Montesano manufactures its way into state-title game

Published 11:00 pm Friday, May 29, 2026

BELLINGHAM–Throughout the season, the Montesano Bulldogs have been a team that found a way to score runs.

They needed every bit of that moxy to beat Seton Catholic 5-1 in a 1A State Tournament semifinal game on Friday at Joe Martin Stadium.

The Bulldogs (27-0 overall) scored five runs against Cougars ace Kolten Gesser despite managing just one base hit in the game.

But Monte was able to take advantage of multiple Gesser mistakes early in the game.

Bulldogs leadoff hitter Zach Timmons and center fielder Tyson Perry led off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back walks and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Colton Grubb.

After an intentional walk to shortstop Toren Crites loaded the bases, Timmons scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch.

Monte pitcher Caden Grubb then hit a ground ball to second, but Perry beat James Lubisich’s throw home to put Monte up 2-0.

In the second inning, Gesser ran into trouble again with a leadoff walk to left fielder Mason Fry followed by third baseman Kolson Hendrickson getting hit by a pitch.

Right fielder Carter Ames bunted the runners to second and third to set up Timmons, who singled on a liner to left to drive in Fry for a 3-0 lead.

Another wild pitch allowed Hendrickson to cross the plate followed by Perry driving in Timmons with a sacrifice fly to left to go up 5-0.

That would be all the run-scoring for the Monte offense as Gesser settled in to hold the Bulldogs without a hit over the final four innings of the game, allowing a walk and two hit batters the rest of the way.

“(Gesser) is a good thrower. He came out a little wild early on and we had to play some small ball,” Montesano head coach Mike Osgood said. “Timmons got the one base hit and we had to take advantage of some wild pitches and free bases. We tried to manufacture as many runs as we could. Once (Gesser) settled in, he was pretty much unhittable from the fourth inning on.”

The run support turned out to be plenty for Caden Grubb as the left-handed junior ace faced the minimum through the first three frames, including an inning-ending double play turned by Crites and Timmons in the bottom of the second.

Grubb ran into a little trouble in the top of the fourth as a leadoff single by Teddy Wieczorek and a two-out walk to Graham Dumas had two on for the No. 5 Cougars (21-6).

Grubb got Colin Hogaboom to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the threat.

A two-out walk to Gavin Duman followed by Ben Ratigan getting plunked by a Grubb pitch had Seton Catholic in business with two on and two out in the fifth, but Grubb got Wieczorek to fly out to Perry to keep the shutout intact.

Seton Catholic scored a run in the sixth when Gesser led off with a single followed by an error on a Dalton Woods line drive.

After a Grubb wild pitch advanced the runners 90 feet, Dumas struck out for the first out of the frame.

Hogaboom followed with an RBI ground out to Crites at short to score Gesser for the Cougars’ lone run of the game.

Lubisich followed with a fly out to Perry in center to end the top of the sixth with Monte up 5-1.

Grubb got the first two in order in the seventh before leaving the game after 106 pitches, 64 for strikes.

Monte reliever Damon Bird allowed back-to-back singles before getting Gesser to line out to Perry to end the game, sending Montesano to the state-championship game for the first time since 2013.

Montesano drew five walks, had four hit batters and benefited from three wild pitches, leading to the five earned runs in the game.

“It was just guys being unselfish and doing whatever it takes for the team,” Osgood said. “We were going to be aggressive, put pressure on the opposing team and, obviously, it worked in our favor tonight.”

Caden Grubb allowed an unearned run on two hits and two walks with nine strikeouts to earn the win.

“You can’t say enough about what he’s done down the stretch and through the playoffs,” Osgood said of his junior starting pitcher. “Just a phenomenal job by him.”

With the victory, Montesano advances to the state-championship game and will face No. 11 King’s, which defeated No. 10 Overlake-Bear Creek 5-1 in the semifinals.

The Bulldogs plan to go with Hendrickson on the bump to start the game, depending on how he recovers from getting hit by a pitch in the shoulder on Friday.

“He’s a little sore right now and we’re hoping things will be alright,” Osgood said late Friday evening.

Ahead of the biggest game of their prep careers, Osgood plans to keep his team relaxed and in the moment.

“I want them to enjoy the night,” he said. “Just enjoy the night, try to get some sleep and we’ll try to occupy our day tomorrow without thinking about baseball too much. Just play relaxed in our last baseball game and just be us. We’re not going to try to do anything different than we’ve done all year.”

The state-championship game is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday at Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham.

Seton Catholic 000 001 0 – 1 4 0

Montesano 230 000 x – 5 1 1

WP: Ca. Grubb (6.2 IP, R, 0ER, 2H, 2BB, 9K). LP: Gesser (6 IP, 5R, 5ER, H, 5BB, 5K).

Leading hitters: Seton Catholic – Wieczorek (2-4); Gesser (1-4, R); Nelson (1-1); Hogaboom (0-2, RBI). Montesano – Timmons (1-3, 2R, RBI); Perry (0-1, R, RBI, SF); Hendrickson (0-1, R); Ca. Grubb (0-2, RBI); Fry (0-2, R).