Scappoose infielders Quinton Olson, Joe Fagan, Dexter Olson and Max Nowlin watch Will Kessi warmup during their state playoff game against Stayton. Scappoose was eliminated in the state semifinals by eventual state champion Pendleton. (Wade Evanson/Columbia County Spotlight)

As it turns out, the third time wasn’t the charm for Scappoose.

The Indian baseball team lost 10-2 to Pendleton this past week in the state semifinals, and with it went their season and endeavor to win a third straight state championship.

But while they fell a little short of their ultimate goal, the juice was definitely worth the squeeze for a team and senior class that left a lasting legacy at Scappoose High School.

“It’s tough seeing our guys go out, especially the senior group, because they’ve accomplished so much, worked so hard, and you want to see them go out at the very top,” Scappoose head coach Cam Webb said. “They’ve set such a high standard and a high bar for themselves, and they have so much to be proud of.”

Hard to argue against that.

In addition to back-to-back state titles, that senior group consisting of Caiden Daley, Tony Noble, Kadyn Nollette, Joe Fagan, Brandon Neilson, Quinton Olson, Max Nowlin and Riley DuBois won three Cowapa League championships, going 36-0 in the process. But while the results speak volumes, Webb said as impressive as those results have been, the work the group put in to get those results might be equally admirable.

“When we started the season we sat down with the guys and asked them about goals, and obviously they had outcome goals,” the coach said. “But all worked back to process goals and specified that a successful season was for them to put everything they had into it. And those guys definitely did that.”

The game with Pendleton was nearly over before it really got started, with the Buckaroos scoring four runs in the first inning and three more runs in the second.

Scappoose got a run of their own in the first inning on an DuBois RBI-single, and plated another in the third.

But Pendleton got three more runs an inning later, and with their starting pitcher, Evan Lehnert, dealing, the game wasn’t over, but in a way it was.

Webb was quick to point to the Buckaroos and their play as the reason for the defeat, but also cited a series of breaks that had they gone differently, maybe the outcome would have as well.

“I think Pendleton outplayed us and earned every bit of it, and were in the end a deserving state champion,” Webb said. “But we had guys on base in six of the seven innings and had some hard hit balls that went right at guys, so the ball didn’t necessarily go our way.”

Which made the loss a tough pill to swallow. But while difficult in the wake of such a disappointing defeat, Webb thought his players understood that while they may have lost on this night, they were certainly in now way losers.

“They’re really smart kids and have good perspective, and I think they understand,” the coach said. “But it’s a super competitive group, so I told them the biggest disappointment for me was that the season is over and I don’t get that time with them anymore.

“I looked forward to practice with that group so much because they just bring it every day. It’s a special group, and I think they’re aware of the successes they’ve had.”

Now, with the season over and that senior group moving on, how does Webb feel about next season with a relatively new cast of characters?

“Our first summer game is this week and we’ll be playing against all the biggest Portland area schools and doing tournaments in Bend and Boise, and we’ve got a really motivated group of returning varsity players to go with JV and freshman players,” Webb said. “It’s going to be really fun getting into it with those guys, and I think our younger guys have had some great role models ahead of them from this senior group. So, I’m looking forward to them stepping up into some leadership roles too.”