PREP SOFTBALL
Elma 5, Ocosta 0
Quin Mikel gave Ocosta fits at the plate as she helped Elma cruise past the Wildcats 5-0 in Westport on Monday.
Mikel struck out six batters while only surrendering two hits to help Elma (4-0 overall) stay perfect on the season.
The game was relatively low-scoring, but Mikel was not without early run support as Destry Dineen drove in Molly Johnston in the second inning for the first run of the game.
Dineen later came around to score on a single from Olivia Cain in the inning to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead by the end of the second inning.
Mikel said that getting a two-run cushion helped her settle in and keep focused on the game plan.
“I just wanted to keep it low and to make sure it’s not a strike if I throw junk. If it is a strike, I still had to keep it low,” she said. “The early outs helped me find my groove and helped me make sure I stayed focused.”
Elma’s Quin Mikel delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against Ocosta on Monday. Mikel pitched a complete-game shutout in Elma’s 5-0 win over the Wildcats. (Hasani Grayson | Grays Harbor News Group)
Ocosta couldn’t quite get its offense going and only got a runner in scoring position once when Mekenna Fletcher advanced to third after hitting a single in the fourth inning.
Elma head coach Roger Elliot said he was pleased with his team’s plate approach.
“We got some key hits. We got a nice bunt from Olivia that sparked us and a pop fly that Kassedy was able to tag up on,” he said. “Ocosta is a good team, so we’re happy to put five runs on them.”
Errors were also an issue for the Wildcats as they worked through some early-season glitches on defense, committing four errors in the game.
Elma’s Kassedy Olson reached base on throwing errors in the third and fifth innings and came around to score in both instances.
Ocosta head coach Jason Barnum said mistakes like this are expected in the first game of the season after rainy conditions kept his team off the practice field.
“It was the first game of season and I figured we’d be a little rusty on defense,” he said. “You get to do a lot of hitting in the gym, but there’s not much else you can do on defense.”
Ocosta’s Mekenna Fletcher fields a ground ball and throws out Elma’s Kali Rambo in the third inning on Monday. (Hasani Grayson | Grays Harbor News Group)
On the other hand, Elma managed to play a clean game defensively to keep Ocosta from mounting a comeback.
“We had seven errors in one game Saturday and we only had 10 all year,” Elliot said. “Now we’ve had back-to-back clean games, so I’m very proud of them.”
Elma will try to keep to keep its perfect record intact when the Eagles head to Aberdeen to face the Bobcats at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Dineen will likely start that game as Elliot plans to alternate between her and Mikel this season.
Ocosta will jump right into league play with a doubleheader against North Beach at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Barnum wasn’t discouraged by the loss and said playing the 1A state-runner up to start the season will strengthen his team going forward.
“We’re right there with them. If you play a team like that three or four times a year it makes your team better,” he said.
Elma 021 020 0 — 5 5 0
Ocosta 000 000 0 — 02 4
Top Players: Elma — Cain (1-4, RBI) Johnston (2 R, 2B) Olson (2 R)
WP: Mikel (7 IP, 6 K, 0 R)
LP: Fletcher (7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER)
Rochester 3, Hoquiam 0
Hoquiam was snake-bitten by errors and miscues in the field in a 3-0 road loss to Rochester on Monday.
The Grizzlies (1-1) got an inspired pitching performance from Tauni Hilliard, who was saddled with a loss despite not surrendering an earned run.
Rochester (3-1) didn’t have an RBI in the game and took advantage of Hoquiam’s six errors, scoring in the first, fourth and sixth innings.
Hoquiam had runners in scoring position twice in the game, including the fifth inning, where the Grizzlies had runners on second and third with no outs.
Hoquiam head coach Keith Reynvaan said his team will need to play a more complete game to take advantage of strong pitching performances like Hilliard’s.
“Tauni pitched her tail off today she did a great job for us. She definitely deserved better,” he said. “The good teams have good pitching, good hitting and timely hitting and we had one of the three today.”
Hoquiam will head to Aberdeen for the next installment of the Myrtle Street Rivalry at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Rochester 100 101 x – 3 2 0
Hoquiam 000 000 000 — 0 6 6
WP: Delaney Glazer (7 IP, 11 K)
LP: Hilliard (7 IP, 3 K, BB)
Montesano 6, Tumwater 3
Montesano used some key base hits and a solid pitching performance from Lindsay Pace to defeat Tumwater 6-3 on Monday in Tumwater.
