The Ilwaco baseball team huddles before taking the field against Toledo last week. The Fishermen (10-3) are seeking a first-place finish in the 2B Pacific League.

LONG BEACH — For six innings it looked like the Ilwaco Fishermen baseball team would notch an impressive win over a cross-district counterpart.

Instead, Toledo (13-3) erased a four-run deficit to hand Ilwaco (10-3) a 7-6 non-league loss at home in a cross-district matchup Thursday, April 27 in Long Beach.

Despite the loss, Ilwaco remains unbeaten and atop the 2B Pacific League standings (5-0), just ahead of Forks (5-1) and Pe-Ell/Willapa Valley (4-1). Toledo (7-3), competing in the 2B Central, remained in third place in their respective league.

Riverhawks rally

In the bottom of the first inning, Boston Caron crushed a three-run blast over the 294-foot sign in left field, his sixth home run of the season, giving Ilwaco a 4-1 lead. Ilwaco continued to add to their lead in the third inning, with RBI singles by Derek Cutting and Dylan Pelasz.

The Fishermen were led offensively by freshman Pelasz, who finished with three hits, followed by Kyle Morris with two hits and Caron, who drove in a game-high three runs.

Toledo continued to chip away at the Ilwaco lead, scoring two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth on Ilwaco starting pitcher Kaemon Sawa, before adding two in the final frame to escape with a 7-6 victory.

Up next: Ilwaco (10-3) faced Forks (8-4) in a league-championship deciding doubleheader Tuesday, May 2 in Long Beach. Coverage will be included in next week’s Observer issue.