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THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, ApRIl 30, 2022
SPORTS
Knappa tops St. Paul
in first place showdown
The only team with a chance to catch
Knappa in the Northwest League baseball
standings was brought back to reality Tues-
day afternoon.
The No. 7-ranked, previously unbeaten
St. Paul Buckaroos (now 14-1) saw Knappa
for the first time this season, and the Loggers
brought down the Bucks with ease, 9-0 in a
single game at Tapiola Park.
Knappa is now atop the league stand-
ings at 13-0, 14-3 overall. The Loggers also
extended their league winning streak to 61,
although St. Paul is the first team to hold
Knappa under 10 runs since April 8.
The Loggers only had five hits and struck
out 10 times, but took advantage of seven
walks and three St. Paul errors.
Knappa scored four runs in the third
inning on three walks, a hit batter and one
hit, and tacked on five in the sixth on four
hits, including a two-run double by Drew
Miller.
Logger pitchers Nick Rusinovich, Jaxon
Dietrichs and Miller scattered four hits with
11 strikeouts and one walk.
St. Paul (11-1) will have two more shots
at the Loggers, as the Buckaroos were set to
host Knappa for a doubleheader Friday.
Neah-Kah-Nie is third at 10-1. The bot-
tom four teams in the league (Portland
Christian, Nestucca, Gaston and Vernonia)
are a combined 2-34 in league play.
Knappa 16, Nestucca 6
The “Millers” of Knappa built an early
9-2 run, on their way to another easy North-
west League baseball win Monday, a 16-6
decision at Nestucca.
Knappa’s Mark Miller, Jude Miller and
Drew Miller had a combined 10 hits, scored
nine runs and drove in another nine, as part
of a 17-hit attack.
Knappa also drew eight walks and four
hit batters, while Logger pitchers Jaxon
Dietrichs, Treven Moreland and Logan Mor-
rill scattered seven hits with four strikeouts
and four walks.
Tillamook 10, Astoria 0
Tillamook pitcher Parker McKibbin
tossed a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts
and no walks, and the Cheesemakers pulled
away for a 10-0 Cowapa League baseball
win, Tuesday at Tillamook.
The Cheesemakers led just 1-0 through
three innings, but scored three runs each in
the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Astoria softball sweeps Tillamook
Tillamook traveled north for a Cowapa
League softball doubleheader Tuesday at
CMH Field, where Astoria scored two wins
PREP SPORTS SCHEDULE
MONDAY
over the Lady Mooks, 9-3 and 7-6.
Astoria’s Shelby Bruney belted a home
run and pitcher Maddie Wilkin allowed four
hits in the opener, with eight strikeouts and
two walks.
Mercedes Walter was 3-for-4 with a
double.
In Game 2, Astoria avoided a major upset
by rallying from a 6-1 deficit, scoring two
runs each in the fifth and sixth to send the
game to extra innings.
In the bottom of the eighth, Walter reached
on a dropped ball-third strike, Tenley Mat-
teucci was walked intentionally, and Wilkin
followed with a run-scoring, walkoff single.
Avery Biederman and Matteucci each had
a triple.
Valley Catholic 12, Seaside 4
Valley Catholic’s MaryLou Lux was
4-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, as
she led the Valiants to a 12-4 win over vis-
iting Seaside in a Cowapa League softball
game Monday.
Valley Catholic also had five doubles on
the day.
Warrenton 9, Ilwaco 5
The Warrenton softball team took a
break from league play with a trip across
the boarder Monday, and posted a 9-5 win
at Ilwaco.
Emma Smith had two doubles, scored
twice and drove in two runs for Warrenton,
which scored in six of the seven innings.
Knappa 9, Nestucca 6
Knappa bounced back from a loss to
Perrydale the day before with a 9-6 win at
Nestucca, in Northwest League softball
action Tuesday.
Perrydale 12, Knappa 10
Perrydale rapped out 14 hits in a 12-10
win over visiting Knappa Monday.
The Pirates’ Jenna Tompkins had a single,
double and a home run, and drove in four
runs.
Rainier, Warrenton
softball split games
Rainier and Warrenton split a pair of
Coastal Range League softball games last
Friday on the Warriors’ home field.
Warrenton won the opener, 14-3, before
the Columbians bounced back with an 8-2
victory in Game 2.
