Montesano advanced to the state tournament for the 24th time as we review Wednesday’s action at the 1A District 4 Softball Tournament in Centralia.
1A District 4 Tournament
First Round
Montesano 23, Castle Rock 0
The defending state-champions were in full postseason form with a 23-0 shellacking of Castle Rock in the first round of the 1A District 4 Tournament on Wednesday at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.
Monte (19-4 overall) scored 15 runs on 15 hits, including nine straight, in the bottom of the third inning to put the game away.
Five Bulldogs had at least three hits in the game, led by all-state candidate Addi Kersker and third baseman Lex Stanfield, each of whom had four hits.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano shortstop Addi Kersker makes a play during a 1A District 4 first-round game against Castle Rock on Wednesday in Centralia.
Sophomore pitcher Grace Gooding earned the win, allowing just one hit with a walk and a strikeout in three scoreless innings pitched.
Kaitlyn Trail pitched two scoreless innings in relief, walking one while striking out two without surrendering a hit.
Castle Rock 000 00 – 0 1 4
Montesano 26(15) 0x – 23 26 0
WP: Gooding (3 IP, 0R, H, BB, K). LP: Powers (2 IP, 8R, 7ER, 10H, BB).
Leading hitters: Castle Rock – Rismeon (1-2). Montesano – Kerker (4-4, 3B, 2 2B, 4R, 3RBI); Stanfield (4-4, 2B, 3R, 2RBI); Parkin (3-4, 2B, 4RBI); Wisdom (3-4, 3B, 3R, 4RBI); Potts (3-3, 3R); Robinson (2-3, R); Timmons (2-3, 2B, 2R, 2RBI); Maldonado (2-3, 3R, 2RBI); Campbell (1-2, R, 3RBI); Wintrip (1-4, RBI); Olson (1-1).
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam third baseman Macy Dhooghe collects a base hit during a 15-2 victory over La Center in the 1A District 4 Tournament first-round game on Wednesday in Centralia.
Hoquiam 15, La Center 2
Hoquiam opened its district tournament with a 15-2 win over La Center on Wednesday in Centralia.
The Grizzlies (9-13) led 6-2 after scoring three runs apiece in each of the first two innings, highlighted by back-to-back doubles by Faith Prosch and Mya Standstipher in the first inning.
Hoquiam put the game away with eight runs in the top of the fourth on two hits, five walks and two errors.
The Grizzlies drew 12 walks in the game as a team and benefited from four Wildcats errors.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam pitcher Kayte Sauer picked up the win in a 15-2 victory over La Center in the 1A District 4 Tournament first-round game on Wednesday in Centralia.
Kayte Sauer earned the win, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with a walk and a strikeout in five innings pitched.
Hoquiam 330 81 – 15 8 1
La Center 200 00 – 2 7 4
WP: Sauer (5 IP, 2R, 2ER, 7H, BB, K). LP: Ross (3.2 IP, 14R, 6ER, 6H, 9BB, K).
Leading hitters: Hoquiam – LaBounty (2-4, 2R, 2RBI); Prosch (1-2, 2B, 2R, RBI); Standstipher (1-2, 2B, 3R, 2RBI); Dhooghe (1-4, RBI); Templer (1-4, R, RBI); Sauer (1-4, RBI); Burgess (1-2, 2R). La Center – Duggins (2-3); Piper (1-3, 2RBI); Schmidt (1-3); Baker (1-3, R); Winston (1-2); Gravelle (1-2, 2B).
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano second baseman Aubree Simmons (right) makes a catch while Columbia (White Salmon) junior Josie Dickey slides during the Eagles’ 15-5 win in the first round of the 1A District 4 Tournament on Wednesday in Centralia.
Elma 15, Columbia (White Salmon) 5
Elma smashed three home runs en route to a 15-5 mercy-rule victory in a 1A District 4 Tournament first-round game on Wednesday in Centralia.
The Eagles (14-4) scored four in the first capped by an Aaleigha Weld RBI double.
Leading 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth, Elma senior shortstop Emmie Spencer belted a three-run home run over the left-field fence for a seven-run lead.
Three batters later Lynsee Bednarik hit Elma’s second home run of the inning for a 12-2 lead.
One inning later, junior center fielder Mia Monroe recorded Elma’s third home run of the game, a two-run shot to stake the Eagles to a 14-5 lead.
Spencer would score on a wild pitch later in the inning to secure the walk-off win.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma third baseman Lynsee Bednarik celebrates after her solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning in a 15-5 win over Columbia (White Salmon) during a 1A District 4 Tournament first-round game on Wednesday in Centralia.
Keira White earned the victory in the circle, allowing five runs – two earned – on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in five innings pitched.
Raelynn Weld and Aubree Simmons each went a perfect 4-for-4 for an Eagles offense that had seven different players record a base hit in the game.
CWS 000 23 – 5 6 4
Elma 420 63 – 15 15 1
WP: White (5 IP, 5R, 2ER, 6H, 2BB, 5K). LP: Marti (3.2 IP, 12R, 12ER, 12H, K).
