There was a lot on the line when the St. Helens softball team faced Astoria in their regular season finale on Monday night, and when the dust settled it was the Lions who were still standing following a 6-4 win on May 19, at St. Helens High School.

With the win, the Lions claimed the Cowapa League championship and likely cemented their standing atop the 4A state rankings heading towards next week’s state playoffs.

“I’m very proud of our girls,” St. Helens head coach Natasha Sharp said. “We lost a tough game on Friday, 1-0, and I knew the main thing we needed today was our bats, and our bats showed up. It was pretty awesome.”

St. Helens had a chance to sew up the league in their prior meeting with the Fishermen on May 16, but lost a nailbiter. Sharp said the loss was a tough pill to swallow for both her and her team, but was confident in her girls leading up to Monday’s game, and ultimately happy for them in the wake of their victory.

“I felt super defeated on Friday, but we knew coming into Sunday that we had to put in the work, and it feels amazing,” Sharp said. “I’m just really happy for my seniors that they get to end on that high note.”

Things didn’t start well for the Lions, however, for Astoria plated a run in the game’s first inning and appeared ready to tack on more with the bases loaded and just one out in the second. But St. Helens pitcher Eme Curaming had other thoughts and battled for the inning’s final two outs, getting back-to-back strikeouts to keep the deficit at just a run.

Sharp said she’s come to expect that type of fight from her sophomore pitcher, and senior first baseman Andrea Brooks agreed.

“She’s so tough and works so hard,” Brooks said. “When we’re in that situation, every time she gets out of it and it’s just so great. She’s so impressive. We all love her so much.”

The Lions used that momentum in the bottom of the third inning when they parlayed two walks, an error, and singles by Addison Andrehsen, Halli Heys, Jadyn Pense and Michaela Dueck to take a 5-1 lead.

Astoria cut the lead to 5-2 an inning later, but St. Helens made it 6-2 in their half of the fourth on an Addy Ellis sacrifice fly to center.

After two scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth stanzas, the Fishermen plated two runs in the seventh before Lyla Carlson ended the game with a ground out to short, handing the Lions the win, a league title, and some much needed momentum heading towards the postseason.

“Super excited,” Brooks said. “It’s really been a big improvement this season. This game was a really good opportunity for us, and really big confidence booster to finish out the season in a good way, and hopefully take this into the playoffs.”

St. Helens outhit Astoria 7-6 in the game, led by Andrehsen who tallied two knocks, while Heys recorded two RBI. Sharp said the offensive production was in many ways a product of heightened energy, something the team lacked three days prior.

“The message before the game was that we are number one, so play like it,” Sharp said. “We had zero energy last Friday, but I felt a shift today. Everyone was relaxed, having fun, and they got their spirit back, and that’s when we play our best.”

Yet, while that best has already produced a lot this season, Sharp hopes it’s just the beginning of a run that produces even more.

“It’s cool that we won league, but there’s so much more, and we want more,” Sharp said. “We’re hungry for more. League is cool, but a state championship would be the cherry on top.”

And Brooks agreed.

“We’re trying for more,” Brooks said. “Our big goal is state, so this is just one step along the road.”

St. Helens will open the playoffs with a home game against a yet to be determined opponent on Tuesday, May 27.