Kelso baseball advances to district title game, secures state berth
Kelso baseball beat Prairie 3-0 on Wednesday in the District 4 3A Baseball Tournament semifinals at Rister Stadium in Kelso. With the victory, the Scots advanced to the district championship game and secured a state berth after missing out on the tournament last season.
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"It was definitely a goal for all of us," Kelso senior Blake Larwick said about getting back to the state tournament. "We returned a lot of guys, so the whole season we were just focused on getting there because we felt we should have been there last year."
Larwick played hero on Wednesday. In the bottom of the third inning with two outs and the game tied 0-0, he smashed a 3-run home run to put Kelso on top for good following singles from Sosefa Logotaeao and Westyn Bell.
Kelso baseball: Larwick celebration
Kelso's Blake Larwick, second from the left, celebrates with his teammates following his 3-run home run during a baseball game against Prairie in the District 4 3A Baseball Tournament semifinals on Wednesday, May 13, at Rister Stadium in Kelso. Larwick's home run lifted Kelso to a 3-0 victory, helping the Scots advance to the district title game and secure a state berth.
It was Larwick's second home run of the season after hitting a grand slam against Evergreen in April.
"I had one earlier in the season against Evergreen in a game that didn't mean as much, so to do it now, it just feels amazing," he said.
Bryce Collins pitched for the entire game, striking out 14 batters while giving up just three hits and walking none. The University of Mississippi signee generated three strikeouts each in the first, third, and fifth innings.
"The guy's lethal," Kelso coach Tyler Parsons said. "Obviously, he's thrown harder as the year's have gone on, but he has been great for us since he was a freshman."
Even with an MLB scout watching him, Collins wasn't fazed.
"It's just another game," he said. "Just gotta go out there and compete."
Kelso baseball: Bryce Collins
Kelso's Bryce Collins throws a pitch during a baseball game against Prairie in the District 4 3A Baseball Tournament semifinals on Wednesday, May 13, at Rister Stadium in Kelso. Collins struck out 14 batters and only gave up three hits while pitching for all seven innings.
Adam Swanson hit a lead-off double in the bottom of the second inning. He advanced to third base, but didn't get a chance to come home.
Kelso (14-7) will face off against Mountain View in the district championship game at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in Vancouver after the TDN deadline. Afterwards, the Scots will turn their attention to the state tournament.
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"We got a good group this year, we really like each other, and the chemistry is just phenomenal," Collins said. "To continue winning with this group would be an absolute dream."
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