The players discuss ‘The Slide’ and capturing the state championship

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

It has been five days since Columbia River won the Class 2A state baseball championship.

That’s five days to reminisce about the 3-2 victory over Enumclaw, giving Columbia River its first baseball state title in 35 years.

That’s five days to recall the pitching gem thrown by junior Noah Coakes.

Five days for the 14 seniors — yes 14 seniors on the squad — to reflect on ending their high school careers on top.

And, of course, five days to wonder, seriously wonder, just how Charlie Palmersheim managed to avoid the tag to score the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning. 

Just call it The Slide.

Palmersheim talks about it as if it was just any other baseball play.

“I saw the ball get there ahead of me, but I was just in a better position than the catcher was. I made the slide. I just snuck past him,” Palmersheim said this week when Clark County Today visited Columbia River High School to have a chat with some of the champions.

Oh, is that all? 

No. 

Allow teammate Zayne Boyes to describe it. He had a great view because he is the one who got the single to right field, allowing Palmersheim to try to score from second base.

“I’m sprinting to first as fast as I can, even though I’m super slow,” Boyes said. “I turn around, and I see Charlie’s flying around third base.”

Boyes picked up the flight of the ball from right field to home. Uh oh. Boyes figured that ball was going to be in time to get Palmersheim out.

“I don’t even know,” Boyes said. “Charlie had some Superman slide, around the catcher. I don’t know how.”

Those who saw it, live in person or on the WIAA’s broadcast stream, saw the ball in the catcher’s mitt, in plenty of time to get Palmersheim.

In what seemed like a nanosecond, Palmersheim, while not wearing a cape, still used some superpower to avoid the tag and was able to get his hand on home plate.

“I had a great view,” Columbia River senior Zach Ziebell said. “I could clearly see that he was safe. It was amazing, after how much the ball beat him by, that he was able to be safe.”

Chris Parkin, another senior, was on the bases.

“I saw our crowd erupt a little bit,” he said. “It’s definitely a memory that will last a long time.”

Palmersheim got to the dugout, and the Rapids were there to greet him.

“It was hard to breathe. I couldn’t find much oxygen,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do.”

But he and his teammates did know what they had to do that Saturday evening. Because the run only gave River a 3-2 lead. It was not a walk-off play. The Rapids still had to play defense in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“We were all freaking out,” catcher Cole Backlund said. “(Assistant) Coach (Scott) Hunter came up to us with some tears in his eyes. He told us to close it out, and that’s what we did.”

Enumclaw had scored its two runs in the first inning, so Coakes had not pitched with a lead until then. 

“It was pretty crazy. I was telling Dono I was getting tired. He still sent me back out there,” Coakes said.

Head coach Stephen Donohue said he knew Coakes had it in him to finish the game.

“I just had to keep my nerves the same and get three more outs,” Coakes said.

Sure enough, it was an easy, 1-2-3 inning, setting off a celebration that was 35 years in the making for Columbia River baseball fans.

The Slide will go down in Columbia River history as one of the greatest plays in program history.

But the legend of the play started with Boyes in the batter’s box. Just prior to the pitch, Boyes said he asked the umpire for time. A timeout was not granted. Boyes made contact with the pitch, getting a single to drive in the go-ahead run in a state championship.

That has to be the best non-call of Columbia River’s season, too.

This week at school has been fun. 

Coakes returned to campus after the holiday on Tuesday.

“The first guy who met me at the door was Alex Otoupal (the school principal),” Coakes said. “He shook my hand and he said, ‘Congrats, big dawg.’” 

Most of the River baseball players, all those seniors, came back to school on Wednesday.

Palmersheim said he watched and rewatched the game for much of the day, with teachers and classmates.

Backlund joked that he might have just peaked.

“It’s a big confidence booster, walking around school knowing you’re a state champion,” Backlund said. 

Two years ago, the Columbia River team was on the other side of the scoreboard in the state championship game. Then last year, the Rapids did not even make it to the state playoffs.

“To finish it off this year makes me feel proud,” Parkin said. “To not only leave a personal legacy but a team legacy. To play with these guys and get it done was unbelievable.”

“It’s a huge accomplishment,” Ziebell said. “We persevered and were able to win it.”

“I just really felt like it was kind of like that perfect ending for us,” Palmersheim said. “And when I think about how long it’s been since they’ve had a championship for baseball here … I don’t think it’s really (sunk) in just how many teams have gone that far and not done what we got done.”

Coakes said he is thrilled he was able to help send the 14 seniors off with a state championship.

“I’ve learned a lot from these older guys about family and how to be a leader,” Coakes said. “That’s what I’m going to try to do next year, be a leader and help the younger kids.”

For the 14 seniors, it is time to say goodbye to Columbia River baseball. Well, maybe goodbye to their playing days. Columbia River baseball is a lifetime membership.

“River baseball has been a true family,” Parkin said. “Even my freshman year, having seniors who built me up and didn’t tear me down. My four years have been a great experience.”

“A lot of us have been playing together since Little League,” Ziebell said. “It’s really cool we got to win a state championship in high school together.”

This team won it for themselves, and for those who played before them.

“Everybody’s a family in this program,” Backlund said. “Even the dudes from two years ago, the seniors who graduated two years ago, they texted us, ‘Good luck.’ That means a lot, having that brotherhood.”

That Columbia River baseball family has been celebrating for five days now, sliding into the school’s history books.