Monday Prep Roundup: Montesano beats Raymond-South Bend for first win of season

Also: Monte baseball falls to Centralia; Aberdeen baseball, softball 10-runned by Tumwater

The Montesano boys soccer team picked up its first win of the season in Monday’s prep sports action on the Twin Harbors.

BOYS SOCCER

Montesano 3, RSB 1

Veli Ambrocio scored a pair of goals as Montesano picked up its first win of the season with a victory over Raymond-South Bend in Montesano.

Ambrocio scored on a shot in the 26th minute to break a scoreless tie, then assisted on a goal by midfielder Mateo Sanchez one minute into the second half.

With the outcome of the game still uncertain, Ambrocio broke free up the middle after taking a pass from Micheal Neal and beat charging Raymond-South Bend goalkeeper Oscar Juarez for Monte’s third goal.

The Riptide (0-3 overall, 1A Evergreen) broke the shutout when midfielder Edgar Ramirez slotted a penalty kick past Monte reserve goal keeper Spencer Coleman in the 75th minute.

Each team had 11 shots on goal, with Bulldogs starting keeper Dalton Harris making eight saves in the contest.

Montesano midfielder Mateo Sanchez (36) splits the defense of Raymond-South Bend’s Josue Rojas-Quintana (8) and Osvaldo Garcia (10) on Monday in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | The Daily World)

Montesano midfielder Mateo Sanchez (36) splits the defense of Raymond-South Bend’s Josue Rojas-Quintana (8) and Osvaldo Garcia (10) on Monday in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | The Daily World)

Despite the Bulldogs picking up their first win of the season, Montesano head coach Fidel Sanchez said there is still much work to be done.

“Right now, all I care about is us getting better,” he said, noting his team was “too direct” going forward and often didn’t maintain possession long enough to build an effective offensive attack. “We have a lot of inexperience on the team, and right now we have to clean up a lot of things on our end. I’m happy for the boys to get the win, but we still have a long way to go.”

Though her team is still searching for its first win after Monday’s loss, RSB head coach Heather Cheek said her young team that features just three upper classmen and only two returning players has “improved greatly.”

“There were able to get some really good pass progression strung together and really started to work together as a team. This is the first game I’ve seen them start to gel,” she said, adding the Riptide feature six sophomores, seven freshman and six eighth graders. “This is a pretty much completely new team.”

With the win, Montesano improved to 1-2 overall, 1-1 in the 1A Evergreen League this season.

Other scores

Tenino 5, Hoquiam 2

BASEBALL

Centralia 7, Montesano 6 (8 innings)

Montesano fell in extra innings on Monday in Centralia.

The Bulldogs (1-1) put up four runs in the first inning, capped by a two-run single from Tyler Johansen and led 5-1 heading to the bottom of the second inning.

But the Tigers (1-0) responded with three runs in the bottom of the second to pull to within a run at 5-4.

Centralia tied the game with a run in the fifth, and Monte regained the lead with a run in the top of the sixth when Lucas Salstrom scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cayleb Reninger.

Montesano starting pitcher Tyler Johansen allowed two earned runs in two innings of work and got a no decision in the Bulldogs’ 7-6 extra-inning loss to Centralia on Monday in Centralia. (Eric Trent | The Chronicle)

Montesano starting pitcher Tyler Johansen allowed two earned runs in two innings of work and got a no decision in the Bulldogs’ 7-6 extra-inning loss to Centralia on Monday in Centralia. (Eric Trent | The Chronicle)

The Tigers scratched across a run in the bottom of the sixth and — after a scoreless seventh — won on a walk-off RBI double by Benito Valencia in the extra frame.

“I thought we played well, but we’ve got a few things we need to clean up,” Monte head coach Mike Osgood said.

Jackson Busz took the loss in relief for the Bulldogs as Monte used five pitchers in the game.

Tyler Johansen started for Monte, allowing four hits and two earned runs in two innings pitched.

Isaiah Pierce (2-5, 2B, R), Bode Poler (2-5, R) and Jack Anderson (2-4, R, RBI) led Monte with two hits apiece while Johansen went 1-for-1 with two RBI.

Montesano 410 001 00 — 6 10 3

Centralia 130 011 01 — 7 10 5

Tumwater 15, Aberdeen 0

Aberdeen trailed by 10 runs after two innings and didn’t manage a hit in a five-inning, season-opening loss on Monday in Tumwater.

The Bobcats (0-1) fell behind 7-0 after one inning against the Thunderbirds (1-0).

Tumwater’s Austin Sheldon and Bruce Guintuli combined to no-hit the Bobcats over five innings, striking out seven with four walks.

Aberdeen starting pitcher Maliki Balesteri took the loss. Of the seven runs he allowed in the first inning — his only inning of work — only three were earned. as the Bobcats committed two of their five errors in the inning.

“The score I don’t believe reflects how we played. Certainly, I feel we could play better,” Aberdeen head coach Dave Hinchen said. “They are a really good baseball team and for us to beat them we’re going to be near perfect, and we certainly weren’t perfect.”

Hinchen said he saw some positives despite the lopsided loss, namely the “outstanding” defensive play from catcher Eli Brown and the Bobcats outfield.

“As a coach, I was really happy with our team effort and the way that our defensive outfield played today. (Tumwater) hit the ball hard to our outfield a lot and our outfield played outstanding,” he said.

SOFTBALL

Tumwater 15, Aberdeen 3

Aberdeen trailed by six runs after two innings and never caught up in a loss to Tumwater at Bishop Sports Complex in Aberdeen.

No further information was available for this game at the time of this writing.

BOYS GOLF

Aberdeen’s King named

2A Evergreen MVP

Aberdeen golfer Nolan King was named the 2A Evergreen League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2021 season.

King, a senior who will compete for Grays Harbor College in the fall, has a sub-40 scoring average of 39.2 this season and lead the Bobcats to an eighth place finish at the 2A District 4 meet on March 17-18 at Mint Valley Golf Course in Longview.

In the district meet, King placed 14th overall with a two-day total of 157. King ended his prep career by chipping in a birdie from 40 yards on the 18th hole in front of a large gallery to secure a score of 75 for his 18-hole round, seven strokes better than his Day 1 total.

King’s teammates Logan Seguin, Charlie Ancich and Baylor Ainsworth were all named to the league’s second team.

Seguin, a junior, shot a two-day total of 172 at districts while freshman Ancich shot a 175. Both dramatically reduced their scores on Day 2, with Seguin knocking eight strokes off his scorecard while Ancich improved by 11 strokes.

Woodland’s Dane Huddelston (138) won the district title while Columbia River claimed the team championship.

Aberdeen second baseman Logan Glanz belts an RBI double in the second inning of Aberdeen’s 15-3 season-opening loss to Tumwater on Monday at Bishop Sports Complex in Aberdeen. (Ryan Sparks | The Daily World)

Aberdeen second baseman Logan Glanz belts an RBI double in the second inning of Aberdeen’s 15-3 season-opening loss to Tumwater on Monday at Bishop Sports Complex in Aberdeen. (Ryan Sparks | The Daily World)