Prairie baseball downs defending champs

*Newsroom note: The print edition of the this story in the April 20 issue of The Reflector incorrectly referred to the Prairie baseball team as the Hawks. The correct name is the Prairie Falcons, which is reflected in this online version. The Reflector regrets the error.

With a new head coach and an upstart young roster featuring just three seniors, there is renewed optimism for Prairie baseball.

In a top of the seventh, come-from-behind 6-4 victory over defending 2B State Champs Centralia on Friday, the Falcons showed why they have reason to believe they can be competitive this season.

Trailing 4-2 going into the final frame against host Centralia, Prairie got doubles from Greg Bernash, Cory Bryan and Alec Gawley, the last of which drove in two runs to tie the game. Two batters later, the Falcons capitalized on a Centralia error to add another pair of runs and take the the lead for the first time since the top of the first, a lead that would hold through the bottom of the seventh.

“We just had a lot of fight, a lot of heart,” first-year coach coach Cory Niten said. “Everybody’s pulling for each other, and it was just really great to see, because often times in a baseball game when you get down, a lot of teams stay down. And we battled back and hung together and played as a team.”

Prairie won the game despite being outhit 11-5, a deficit that was 11-1 after four innings. The Falcons managed to stay in the game despite trailing in that category with plays like a second inning sacrifice fly from Bryan, which leveled the game at two.

The Falcons, now winners of three straight, including back-to-back wins over Fort Vancouver Tuesday and Wednesday, are now 6-5, with a 3-2 record in the 3A Greater St. Helens League. That record that puts them just behind Columbia River and Kelso, which both sit at 3-1. It’s a stark improvement over a year ago, when the squad was 7-14 and lost its first two games at districts to quickly exit the tournament.

But even more than the record, Niten believes the team’s improvement is reflected in the attitude of its players. 

“I’ve been around the program a little bit,” Niten said. “And this year we have a lot of young guys, but we have a lot more guys that want to get better. I’m not saying that last year’s team didn’t want to get better, it’s just that this group of guys and the mentality in our dugout now is completely different.”

Greg Bernash hit a homerun in the game’s first at-bat. Bernash, a junior who started at shortstop, replaced Michael Gradwohl at pitcher in the bottom of the seventh and successfully closed out the inning. Bernash has been an impact player all season, according to Niten.

“Greg Bernash is a big standout,” Niten said. “He’s a guy that gets up on the mound. He can play shortstop, and he plays outfield for us too. He’s got a lot of pop with the bat.”

Niten also singled out senior Chase Strain, who makes his presence felt with the team even when he isn’t on the field.

“He’s a very team guy. He’s team oriented,” Niten said. “He gave up his spikes today for a guy to get in that actually got us the game winning hit. He’s a very big part of what we do here. He understands that sometimes he’s not going to get in the game but he’s always up cheering, rooting guys on, picking guys up...I’m very, very lucky to have him.”

If Niten has high expectations for Prairie, which last qualified for the state tournament in 2007, he also places his role as coach in a context greater than the team’s on-field performance.

“One of our main goals here is we want to win our league,” Niten said. “We want to take it to the [Columbia] Rivers and the Kelsos. But primarily, one of my goals as a coach is to get these guys prepared for the next level, Niten said. “And hopefully preparing these guys for adulthood - life after baseball, as well.”