The Lady Warriors jumped all over Rain-
ier early in Game 1, building a 5-0 lead
through two innings, then tacking on eight in
the fourth.
Warrenton had six extra-base hits, includ-
ing a triple by Avyree Miethe, while Lena
Wakefield and Kaylie Poe had three hits
apiece. Emma Smith and Jasmin Horton
each drove in three runs.
London O’Brien was the winning pitcher,
allowing four hits with three strikeouts and
two walks.
Rainier had the big inning in the second
game, scoring six in the second inning to
take command. Miley Cook threw a com-
plete game for the Columbians, allowing
seven hits.
Astoria softball
closes in on league title
With a little help from Seaside’s win over
Valley Catholic, the Astoria softball team
took another step toward locking up the Cow-
apa League championship with another win
over Banks, 7-6, Thursday at CMH Field.
Unbeaten in league play, fourth-ranked
Astoria improves to 7-0 in the Cowapa, with
the Valiants (4-2) a distant second. Banks
falls to 0-6 in league.
Maddie Wilkin pitched a complete game
for Astoria, allowing seven hits with 13
strikeouts and three walks. Shelby Bruney
was 2-for-3 with a triple, with Fionna Duryea
and Wilkin each adding a double.
The game was tied 5-5 after four innings,
before the Lady Fish scored two in the fifth.
Gulls 9, Valiants 6
Seaside sophomore Jazel Garcia belted a
walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the sev-
enth inning Thursday, helping the Gulls to a
9-6 win over Valley Catholic.
Banks wins
Seaside girls golf invite
Banks compiled 167 team points to win
the Seaside Invitational girls golf tourna-
ment, held Monday at the Gearhart Golf
Links.
In a modified Stableford scoring format,
medalist Jocelyn Janecek had 55 points to
pace the Braves, just ahead of Valley Catho-
lic’s Challin Kim (54). The Valiants finished
second in team scoring with 153 points, fol-
lowed by Astoria (127) and Seaside (104),
with Warrenton incomplete.
Astoria’s Ava Davis shot a personal best
in stroke play (98) for 45 points to lead the
Lady Fishermen, with Caleigh Peterson
(38), Lily Reed and Mia Rochon (22 points
apiece), Katie Jo Strimple-Fields (21) and
Marlee Both (19) rounding out the scores.
Kaylee Snyder had 31 points as Seaside’s
top scorer, followed by Alyssa Bergman (27)
and Holly Fergus (26).
Seaside boys take part
in state golf preview
Defending 3A state champion Oregon
Episcopal won a boys golf state preview
match, held Wednesday at Quail Valley Golf
Baseball — Banks at Astoria, 5 p.m.; Valley Catholic at
Seaside, 5 p.m.
TUESDAY
Softball — Astoria at Banks, 5 p.m.; Seaside at Valley
Catholic, 5 p.m.; Knappa at Vernonia, 4:30 p.m.
Track — 3A District meet, at Warrenton, TBA
Course.
The Aardvarks posted a four-over par
team score of 292, ahead of Banks, the top
4A school with a 323. Defending 4A cham-
pion Marist was third (326) followed by Val-
ley Catholic (329).
Individually, Aaron Brown of Banks tore
up his home course with a five-under par 67
to earn medalist honors. Alex Tseng of Ore-
gon Episcopal was a stroke back at 68, ahead
of his brother Ethan at 70.
Seaside was led by Carson Kawasoe’s 78,
for ninth place. Also scoring for the Gulls
were Carter Perrigo (105), Carson Bates
(114), Ever Sibony and Merrick Habecker
(each at 115) and Madden Wunderlich (111).
“Carson (Kawasoe) played much better
than his score showed,” said Seaside coach
Jim Poetsch. “He hit one in the water on
nine and missed a slick downhill putt on six
that led to doubles. Otherwise, he was pretty
solid.
“As far as the state tournament, it looks
like Banks, Valley and Marist will battle it
out,” he said. “And if Cowapa League his-
tory holds, Tillamook could be right in the
mix for a trophy.”
The Cowapa League championships take
place Monday at Astoria Golf & Country
Club.
Valiants win
Astoria girls golf invite
Some of the top individuals in Oregon 4A
girls golf are from the Cowapa League, so it
was a strong field for the annual Astoria Invi-
tational, held Thursday at the Astoria Golf &
Country Club.
