St. Helens sophomore pitcher Eme Curaming hurls a pitch during the Lions' state semifinal game against Pendleton. St. Helens defeated the Buckaroos to advance to this Saturday's 4A state championship game. (Ric Getter/Columbia County Spotlight)

Columbia and Washington counties will be well-represented in this weekend’s state softball and baseball championships, with St. Helens and Sherwood earning trips to the 4A and 6A title games, to go with No. 11-seeded Sunset which earned its second straight trip to the 6A title game where they’ll face No. 9-seeded Grant.

Below is a summary of local semifinal action from last night.

Baseball

6A

Sunset 5, McMinnville 1

The Apollos used a four-run fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie en route to a 5-1 win over McMinnville of the Pacific Conference and advance to title game against Grant scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, at Roto Rooter Park in Keizer.

Sunset used an error, two walks and three singles to plate their four runs in the fifth inning, the big hit coming from Cole Sauter who drove in two runs with a single to left field.

Sauter led the Apollos with two hits and two RBI in the game, while Gabe Coltman added two hits of his own.

In all, Sunset outhit McMinnville 8-2.

Kruz Schoolcraft started the game on the mound for the Apollos and went all seven innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs, while striking out six and walking one.

Grant 8, Jesuit 2

Jesuit took an early 2-0 lead, but couldn’t hold on to it as Grant used the long-ball to catch and ultimately pass the Crusaders on their way to an 8-2 win.

Grant’s Jinki Tomita pitched all seven innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits.

Jesuit got their two runs on a first-inning fielder’s choice, along with a third-inning Kainoa Santiago RBI-single. Grant, however, tied the game in the fourth inning on a Kaeden Cruse two-run home run, and blew things open an inning later when an Elliot Raiton RBI-single gave them a one run lead, and was followed by a second Kruse homer that scored Raiton and Brady McCarthy to make it 6-2.

Grant added two more runs in the seventh inning.

Cruse finished 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI, and was one of Grant’s three hitters at the top of their order that combined to go 7-for-10 with six RBI and seven runs scored.

The Crusaders were led by Santiago who finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.

4A

Pendleton/Nixyaawii 10, Scappoose 2

There will be no three-peat.

Scappoose’s endeavor for a third straight 4A state baseball championship ended on Tuesday night when the Indians fell to Pendleton/Nixyaawii 10-2, at Scappoose High School.

The visiting Buckaroos jumped all over Scappoose, scoring seven runs in the first two innings, then rode solid pitching from Evan Lehnert and later Colson Primus en route to a blowout win.

Lehnert allowed two earned runs on six hits in six innings of work.

Five Pendleton batters tallied two hits in the game, with Vance Nelson leading the way with three RBI.

The Buckaroos outhit the Indians 13-7.

Scappoose was led by Riley DuBois and Trever Olsen who had two hits apiece.

Will Kessi started the game on the mound for the Indians, but struggled, allowing seven runs in 1.1 innings before being spelled by Joe Fagan who allowed two earned runs over the game’s final 5.2 innings.

Pendleton/Nixyaawii

Softball

6A

Sherwood 7, Jesuit 0

Sherwood’s hot pitching run through the playoffs continued Tuesday night, as the Bowmen shut the Jesuit offense down to the tune of a 7-0 win at Jesuit High School.

Sherwood pitchers Destiny Cornwell and Presley Sarono-Ramos combined to hold the Crusaders to just four hits, while striking out eight and walking four.

Meanwhile, Bowmen hitters had little problem with Jesuit pitching, highlighted by a five-run fourth inning.

Sherwood got their first run on a Jordyn Henderson solo home run in the third inning, but dealt the Crusaders a lethal blow in the fourth when Maisy Schindler hit a grand slam to center field, plating Parker Ayers, Camryn Knight and Daisha Cornwell.

The Bowmen added a final run an inning later on a Sarono-Ramos solo home run.

Freshman Berklee Henning led Sherwood with two hits.

Olivia Hildreth had two hits for Jesuit.

No. 3-seeded Sherwood will face No. 4-seeded North Medford in the 6A state championship game at 3 p.m. on June 7, at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene.

4A

St. Helens 9, Pendleton 0

The St. Helens softball team has been ranked No. 1 for much of the 2025 season and they’ll have a chance to justify that ranking this Saturday in the 4A state title game, thanks to a runaway win over Pendleton on Tuesday night.

The Lions avenged a loss to the Buckaroos to end the regular season, and wasted little time doing so in their state semifinal, scoring eight of their nine runs in the game’s first three innings.

St. Helens was led by Madelyn Hancock, Addi Andrehsen and Maddy Lahey who had two hits apiece, while Lahey, Andrehsen and Halli Heys each tallied two RBI.

Heys’ two RBI came as the result of a sixth inning home run.

Lions pitcher Eme Curaming was again solid, going all seven innings and allowing seven hits while striking out five.

St. Helens roughed up Pendleton starting pitcher Kendall Murphy who allowed eight runs–five earned–in 2.2 innings of work.

The Lions will face league rival Astoria–who defeated La Grande 9-4 in their semifinal–in the 4A state championship game at 12 p.m. on June 7, at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene.

St. Helens and Astoria played three times this season, with the Lions winning two.