Montesano Ali Parkin played the hero, turning a seemingly certain defeat into a rousing 7-6 victory over Rochester on Thursday at Dick Tagman Field in Montesano.
Parkin blasted a pitch from reigning 2A Evergreen Conference MVP Layna Demers well over the left-center field fence for a no-doubt, three-run home run as the Bulldogs (15-5 overall, 7-1 1A Evergreen) snatched victory from what appeared to be a disheartening defeat.
Coming off an embarrassing 12-1 loss to the Warriors (11-4, 6-1) the previous Monday – one in which the Bulldogs suffered a rare mercy-rule loss – Monte got right to work in proving they are a better team than what was previously shown.
The Bulldogs got right to work taking an early first-inning lead when left fielder Liv Robinson and catcher Ali Parkin reach via a walk and a double, respectively, and came in to score on a single by shortstop Addi Kersker.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano leadoff hitter Liv Robinson collects one of her two hits during a 7-6 win over Rochester on Thursday at Montesano High School.
That was enough run support for Montesano starting pitcher Grace Gooding, who held the Warriors scoreless through five inning despite some shaky defense from the Bulldogs.
That poor defense would come back to hurt Monte in the later innings as a throwing error allowed Rochester shortstop Hailey Boyd to reach base leading off the top of the sixth inning.
One batter later, third baseman Leah Hartley connected on a Gooding pitch for a two-run home run to tie the game.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Rochester’s Leah Hartley (11) celebrates with her teammates after hitting a game-tying home run in a 7-6 loss to Montesano on Thursday at Montesano High School.
Monte responded with Kersker leading off the bottom half of the frame with a single followed by second baseman Jaelyn Butterfield reaching on an error.
After a wild pitch allowed both runners to advance one base, Gooding sent a fly ball to right-center field, allowing Kersker to race home with the go-ahead run.
Designated hitter Violet Prince followed with a single up the middle to drive in Butterfield for a 4-2 lead.
But Montesano’s fourth error of the game opened the door for the Warriors in the seventh, and they took advantage. With Piper Quarnstrom and Vassar on board via an error and a single, respectively, first baseman Arissa LeBaron belted a double to the fence in left-center, driving in two runs to tie the game.
Rochester wasn’t done as a Boyd single drove in LaBaron with the go-ahead run. Boyd would score on a wild pitch with two outs to take a 6-4 lead.
After seeing it’s lead, and potential shot at a 1A Evergreen League title possibly slip away after a deflating half-inning, Bulldogs head coach Pat Pace had some words for his team that turned out to be eerily prophetic.
“In that group meeting (before the bottom of the seventh inning) I told Ali, ‘They are going to get on and you’re going to hit it out and we’ll get out of here,’” Pace said of his pep talk after losing the lead.
As if on cue, Robinson and third baseman Lex Stanfield single to put the tying runs on base with no outs, and the heavy-hitting Parkin stepping to the plate to face Rochester pitcher and reigning 2A Evergreen Conference MVP Layna Demers with the game on the line.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano catcher Ali Parkin hammers a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Bulldogs a 7-6 win over Rochester on Thursday at Montesano High School.
Parkin took strike one looking, shaking her head in disagreement, then hit a hard foul ball off the right side for strike two.
Demers’ 0-2 pitch rose to the top part of the strike zone, where Parkin swung and got all of it, rocketing a no-doubter over the left-center field wall for the first walk-off home run of her stellar prep career, giving Monte a thrilling victory.
The emotion of the moment was prevalent as Parkin screamed, “That’s what I’m talking about,” as she rounded second in her pumped-up home-run trot, heading toward a celebratory embrace with he r teammates at home plate.
“Honestly, it’s all about confidence with me,” Parkin said of her mindset in the final at-bat. “Just reassuring myself that I’ve got it and also knowing my teammates have my back. … They needed me and I needed them. The first two got on so the least I could do was to also get on. … I couldn’t even describe the feeling. It felt amazing.”
Prince earned the win, pitching 2-3 of the seventh inning in relief of Gooding, who allowed three earned runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 5 1-3 innings pitched.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano’s Grace Gooding throws a pitch during a 7-6 victory over Rochester on Thursday in Montesano.
Despite the sparkling defensive play of Butterfield, including a highlight-reel diving catch to rob second baseman Addi Morgan of a base hit in short left-center field in the sixth inning, Monte’s defense allowed three unearned runs thanks to four errors.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Montesano players (from left) Adda Potts, Lex Stanfield, Jaelyn Butterfield, Addi Kersker and Kennedy Campbell celebrate Butterfield’s diving catch during a 7-6 win over Rochester on Thursday at Montesano High School.
The Bulldogs left five runners on base and had the leadoff runner on in six of the game’s seven innings.
With the win, Montesano keeps its slim hopes of earning the 1A Evergreen League’s top seed alive. The Bulldogs currently hold a half-game lead over Rochester atop the league standings, but the Warriors hold the tiebreaker based on run differential.
Monte’s league season is completed with Rochester facing third-place Elma in the Warriors’ final league game of the season at 4:30 p.m on Tuesday in Elma.
An Elma victory would give Montesano the league title.
Regardless of how the final week of the regular season plays out, the win gives Montesano some much-needed confidence against an opponent they may likely face again in the district and state playoffs.
“This was for pride right now because we knew if we didn’t 10-run (rule) them, they were going to win league based on the outcome of the (upcoming) Elma-Rochester game,” Pace said. “The biggest thing was our plate discipline from Monday. (Demers) loves to throw high and we know that and we chased on Monday. Here, there was so much more discipline. The girls worked on it the last two days and it showed.”
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano catcher Ali Park celebrates after hitting a game-winning home run in the bottom of the seventh inning in a 7-6 victory over Rochester on Thursday in Montesano.
“I think we definitely came into this game knowing we were going to win, no matter what,” Parkin said. “At the end of the day, we did what we needed to do to win.”
Montesano is scheduled to face reigning 2B state champion Adna at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Rochester 000 002 4 – 6 7 2
Montesano 200 002 3 – 7 10 4
WP: Prince (0.2 IP, 0R, 0H, K). LP: Demers (6 IP, 7R, 5ER, 10H, BB, 8K).
Leading hitters: Rochester – Hartley (2-4, HR, R, 2RBI); LeBaron (1-4, 2B, R, 2RBI); Vassar (2-3, R, SB); Boyd (1-4, 2R, RBI). Montesano – Parkin (2-3, HR, R, 3RBI); Robinson (2-3, 2R); Kersker (2-3, R, RBI); Stanfield (1-4, R); Butterfield (1-3, R); Prince (1-3, RBI); Wisdom (1-3).
