Montesano walks-off on Aberdeen at Cheney Field

It’s always an event for local sports fans when Montesano and Aberdeen get together for a game.

Even more so when they play at one of the premiere ballparks in the state.

John Kling’s clutch single drove in the game-winning run as Montesano beat Aberdeen 6-5 on Saturday at the home of the Tacoma Rainers – Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.

Aberdeen (7-6 overall) opened up a 4-0 lead as the Bobcats scratched and clawed their way to manufacture a run in each of the second through fifth innings.

The Bobcats broke a scoreless tie when pinch-runner Trey Anderson advanced to third and then came home on two wild pitches by Montesano starter Cam Taylor in the second inning.

In the third, Aberdeen second baseman Kyle Miller was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and eventually scored on a throwing error while attempting to steal third, putting the Cats up 2-0.

Aberdeen loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth and made it a 3-0 game when shortstop Hunter Eisele scored on a fielder’s choice ground out by Mason Sorensen.

In the fourth, the Bobcats found a way to manufacture another run. Aidan Baker reached base after being hit by a John Griffin pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to third after two outs.

In an example of high-IQ baseball, Baker took a big lead off third after a Griffin pitch, inducing a throw back to third by Monte catcher Denali Harris. Baker immediately took off for home and scored as Bulldogs third baseman Jaxson Wilson was unable to get a throw back to home for a 4-0 Aberdeen lead.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen’s Aidan Baker cheers after reaching second during a 6-5 loss to Montesano on Saturday at Cheney Field in Tacoma.

Aberdeen head coach Layne Bruner said Baker’s delayed steal was no fluke, but a designed play that typifies his team’s pressure-based offense.

“That is something that is no secret we are going to try to do,” he said. “I’m the type of coach that will always put pressure on other teams to make mistakes. These are things that we practice and I hold our players accountable to know those things. … Denali (Harris) is a great catcher and he asked for that back-pick in the dugout, I recognized it and relayed that to Aidan (Baker) and said, ‘Hey, if throw comes down, you’re gone, you’re scoring.”

Aberdeen starter Trevon Nichols stymied the Bulldogs by getting breaking pitches over for first-pitch strikes and allowed just three singles over the first three innings of the game.

Montesano (13-1) loaded the bases against Nichols in the bottom of the fourth, but the Aberdeen right-hander got Wilson to line out to Miller at second, who then threw to Baker at first for an inning-ending double play.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen starting pitcher Trevon Nichols throws a pitch during a 6-5 loss to Montesano on Saturday at Cheney Field in Tacoma.

The Bulldogs finally got to Nichols in the fifth, after Harris laced a leadoff double down the third-base line and scored when outfielder Christian Olsen singled to left.

Shortstop Bode Poler then singled and Josh Wills was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.

Kling stepped to the dish and hit what would be the first of his two highlight-reel base hits, smacking a hard ground ball to right to score Poler and Olsen to cut the Cats lead to 4-3.

Busz followed with a walk, chasing Nichols from the game.

“That got us pumped up,” Kling said of Harris’ leadoff double. “We kind of got in (Nichols’) head there for a minute and got him out of the game. It was good for us to pack on those runs there.”

Taylor stepped to the plate and singled off Aberdeen reliever Jones, scoring pinch-runner Daylon Schroeder and Wills to give Monte a 5-4 lead.

Aberdeen rebounded in the top of the sixth by once again finding a way to scratch across a run. Miller reached and advanced to second on an error and came in to score on a Baker single to center, tying the game at 5-5.

The bottom of the seventh provided more drama when Wills was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a balk by Jones.

Kling then provided the fireworks, lining Jones’ 1-2 pitch off the glove of Baker, his cousin, at first and into right field. Wills raced home to score the game-winning run and set off a walk-off celebration around Kling.

“I saw an inside pitch and I was just thinking I’m going to mash it,” Kling said. “I was a little early, hit it off the end a little bit but it got down, off my cousin’s glove at first base. … I was celebrating once it hit off his glove.”

Kling, who lived in Aberdeen through the seventh grade and is friendly with many of the Bobcats, said this year’s trip to Cheney felt different than when Monte made its first visit last season.

“I think we are a much better team this year and it’s nice to win here,” he said. “Last year, we lost to a much bigger school and it didn’t really mean much. I think it’s nice to be here and play Aberdeen, kind of a rivalry game this year over here.”

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Montesano’s John Kling smacks a base hit during a 6-5 win over Aberdeen on Saturday at Cheney Field in Tacoma.

Monte reliever Skylar Bove picked up the win, allowing one unearned run on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 2 1-3 innings pitched.

Jones took the loss, allowing one earned run on three hits in 1 2-3 innings of relief.

Kling drove in three runs and was one of three Bulldogs – along with Olsen and Wills – to collect two hits in the game.

“Just the way this thing started, it felt like we couldn’t do anything right,” Monte head coach Mike Osgood said. “With the Aberdeen-Monte vibe, our guys were just playing tight and made some mistakes and they capitalized. But I think our guys just showed some heart. … Johnny Kling coming up clutch for us was huge and Skylar (Bove) closing the game out did an awesome job for us.”

“That’s a good-hitting team,” Bruner said. “Trevon (Nichols) did awesome and kept them off-balance for most of the time he was pitching today, he did great and was super-competitive.”

Nichols went 2-for-3 with Kale Goings and Eisele each doubling for Aberdeen, which played at Cheney Field for the first time on Saturday, an experience Bobcats head coach Layne Bruner said his team hopes to have again next season.

“This experience was incredible and I could tell how important it was to them and I think being on this field magnifies that,” he said. “We just want to say thank you to the people that allowed this to happen and this is something that will stick with them for a really long time.”

Aberdeen hosts Centralia at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Montesano has a key league doubleheader against Elma set to start at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Elma.

Aberdeen 011 111 0 – 5 6 1

Montesano 000 050 1 – 6 11 6

WP: Bove (2.1 IP, R, 0 ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K). LP: Jones (1.2 IP, R, ER, 3 H).

Leading hitters: Aberdeen – Nichols (2-3), Goings (1-4, 2B), Baker (1-3, R); Eisele (1-2, R); Miller (0-2, 2 R). Montesano – Taylor (3-3, 2 RBI); Kling (2-4, 3 RBI); Olsen (2-3, R, RBI); Wills (2-2, 2 R); Poler (1-4, R); Harris (1-3, 2B, R).

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Montesano catcher Denali Harris gets his team pumped up after hitting a double during the Bulldogs’ 6-5 win over Aberdeen on Saturday at Cheney Field in Tacoma.