-winner, his third single of the day.
Starting pitcher Niko Niehaus allowed five hits and struck out five, sitting down the Panthers in order the final two innings. Ryan Krout went 2-for-2 with two RBI, and Tyler Bowlin went 2-for-3 with an RBI to highlight the Panthers’ offense.
While Hockinson wrapped up its regular season, the Panthers are still in the playoff hunt with three games remaining. Washougal is one game behind fourth-place Columbia River (4-5), but technically 1 1/2 games behind fifth-place Mark Morris (5-7).
Washougal plays a doubleheader against River on Thursday.
