Beating a good team four times in a season is never easy, especially when that fourth time is in a pressure-packed playoff game.

But that is exactly what the Montesano Bulldogs did Tuesday evening, using one big inning and a solid pitching performance to defeat Elma 4-2 in a 1A District 4 semifinal game at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.

Monte (20-2 overall) earned a trip to the district final and an invitation to the state playoffs largely due to the complete-game pitching effort of ace right-hander Cam Taylor and a four-run fourth inning.

With two outs and none on in the top of the fourth, outfielder Christian Olsen singled and came around to score one batter later on Jaxson Wilson’s triple, putting Monte up 1-0. Daylon Schroeder followed with a bloop single to cash in Wilson from third for a 2-0 lead.

The Monte rally continued when catcher Denali Harris was hit by an Andrew Sanders pitch. After Schroeder and Harris advanced to third and second, respectively, after a wild pitch, shortstop Bode Poler singled to drive in two runs and stake the Bulldogs to a 4-0 lead.

Elma (14-8) had its chances against Taylor, but was unable to score until it had one out remaining to play with.

The Eagles had two on with two out after a pair of walks in the bottom of the third, but Taylor got Gibson Cain to pop out to John Kling at first, ending the threat.

In the fifth, Elma loaded the bases with one out on a Blake Corr single, a walk and a single by first baseman Grant Vessey. But Taylor got Camus on an infield-fly-rule pop out followed by a Cain fielder’s choice ground out to Poler at short to retire the side, keeping Elma off the scoreboard.

The Eagles threatened again in the sixth when Eastin Wright and Sanders reached with singles. With runners on first and second with one out, Carter Studer hit a grounder to Poler, who stepped on second and fired to first to record an inning-ending double play.

RYAN SPARKS / THE DAILY WORLD Montesano shortstop Bode Poler (24) turns a double play during the Bulldogs’ 4-2 victory over Elma in a 1A District 4 semifinal game.

Elma spoiled Taylor’s shutout bid with two outs and TJ Dunlap on base with a single in the seventh. Camus hit a sinking liner down the right-filed line that Schroeder dove for but couldn’t come up with. Camus was off to the races, scoring Dunlap and reaching third before coming home on an errant throw by Kling.

RYAN SPARKS / THE DAILY WORLD Elma catcher Ethan Camus (22) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run in the seventh inning of a 4-2 loss to Montesano in a 1A District 4 playoff game on Tuesday in Hoquiam.

Taylor would finish what he started, getting Cain to ground out to Wilson at third to end the game.

“We had a little pressure because we already played them three times and beat them three times. That fourth one was going to be tough,” Taylor said. “They were on a winning streak, but we came out and matched with them.”

“Cam was just awesome tonight, he really was,” Monte head coach Mike Osgood said of his ace.

Taylor allowed two runs – one earned – on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts to pick up the win.

“The fielding was really helping,” Taylor said of his team’s defense. “They were catching everything and the grounders were going good and they were just eating them up.”

Sanders allowed four earned runs on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts in six innings of work. Cameron Green pitched a scoreless, hitless seventh for Elma, striking out one batter in the process.

“Drew threw a great game,” Coach Vessey said of his starter. “You give up a mental error in the outfield and they explode, which is what they do.”

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma starting pitcher Andrew Sanders throws a pitch in the Eagles’ 4-2 loss to Montesano in a 1A District 4 semifinal game on Tuesday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.

The win was the fourth for Montesano over its East County Rival this season after sweeping the three-game season series in late April.

“You know I didn’t want to see those guys a fourth time,” Osgood said of Elma. “They are a good team and when you beat them three times in league play and you see them a fourth time, no matter who you are playing, it is tough to get that fourth win. They’ve got a lot of good players and a lot of good pitching.”

Osgood added that despite the 4-0 lead, his team couldn’t relax as the Eagles are apt to score bunches of runs late in ball games, as evidenced in Elma’s five-run eighth in a playoff win over Seton Catholic the day before.

“They are a scrappy group and are going to keep scoring runs. We got that four spot and tried to get a couple of extra runs in there. … We just couldn’t get the big, clutch hit we needed when we had the opportunity to. … It’s just two good ball clubs going after each other.”

With the victory, Montesano will face defending-district champion La Center (18-2) in the title game at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Castle Rock High School.

“We got a really tough team against La Center. In my opinion, one of the top two to three teams in the state,” Osgood said. “So it’s going to be a very tough game Saturday, but the good thing is, we’re moving on (to the state tournament). So we’re going to go out and have fun and battle and see how it rolls and it might roll in our favor, it might not. But we’re going to go out there and battle.”

“It’s exciting,” Taylor said of reaching the state tournament. “Last year, we didn’t go to state. This year we’re going to state. It’s a good feeling.”

The loss snaps a six-game winning streak for the Eagles, who had been red hot after losing five-straight league games to Montesano and Tenino.

Elma will face King’s Way Christian in an elimination game at 4 p.m. on Friday in Castle Rock.

“We had that tough week and got beat up by Monte and Tenino,” Coach Vessey said. “Our guys just committed to going to work every day. I have no doubt in my mind they’ll hit the field tomorrow, flush this one and get King’s Way.”

Montesano 000 400 0 – 4 8 1

Elma 000 000 2 – 2 7 0

WP: Taylor (7 IP, 2 R, ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 3 K). LP: Sanders (6 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 6 K).

Leading hitters: Montesano – Taylor (2-3); Olsen (2-3, R); Wilson (1-3, 3B, R, RBI); Schroeder (1-3, R, RBI); Ames (1-4); Poler (1-3, 2 RBI). Elma – Sanders (2-3); Camus (1-3, R, RBI); Vessey (1-4); Wright (1-3); Corr (1-2); Dunlap (1-2, R).