NAPAVINE — Ever since the Adna High School baseball team suffered loss No. 2 in the spring, the plate approaches have been on the rise. Putting up 41 runs in the last three regular season games isn’t too shabby, either.
And even with only plating six runs in the Class 2B District 4 quarterfinal versus Forks, Pirates head coach Jake Overbay still left their home field happy.
So, naturally, the quality at-bats would continue into Tuesday afternoon, right?
Oh contraire mon frère.
“They were trying to do too much and we weren't sitting back on his breaking ball,” Overbay stated. “Their approach was very bad.”
It took one inning for the Co-C2BL regular season champs to get back to their winning ways.
Eight runs in the top of the fifth proved to be the meaningful difference in Adna’s platter of revenge that was served to Ilwaco by way of a 9-1 district semifinal triumph in Napavine. It’s the third straight postseason Adna will play for a district title.
It suffered a multi-run loss to Toutle Lake in 2024 and were pushed overboard by the Fishermen last season in extras. The Pirates (20-2) haven’t left with the trophy since 2017, having lost their previous four championship game appearances.
For senior Cameron Nakano, he’s only thinking about the end goal that’s eluded Adna in his time as a prep.
“It feels really good to be back, I just hope we can take one this year,” Nakano said.
The southpaw faced Ilwaco in the regular season meeting and finished with eight strikeouts to just four walks back on April 20. There was little to no debate on who would get the ball on the mound.
Nakano set down the Fishermen with relative ease the first two frames, but worked himself out of trouble in the third and fourth, both featuring two runners on base while holding a 1-0 lead. He got out of both jams.
“I’ve started to hit that point where if they start to get going, I have to put my head down and just go,” Nakano said. “I stopped trying to blow it by them, just focus on letting my defense work.”
All the necessary offense happened in the fifth.
Barron Luond, Jacob Bright, Aiden Percival and Naillon Ramirez all recorded RBI singles in the frame and on a couple of those knocks to the outfield, Ilwaco couldn’t field it and the ball rolled to the outfield wall.
A total of 12 Pirates batters came to the plate and seven of the eight runs came with two outs.
“What a two-out rally,” Overbay said. “When the game gets rolling in your favor, it is the Baseball Gods.”
“A lot of it was momentum; we all tried to have those big hits,” Nakano said of the slow start. “We were swinging out of our shoes.”
Nakano continued to deal, using his fastball and curveball all game to keep the Fishermen at bay. He finished with seven strikeouts and gave way to Brody Richards for the final two, where he notched 10 strikeouts.
Only Jack Pennington and Nakano only recorded multiple hits for the Pirates, who opened the scoring in the third on a balk by Ilwaco starter Corbin Johnson. Beau Miller scored twice and Talan Guerrero roped a double, their only extra base hit.
Though Adna couldn’t get the exact same round revenge on the Fishermen, Overbay admitted the payback was still just as sweet.
“More of a sigh of relief, actually,” he said.
Now, the Pirates have the opportunity to get back one of their two losses this season. Napavine put up a three-spot in the fourth during the second regular season meeting and ended up winning 4-1.
Adna finished with six errors and six hits. It understands what needs to happen on Saturday to get the piece of local hardware for the first time in nine years.
“We need to take it a little more seriously and we shouldn’t have three opportunities (wasted),” Overbay said. “We’re excited for Saturday.”