Leading hitters: CWS – Mullinix (2-3, 2B, R, RBI); Bucher (2-3, 2R, RBI); Grabb (2-3, R). Elma – R. Weld (4-4, 3R); Simmons (4-4, 2R, RBI); Aal. Weld (2-2, 2B, R, 2RBI); Monroe (2-4, HR, 3R, 3RBI); Spencer (1-2, HR, 2R, 4RBI); Bednarik (1-2, R, RBI).
RYAN SPARKS / THE DAILY WORLD Montesano pitcher Riley Timmons threw a no-hitter in a 13-0 win over Hoquiam in a 1A District 4 semifinal game on Wednesday in Centralia.
Semifinals
Montesano 13, Hoquiam 0
Montesano once again proved why it is the benchmark for softball programs in the state, securing its 24th trip to the state tournament with a 13-0 five-inning victory over Hoquiam in a district-quarterfinal game on Wednesday in Centralia.
The Bulldogs (20-4) wasted little time in getting to work as standout junior catcher Ali Parkin belted a two-run home run just two batters into the game.
Monte would continue to apply pressure, scoring a pair of runs in the second highlighted by an RBI single from infielder Alyssa Maldonado and three in the third on a Kylee Wisdom triple, an RBI single by pitcher Riley Timmons and a sacrifice fly by Maldonado.
The Bulldogs put the game into mercy-rule territory with six in the fourth, capped by a Parkin two-run double for a 13-0 lead.
Riley Timmons cruised in the circle, holding Hoquiam (9-14) hitless with six strikeouts in five innings pitched.
Monte outscored its opponents 36-0 in 10 innings of play on Tuesday as the top-ranked Bulldogs appear to be in state-championship form.
“We faced a good team last week that got us ready,” Monte head coach Pat Pace said of the Bulldogs’ tough non-league schedule. “Our girls showed great patience up at the plate and I was really impressed with them. It’s just another level of maturity they have right now.”
Monte will defend its district title against Trico League champion Seton Catholic in the district-championship game at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Centralia.
“Our goal was, knowing that there were only going to be two teams that weren’t going to be stressed about playing loser-out games on Saturday, let’s be one of those teams that doesn’t have any stress so we can work on stuff to get better for the next two days,” Pace said.
Hoquiam drops to the elimination bracket where it will face Eatonville at noon on Saturday.
Montesano 223 60 – 13 10 2
Hoquiam 000 00 – 0 0 2
WP: Burgess (3 IP, 11R, 9ER, 7H, 5BB). LP: Timmons (5 IP, 0R, 0H, 6K).
Leading hitters: Montesano – Parkin (2-4, HR, 2B, R, 4RBI); Timmons (2-3, 2B, 2RBI); Robinson (2-3, 2R, 2RBI); Wisdom (1-2, 3B, 2R, RBI); Kersker (1-1, 2R); Wintrip (1-2, R, 2RBI); Maldonado (1-2, R, 2RBI).
Seton Catholic 14, Elma 8
Elma dropped to the elimination bracket with a 14-8 loss to Seton Catholic in a 1A District 4 quarterfinal game on Wednesday in Centralia.
The Eagles (14-5) held a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Seton Catholic’s Kingsley Williams hit a solo home run to break up Elma starting pitcher Ashlynn Weld’s no-hit bid.
Elma got a run back in the top of the fifth when Aubree Simmons drove in first baseman Callie Galligan with a fielder’s choice ground out.
But an Elma defense that had been solid began to crack.
The Cougars (18-4) took a 5-3 lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks in large part to three Elma errors in the frame.
The Eagles rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth, taking an 8-5 lead when Chloe Donais drove in Simmons with a bunt base hit.
But Elma once again allowed a big inning, surrendering nine runs on five hits, four walks – one intentional – and an error to suffer the 14-8 loss.
Senior outfielder Aaleigha Weld went 3-for-4 with a double while Emmie Spencer and Callie Galligan had two hits apiece for the Eagles.
Elma will face La Center in a district-elimination game at noon on Saturday in Centralia.
Elma 010 115 0 – 8 11 5
Seton Catholic 000 149 x – 14 6 5
WP: Kender (7 IP, 8R, 5ER, 11H, 2BB, 13K). LP: Ash. Weld (5.1 IP, 11R, 7Er, 3H, 6BB, 5K).
Leading hitters: Elma – Aal. Weld (3-4, 2B, R, RBI); Galligan (2-3, 2 2B, 2R, 2RBI); Spencer (2-4, 2B, 2R); R. Weld (1-5); Monroe (1-5, R); Simmons (1-4, 2B, R, 3RBI); Donais (1-4, RBI). Seton Catholic – Mancuso (2-4, 2B, 2R, 3RBI); Williams (1-3, HR, 3R, RBI); Forster (1-4, R, 2RBI); Kuhnhausen (1-3, 2RBI); Kender (1-4, R, 2RBI).
Other scores
First Round
Seton Catholic 14, Eatonville 4 (Monday)
Elimination Round
Eatonville 16, Columbia (White Salmon) 14
La Center 10, Castle Rock 8