Valley Catholic won the team title with
228 points under a modified Stableford scor-
ing format, paced by medalist and defending
state champion Challin Kim with 75 points.
With 61 points from Jocelyn Janecek,
Banks was second with 178, edging Astoria
(177), which had all five of its varsity golfers
scoring a season-best in points.
Caleigh Peterson led the way with 54,
followed by Ava Davis (46), Marlee Both
(41), Katie Jo Strimple-Fields (36) and Mia
Rochon (26).
Seaside, Tillamook, Warrenton and Catlin
Gabel all had incomplete teams scores. Com-
peting for the Gulls were Holly Fergus (49
points) and Alyssa Bergman (34).
Girls golf regionals are scheduled for next
Thursday and Friday at Quail Valley Golf
Course.
— The Astorian
Joseph
Burton Tarabochia
August 31, 1927 – April 10, 2022
FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS
J
oseph Burton Tarabochia was
born on August 31, 1927, and
passed on to the Lord on April
10, 2022, at the
age of 94. The
eldest child of
Joseph and Winifred
Tarabochia, “Junior”
grew up in the fishing
village of Brookfield,
Washington, with his
six siblings. During
the years of the Great
Depression, Joe and his
brothers learned the
family fishing trade.
At the early age of 14,
he had his own fishing boat on the
Columbia to help support his family.
Joe’s family moved from Brookfield
to Astoria in 1946, where they
continued to fish the Columbia
River. Joe lived in the fishermen’s
bunkhouses in Astoria, and in Woody
Island while fishing, and not until
much later did he purchase his own
family home. In 1947, Joseph met
his future wife, Joyce Martin, who
preceded him in death on January 7,
2003. Joseph and Joyce were married
on October 18, 1948, at St. Mary
Catholic Church where they were
lifelong members.
As devoted parents, Joe and
Joyce had nine children—Joseph,
Brenda (Weinshenk), Vince, Burt
(who preceded Joseph in death
on October 1, 2011), Mary Kaye
(Wikstrom), Michael, Mark, Christine
(Van Wagner), and Brian. Joe was
very proud of his children, and
they each brought him joy daily.
He loved nothing more than to be
with his kids. He shared many of
his passions with them, including
fishing, hunting, weather and
storm stories, sports
(with a special place
in his heart for the
Washington Huskies
and Seattle Mariners!)
coffee times, holidays,
celebrations, and the
sharing of meals.
Joseph continued to
show his strength for
his family, and his will
to live, up to the day
he died. After receiving
Holy Communion and
praying for Jesus’ strength, Joseph
gave himself to the Lord, passing
peacefully a few hours later.
Joe had 29 grandchildren and 37
great-grandchildren. He always
welcomed gatherings big
and small. He had many
friends, and his childrens’
friends were considered
his family too. Joe always
had a smile, a memory
or a story to share that
allowed people to know
him well. Quick to hold
your hand, he was never
a stranger to anyone, and
an easy man to love.
Joe was a very hard
worker who endured
quite a lot to be successful
in his career. He was well known to
fishermen, highly respected for his
knowledge and often sought after
for advice. Joe owned only a few
different boats through his lengthy
career, with some remaining in
the family today. For fishing the
Columbia, he bought his first boat,
the Seawolf and later purchased
the Polara, which is still in use on
the river. He also fished the waters
of Alaska, where he worked from
1952 until 2011 at the age of 84.
After fishing a company sailboat,
his personal boats in Alaska were
the Chris Kaye and the Tara Marie,
named after his girls, his wife, and his
iconic last name. He ended his fishing
career in Astoria at the age of 88.
The extended Tarabochia families
grew up together learning
the trade along the banks
of Woody Island, where
many memories were
made. Many continue to
fish these same waters as
Joe and his brothers did
long ago.
Joseph is survived
by his brother Mike
Tarabochia, sisters Joan
Hemeon and Judith
Palmer, as well as eight
of his children, 29
grandchildren, and 37
great-grandchildren. He is preceded
in death by his beloved wife, Joyce,
son Burton, sister Katherine Sagen,
and brothers John and Frank
Tarabochia.
Joe will be missed by all.
Psalms 121:8 The Lord will watch over you coming and going, both now and forevermore.