Montesano wins Little League district championship
Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 4, 2026
The Montesano Little League 8-10 all-star team took one of two games against Chehalis to win a district championship on Friday.
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Chehalis 4, Montesano 3
Needing to win one of two games to claim the District 3 title, Montesano dropped Game 1 4-3 to Chehalis at Pioneer Park in Aberdeen.
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after catcher Dominic Cardenas led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on an error. Cardenas came in to score on a safety squeeze bunt by shortstop/pitcher Karrter Espedal.
Chehalis answered with a leadoff triple that turned into a run in the bottom half of the frame and took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the second on an error and a hit batter with the bases loaded.
Monte would tie the game in the fourth when Espedal and Bednarik – on board with two-out singles – came in to score on an error off a J.J. Figg ground ball.
But Chehalis had the last laugh as a leadoff triple followed by a run-scoring single off Espedal ended the game, forcing a winner-take-all Game 2.
Figg started on the hill for Monte, allowing an earned run on two hits with a strikeout in an inning pitched.
Montesano 100 200 – 3 6 3
Chehalis 120 001 – 4 7 2
WP: n/a. LP: Espedal (4 IP, 3R, ER, 5H, 3BB, 3K).
Leading hitters: Montesano – Cardenas (2-3, R, SB); Espedal (1-2, R, RBI); Bednarik (1-2, R); Escobedo (1-2); Perron (1-2).
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Montesano 17, Chehalis 8
A big eight-run outburst broke a tie game and propelled Montesano to a 17-8 win over Chehalis in the district-championship round of the double-elimination 10U tournament.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Montesano took the lead with five runs highlighted by a two-run double by center fielder Aiden Escobedo and a three-run double off the bat of catcher Hunter Engler.
After Chehalis chased Monte starting pitcher Dominic Cardenas from the bump with three runs in the fourth to tie the game, the Monte offense exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the frame to put the game away.
Cardenas broke the tie with an RBI single to make it a 7-6 game before Monte’s patience at the plate proved prodigious.
A run-scoring ground out by first baseman Nolan Bednarik followed by an RBI single from Bradley Shay put Monte up 9-6 before five straight walks put the Bulldogs comfortably ahead 13-6.
Right fielder Cameron Rogich capped off the frame with an RBI single to drive in Engler with Monte’s 14th run of the game.
The Bulldogs would add three more insurance runs in the fifth on a Shay double, an Escobedo sacrifice fly and an error to to up 17-8.
Shay worked around a one-out walk to pitch a scoreless sixth, striking out the final batter he faced to secure the title for Montesano.
Shay got the win, allowing two earned runs on one hit and five walks with four strikeouts in 2 2-3 innings pitched.
Cardenas pitched 3 1-3 innings, allowing six earned runs on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts.
Monte’s offense outhit Chehalis 10-5, drew 13 walks and stole nine bases in the game.
Shay and Engler had two hits apiece for a Bulldogs offense that had eight players with a base hit and 11 players reach base.
Montesano advances to the state tournament, which is set to begin on Saturday, July 18 and the Northshore Athletic Fields in Woodinville.
Chehalis 201 320 – 8 5 3
Montesano 510 83x – 17 10 2
WP: Shay (2.2 IP, 2R, 2ER, H, 5BB, 4K). LP: n/a.
Leading hitters: Montesano – Shay (2-3, 3R, 2RBI, 2SB); Engler (2-2, 2B, R, 2RBI, SB); Cardenas (1-3, 2R, 2RBI, 2SB); Escobedo (1-2, 2B, 2R, 3RBI, SB, SF); Messick (1-2, 2R, SB, 2BB); Tobin (1-2, R); Rogich (1-2, R, RBI); Chase (1-3, 2R); Bednarik (0-2, R, RBI, SB); Espedal (0-1, 2R, 3BB, SB); Perron (0-3, RBI).
