Top-ranked Montesano opened the district tournament with a win as we review Monday’s prep baseball postseason action on the Harbor.
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PREP BASEBALL
Montesano 6, Castle Rock 0
Montesano began its postseason journey on a good note, playing well in all facets to earn a 6-0 victory over Castle Rock in a 1A District 4 quarterfinal game on Monday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
The Bulldogs (19-2 overall) took advantage of every Rockets mistake, made the routine and not-so-routine plays on defense, and got a superb pitching performance from starter Kolson Hendrickson in the expedient victory.
RYAN SPARKS / THE DAILY WORLD Montesano pitcher Kolson Hendrickson pitched a complete-game shutout in a 6-0 win over Castle Rock in a 1A District 4 Tournament game on Monday in Hoquiam.
“I thought the team played great, all of us, one through nine,” said Hendrickson, who allowed just one hit in the game and at one point retired 12 straight Rockets. “We all came ready to play the game. Great defense behind me. We needed that and it was a great win today.”
Monte got on the board with a pair of runs in the first inning – both with two outs – on a single by catcher Colton Grubb, who would eventually come around to score on a wild pitch for the game’s first run.
Hendrickson helped his own cause by singling on a ground ball to center field, plating second baseman Zach Timmons for a 2-0 lead.
Monte outfielder Mason Fry led off the second with a hustle infield single and advanced to second on a balk called against Castle Rock starter Trevor Rogen.
Bulldogs right fielder Dennis Churchill got a bunt down and reached on a Rockets throwing error, allowing Fry to come home to push the lead to 3-0.
With two outs and Churchill on third, Colton Grubb singled on a hard ground ball up the middle to drive in Churchill with Monte’s fourth run of the game.
RYAN SPARKS / THE DAILY WORLD Montesano catcher Colton Grubb gestures to his teammates after hitting a double during a 6-0 win over Castle Rock in a 1A District 4 Tournament game on Monday in Hoquiam.
The Bulldogs would add a run in the bottom of the fifth when Churchill led off with a single and later scored on a Tyson Perry sacrifice fly to right with one out.
Perry added a run by taking advantage of two Castle Rock miscues on the same play. The Bulldogs center fielder hit a liner to Rockets left fielder Jacob Lafever, who tripped and fell on the play, allowing Perry to race all the way around to third. The relay throw was botched as Perry was pulling up to third. Perry re-ignited the jets to race home for the “Little League home run” and put Monte up 6-0 in the sixth.
That was plenty of run support for Hendrickson, who allowed a double to Brady Hamer with two outs in the top of the first, then retired 12 straight until a two-out walk to Suart Teter with two gone in the fourth.
Hendrickson was efficient, needing just 86 pitches – 60 for strikes – to earn the complete-game shutout, striking out 11 in the process.
“You’ve got to have first-pitch strikes. First-pitch strikes make it very easy going,” Hendrickson said of his effectiveness on the bump. “If you don’t throw a first-pitch strike, they are ready for the fastball and you give them an opportunity to hit the ball.”
“Kolson has just been that tough competitor all year. He throws first-pitch strikes and just goes out there and battles,” Monte head coach Mike Osgood said. “He gives our defense the best chance to win, for sure. … He just did his thing and saved our bullpen. … It kind of sets us up nicely.”
Monte’s defense played error-free baseball, led by Timmons who secured outs on five ground balls hit his way and was highlighted by back-to-back sparkling plays in the sixth inning.
RYAN SPARKS / THE DAILY WORLD Montesano second baseman Zach Timmons fields a ball during a 6-0 victory over Castle Rock in a 1A District 4 Tournament game on Monday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Rogen hit a hard ground ball down the third base line, where Monte’s Carter Ames ranged all the way to his right to snag the grounder and made a strong throw from behind the bag to get Rogen by a half-step at first, eliciting a cheer from the Monte faithful.
Lafever then laced a Hendrickson pitch to short center field for what appeared to be a sure base hit, but Perry raced in to make a diving catch just off the top of the grass to end the frame and earn another roar from the Bulldogs crowd.
RYAN SPARKS / THE DAILY WORLD Montesano center fielder Tyson Perry (left) is congratulated by pitcher Kolson Hendrickson after making a diving catch in the sixth inning of a 6-0 win over Castle Rock on Monday in Hoquiam.
“One hit, great defense and no errors on the day. … Practice pays off,” Hendrickson said.
Colton Grubb led Monte with three hits on the day while Churchill and Hendrickson had two hits apiece for a Bulldogs offense that had seven different players collect a base hit in the game.
“We’ve kind of been struggling playing small ball and getting the bunt down at times. So we kind of made that a focus today,” Osgood said. “We didn’t stack base hits together and have a really big inning, which would be nice to have, but guys got bunts down, moved runners around and took advantage of the mistakes they gave us.”
With the victory, Montesano faced La Center in a district-semifinal game on Tuesday at Olympic Stadium, with a chance to earn a trip to the state tournament at stake.
Castle Rock 000 000 0 – 0 1 2
Montesano 220 101 x – 6 11 0
WP: Hendrickson (7 IP, 0R, H, BB, 11K). LP: Rogen (3.2 IP, 5R, 4ER, 9H, 3BB, 2K).
Leading hitters: Castle Rock – Hamer (1-3, 2B). Montesano – Co. Grubb (3-4, 2B, R, RBI, SB); Churchill (2-3, 2R, SB); Hendrickson (2-3, RBI); Perry (1-3, 3B, R, RBI); Ca. Grubb (1-2); Kjesbu (1-2); Fry (1-3, R).
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Seton Catholic 10, Elma 0
Elma’s hopes for a potential district championship were dashed with a 10-0 mercy-rule loss to Seton Catholic in a 1A District 4 quarterfinal game on Tuesday in Castle Rock.
The Eagles (9-10-1) managed just one base hit – a leadoff single by T.J. Dunlap in the top of the fifth inning – and drew one walk against Cougars starting pitcher Kolten Gesser, who also struck out eight Eagles in six shutout innings.
Three Eagles pitchers combined to allow seven earned runs on 10 hits and six walks with two strikeouts.
Ethan Camas took the loss, allowing five runs – three earned – on seven hits and a walk with one strikeout in three innings of work.
Dunlap (2 IP, 4R, 3ER, 3H, 5BB, K) and Blake Benzschawel (0 IP, R, ER, 3H) pitched in relief for Elma.
With the loss, Elma faced King’s Way Christian in an elimination game on Tuesday in Castle Rock.
Elma 000 000 – 0 1 1
Seton Catholic 320 311 – 10 13 1
WP: Gesser (6 IP, 0R, H, BB, 8K). LP: Camas (3 IP, 5R, 3ER, 7H, BB, K).
Leading hitters: Elma – Dunlap (1-2). Seton Catholic – Ruelas (3-3, 2R, 3RBI, 3 SB); Wieczorek (2-4, 2R); Woods (2-3, 2B, R, RBI); Williams (2-3, 2RBI); Clute (2-4, R, RBI); Ackerman (1-2); Peterson (1-2, R).
