Changes to the blog

As stories come in following sporting events, an encapsulated version will now appear on the blog, while the full story will be featured in the next week's newspaper. This way you can still get the basic idea of how things went, scores, etc., but you'll have to check out the paper to get the full info. The first examples of this can be seen in the posts below. We'll call these "game blasts" for future reference.

This will not affect perhaps the most popular feature of the sports blog, which are the photo galleries from the games, which will still be added following game coverage (they are also linked in the printed paper).

Another thing we've started doing (we'll see how it goes) but we just started a Twitter account as a way to update people of what is going on with the blog. For example if you were a follower of the blog (www.twitter.com/cosports) you would have found out that we added a game blasts from the Ilwaco-Warrenton baseball game and from the Naselle baseball/softball match-ups with Pe Ell.

So hang in there as we continue to bring you the best coverage of local sports!

Naselle lose big on both diamonds

Pe Ell - The Naselle baseball and softball teams traveled to Pe Ell Monday and were handed blowout loses.

The Comet boys managed five hits and one run and PeEll scored 11 runs, only three of which were earned, in the third and fourth innings to down the Comets 11-1 in a non-league baseball game there Monday. Naselle’s Nate Sultemeier held the Trojans scoreless through the first two frames, but he allowed six runs, only one of which was earned in the troublesome third and fourth innings.

Meanwhile, without their top pitcher and facing last season’s number four team in the state, the Comet girls were swept by PeEll 16-0 and 18-1 in a non-league doubleheader. Starting pitcher Jackie Marasigan was out due to illness so Orianne Condon and Cassie Van Dusen saw their first action in the pitchers circle at the varsity level. The Comets managed only Shelby Leeland’s single in the first game that was shortened to four frames due to the mercy rule. In the second contest Condon led off with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Leeland’s second hit of the day to give the Comets a 1-0 advantage in the first inning.

The baseball team went to 2-1 on the season, while the girls fell to 0-3.

Read the full stories in the 4/8/09 Chinook Observer

IHS blasted in fifth, remain winless

WARRENTON – A seven-run fifth inning spelled doom for Ilwaco as they dropped a 12-1 decision to Warrenton there Monday in a non-league baseball game. The Fishermen had played the best game of their season for the first four innings in a scoreless tie. In the bottom of the sixth a walk, passed ball and single upped the score to 10-1 and then Warrenton catcher Tom McFadden slammed a walk-off, two-run home run over the left field fence to end the contest 12-1 under the mercy rule. Ilwaco is now 0-5 for the season and 0-3 in the Trico League.

Read the full story in the 4/8/09 Chinook Observer

NHS Thursday track meet moved

The Naselle home track meet scheduled for Thursday, April 2, has been canceled, and instead the team will take part in a meet at Warrenton High School. The Ilwaco team will also take part in this meet.

Photo Gallery - IHS blasted in 5th by Warrenton

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Photo Gallery - IHS holds first home meet of the season

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Chinooks snag 15-1 league win over Fishermen

LONG BEACH - The Trico League has a quirky baseball and softball schedule this season whereby two teams play each other three times within a week and then don't meet again the rest of the season. That's OK unless your first three games are against the defending state runner-up and defending District IV champion Kalama like Ilwaco drew.

Read the whole story HERE

Montesano edges Ilwaco in girls' golf, Rochester third

SURFSIDE - Ilwaco had four girls shoot 69 or lower in their opening match of the season, but they could not quite catch defending district champion Montesano at Surfside Tuesday, while Rochester finished a distant third place.

Read the full story HERE

Ulbricht, LaPlatney lead Ilwaco in season track debut

RAINIER, WASH. - Cameo Ulbricht won three ribbons and Evin LaPlatney was the highest boy finisher with a third place finish in the 17-team Rainier (Washington) Ice Breaker track meet there Saturday. Ulbricht was fifth in the 800, seventh in the 400 and eighth in the 100 meter runs as she earned all seven of the Lady Fishermen's points in the opening meet of the season.

Read the whole story HERE

Chinooks batter Fishermen 19-0, 16-1 in Trico double dip

KALAMA - The Chinooks wasted little time in establishing themselves as a state baseball power again this season as they battered a short-handed Ilwaco squad 19-0 and 16-1 in a pair of Trico League games in Kalama Wednesday. Both contests were shortened to four and one-half inning affairs due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Read the full story HERE

Photo Gallery - Comets win baseball opener

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

On the mound and at the plate, Sultemeier powers the Comets to first win

CATHLAMET - Nate Sultemeier was in mid-season form as the right-hander tossed a complete game two-hitter and struck out 13 Mules as Naselle defeated Wahkiakum 4-2 in the non-league lid-lifter for both squads in Cathlamet Wednesday. Sultemeier's two-run home run provided half the Comets offense, for good measure.

Read the full story HERE

Photo Gallery - Naselle team hits the track ... and the weight room

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Photo Gallery - IHS hits the diamond

Here's a couple pix from the Ilwaco baseball practice I checked out today.
-DKM

IHS winter sports athletes honored at annual banquet

ILWACO - The Ilwaco High School winter sports awards banquet was Tuesday and the following players won boys' basketball awards: Justin Short was most improved, Karl Oman was Mr. Basketball and Jack Whealdon received MVP honors. The girls' basketball awards went to Carley Kitzman for most improved, Kady Kirby as inspirational and Amy Banuet received the coach's award.

Wrestling award winners were Dylan Short, most improved, Terry Elliott most inspirational, Ikaika Thomas the captain's award and Rudy Alvarez was on the all-conference first team. Cheerleading awards went to Alexis Ferguson most spirited, Katie McDonnell most improved, Kelsey Madsen most dedicated and Liz Bonney for inspirational and best all around.

Photo Gallery - NHS baseball team hits the diamond as practices begin

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Photo Gallery - IHS track team hits the weight room in preparation for the new season

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Ilwaco Fishermen eliminated from state tourney

YAKIMA — The Ilwaco Fishermen boys basketball team was eliminated from the state 1A tournament Thursday morning by losing their second game in two days. The Fishermen were knocked off by Columbia Burbank, 39-56, ending their season.

Read the full story HERE

Fishermen fall to top-ranked team in state tourney opener

YAKIMA — The Ilwaco Fishermen lost their opening round game of the state 1A basketball tournament Wednesday afternoon, falling 27-54 to top-ranked Vashon Island at the Yakima Sun Dome. The Fishermen now play a consolation round game this morning, 10:30 am against Columbia Burbank (who lost a close game 56-61 to Lake Roosevelt). If the Fishermen win they will play 11 am Friday for a chance to play in the fifth place game 10 am Saturday. If the Fishermen lose the game this morning they will be eliminated from the tournament.

Read the whole story HERE