Monte (1-1) took an early 2-0 lead when senior outfielder Matti Ekerson scored on junior Emma Jensen’s fielder’s choice groundout in the first inning.
The Bulldogs doubled the lead two batters later, when senior Katie Granstrom came around to score on a Jessica Stanfield base hit.
But Tumwater (3-2) responded to tie the game at 2-2 on Lydia Glasco’s two-run single in the bottom of the first inning.
But Pace settled in to retire nine out of the next 10 Thunderbirds batters, allowing only a leadoff walk to Ashley May in the second inning.
Monte got the first of several key base hits in the fourth inning, when Ekerson belted a run-scoring, two-out double to left to give the Bulldogs the lead again at 3-2.
Two more two-out hits would provide Monte some insurance runs in the fifth inning when juniors Kate Klinger and Payton Kersker drove in runs with back-to-back singles, giving Monte a 5-2 lead.
After Tumwater scored a lone run of Pace in the sixth, Kersker struck again, scoring Stanfield with a base hit to right field.
Pace pitched around a leadoff single in the seventh to secure Monte’s first victory of the season.
Pace finished the game with 10 strikeouts, allowing three earned runs on five hits in a complete-game performance.
Savannah Owen took the loss for Tumwater, allowing six earned runs on nine hits and five walks in seven innings pitched.
Six different Bulldogs recorded at least one hit in the ballgame, led by Pace, Ekerson and Kersker with two apiece.
Montesano 200 120 1 — 6 9 0
Tumwater 200 001 0 — 3 5 2
WP — Pace (7 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 10 K, 6 BB); LP — Owen (7 IP, 6 ER, 9 H, 2 K, 5 BB)
Top Players: Montesano — Ekerson (2-4, 2B, R, RBI); Kersker (2-1, 2 RBI); Pace (2-5, 2B, 3B); Klinger (1-3, R, RBI)
PREP BASEBALL
Napavine 5, Elma 4
Elma fell victim to a late-inning rally as Napavine snatched victory away from the Eagles and handed them a 5-4 loss on Monday in Elma.
A clutch pinch hit from Napavine’s Jacob Crips and an error helped the Tigers (1-2, 0-1 Central 2B) put together the late-game rally that ultimately decided the contest.
Elma (2-3 overall) showed some fight in the bottom of the seventh down 5-2. Brody Rustemeyer came up with an RBI ground out that allowed Brady Shriver to score, which was followed by an RBI single from Carter Jacobson.
However, the come back would fall short as a AJ Whipple grounded out and left Justin Elliot stranded on second to end the game.
Elma will be back on the field for another home game at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday against Klahowya.
Napavine 000 010 4 – 5 7 2
Elma 002 000 2 – 4 6 6
Top Players: Elma –Tysen Richardson (2-4, RBI), Carter Jacobson (2 H, BB, RBI) ; Napavine – Crisp (2 RBI)
Montesano 7, Mark Morris 4
Montesano scored five runs in the second inning en route to a 7-4 victory over Mark Morris on Monday at Mark Morris High School.
Monte’s five-run second was highlighted by an Aaron Lano double that drove in Carter Olsen and Trace Ridgway to open the scoring.
Two batters later, Monte senior Teegan Zillyett strode to the plate with two outs and promptly smacked a three-run home run over the right-field fence to give the Bulldogs an early 5-0 lead.
With Monte (5-0) up 5-2 in the top of the fifth, Evan Bates blasted a solo home run to right field, giving Monte a 6-2 lead.
Lano scored on a passed ball an inning later to give Monte a 7-2 advantage.
Ben Wills picked up the win for Monte, allowing one earned run on seven hits while striking out eight Mark Morris batters in five innings pitched.
Lano tossed 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing two earned runs on four hits.
“We struck out a few more times than I would like to see and our defense still needs to be a little cleaner,” Monte head coach Mike Osgood said after his team struck out nine times and committed two errors. “But it was another good team win with everyone chipping in.”
Montesano 050 011 0 — 7 5 2
Mark Morris 002 00 2 — 4 12 0
WP — Wills (5 IP, ER, 7 H, 8 K, 2 BB); LP — n/a
Top Players: Montesano — Zillyett (2-4, 3R-HR, R, 3 RBI); Bates (1-4, HR, R, RBI); Lano (1-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI); Parker Plato (1-3)
Other Scores
Aberdeen 8, North Mason 2
South Bend 23, Mary M. Knight 8
