PREP BOWLING

Aberdeen 11, Montesano 8

Tied at 8-8 late in the match, the Aberdeen girls bowling team won the the first Baker game to eek out an 11-8 victory over Montesano on Wednesday at Ranier Lanes.

“Well that was just about as close as you can get,” Aberdeen head coach Dave Bruncke said of his team’s victory, which came down to a one-pin win in the first Baker game. “We had to win at least one baker game. … The match was determined by that one pin because we lost the second Baker game.”

Montesano (1-7 overall, 1-5 Evergreen 2A) had a chance to pick up its second win of its inaugural season, but the Bulldogs fell just short in the second baker game, beating Aberdeen by 33 pins when they needed 36 to earn the overall victory.

Aberdeen (7-2, 4-2) earned its final point on total pins, with a scant margin of 1,556 to Monte’s 1,553.

Aberdeen’s Illiana Mercado-George had the top series score of the meet with a score of 313.

“Iliana Mercado-George was our rock today,” Bruncke said. “She is our most consistent bowler and came through in the 10th frame of both Baker games to get us the win over a much improved Montesano team.”

Bobcat Megan Howell rolled her best score of the season with a 181 in the second game.

Monte was led by Olivia Morre, who scored a team-best 171 in her second game and led the Bulldogs with a 284 series score.

Aberdeen will host Shelton at 3 p.m. on Friday while Monte will host Rochester at 3 p.m. on Monday.

Aberdeen (1,556) — Mercado-George (163, 150, 313), Howell (112, 181, 293), Kaitlyn Martin (116, 134, 250), Annabelle Micheau (148, 101, 249), Bryerlee Perry (130, 102, 232).

Montesano (1,553) — Morre (113, 171, 284), Casidy Schoenbachler (147, 119, 266), Danika Peterson (149, 110, 259), Annalynn Fareley (119, 137, 256), Iza Cope (94, 143, 237).