Prairie spoils Battle Ground’s senior day in 3-0 victory

Posted

The Prairie baseball team recently claimed the 3A Greater St. Helens League title for the first time in over 20 years.

Building momentum into districts, the team held its state Route 503 rivals Battle Ground scoreless in a 3-0 victory on Tuesday, May 2.

Brady Trombello, who has been throwing gems all year, added another for the Falcons with a three-hit, six-strikeout and one-walk outing in six innings. Battle Ground hitters could not catch up to Trombello’s fastball. Fifty-one of his 73 pitches were strikes. 

“Brady’s been awesome for us all year. He’s made adjustments when it mattered and he’s a good guy to have on the bump, great teammate and awesome to be around him,” Prairie head coach Tanner Bogart said.

Bogart’s Falcons had a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning and trusted Camden Hern to record the save in his first appearance on the mound. Hern completed the save, allowing three hits in one inning but only throwing 18 pitches with 11 of them being strikes.

“We believe in all of our teammates. It doesn’t matter who’s out there. We all believe in each other,” Bogart said. “Camden’s performed in practice, so 100 percent confidence in him going in and getting the save today.”

On senior day, the Tigers threw their ace Ty Linster, who will play for Yakima Valley College next year. Linster went six innings for the Tigers and allowed seven hits and three runs, with two of them being earned. He ended his final high school appearance with four strikeouts and two walks. He threw 95 pitches with 63 being strikes.



“Linster was a bulldog on the mound as he always is,” Battle Ground head coach Billy Hayes said.

The Tigers brought in Ethan Joner for the top half of the seventh inning. Joner pitched for two strikeouts on 12 pitches with nine being strikes.

Trombello helped himself on the mound after being able to score from third on an error by the Tigers in the top of the second. In the top of the fourth, Trombello struck again with a double off of a fly ball to right field. Brayden Petrowski later singled to center field, allowing runners to advance and load the bases. Linster gave up a run on a balk. During the same at bat against Prairie’s Jake Drogos, Drogos hit a fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly that scored Colby Majewski for the third and final run.

Prairie ended league play with a 10-2 record and hosted Gig Harbor for the first playoff game on Tuesday, May 9.

Battle Ground’s eight seniors finished their high school career with a win against Emerald Ridge where freshmen James Gill threw a complete game.

Battle Ground senior Ethan Valtierra will be moving on to Corban University, Linster to Yakima Valley College, Ethan Long to Clark College, Kevin Ferguson to the University of Hawaii and Trevin Long to Yakima Valley College. It has been announced that Ferguson will play for the Portland Pickles this summer in the West Coast League. Ferguson and the Pickles will play the Ridgefield Raptors at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex July 4 through July 6 in a three-game series.