Game of the Week: Naselle rally runs short against Knappa
Published 3:46 pm Monday, April 14, 2025
In a moment of chaos in the sixth inning, a passed ball on a called strike three allowed Kayden Wirkkala (15) to steal home and advance Trajen Ford (6), drawing Naselle within one run with the tying run at first base.
Naselle second baseman Trajen Ford (6) snags a fly ball near the foul line in the fifth inning against Knappa. Looking on are teammates William Anderson (35) and first baseman Logan Quashnick (10).
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Kayden Wirkkala (15) walked and subsequently stole home on a passed ball, drawing the Comets within one run of Knappa.
The Naselle baseball team cheers after Kayden Wirkkala (15) scored in the sixth inning, drawing the Comets within one run.
Naselle senior shortstop Jack Strange (24) fires to first base for an out against Knappa. The Comets held the Loggers scoreless for four innings during its comeback attempt.
Eli Gardner (9) sprints to first base against Knappa.
Naselle senior Jack Strange (24) takes a lead off first against Knappa. Strange finished with one hit, one RBI and one run in the 6-5 loss.
Naselle youth players and coaches look on from the outfield fence during the varsity game against Knappa on April 9 in Naselle.
Naselle pitcher Leith Chadwick (16) threw three innings in relief, allowing three hits and no runs.
NASELLE — The Naselle baseball team traded Knappa punch-for-punch in an old-fashioned slugfest, taking the Loggers to the final out before succumbing 6-5 on Wednesday, April 9 in Naselle.
It was the third straight non-conference loss for Naselle (2-3), who also fell 3-2 to 1A Castle Rock (8-1) and 5-1 to 2B Ilwaco (5-0), dropping the 1B Comets to 2-3 overall on the season.
Loggers outlast Comets
Knappa (3-1) jumped on Naselle starting pitcher Trajen Ford (6), pushing three runs across the plate in the first inning to take an early lead.
Naselle answered immediately, however, beginning with a standup line-drive double to center field from senior Jack Strange (24). Strange promptly stole third base and then took home on a passed ball, cutting the deficit to two runs. An ensuing RBI single from Naselle senior William Anderson (35) drew the Comets within one heading into the second inning.
In the top of the second, Knappa blistered the Naselle defense for three more runs, extending the lead to 6-2. Naselle again answered in their next at-bat, with RBIs from Ford and Strange trimming the Loggers’s lead to 6-4, a score that would hold for several innings.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Kayden Wirkkala (15) walked and subsequently stole home on a passed ball, drawing the Comets within one run before the inning ended with the bases loaded. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Naselle again threatened with two runners on base before a strikeout ended the game.
Game notes: Naselle finished with six hits, led by Kingsten Quashnick (3) with two hits. Ford pitched four innings, allowing seven hits and six runs with two strikeouts. Leith Chadwick (16) threw three innings in relief, allowing three hits and no runs.
The Comets are currently ranked 13th in the WIAA state baseball rankings among 39 1B teams in the state. Naselle will officially begin league play on April 18, against Oakville.
Up next: Naselle (2-3) will travel to take on Ocosta on April 15, followed by an away game at Oakville on April 18.
