Prep Roundup: Montesano sweeps Hoquiam to remain unbeaten in league play

Also: Pe Ell-Willapa Valley remains undefeated; Grays Harbor College snaps 17-game losing streak

By Ryan Sparks • March 25, 2024 3:45 am
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano senior Cam Taylor connects with a pitch during a double header against Hoquiam on Saturday in Shelton.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano senior Cam Taylor connects with a pitch during a double header against Hoquiam on Saturday in Shelton.

Montesano swept Hoquiam and Grays Harbor College snapped a 17-game losing streak as we review a weekend full of Twin Harbors prep and college baseball.

PREP BASEBALL

Montesano 15, Hoquiam 0

Montesano scored nine runs before Hoquiam had a chance to bat en route to a 15-0 five-inning victory in the first game of a double header on Saturday in Shelton.

The Bulldogs (7-1 overall, 5-0 1A Evergreen) wasted little time attacking Hoquiam (1-6, 0-5), scoring nine runs in the top of the first inning highlighted by a Cam Taylor two-run single and a Tyler Johansen two-run double.

Monte scored a pair of runs in the top of the third on an RBI double from senior Jaxson Wilson followed by an RBI-sacrifice fly off the bat of catcher Colton Grubb.

The Bulldogs added four more runs in the fourth on run-scoring singles from Grubb and Christian Morris and an RBI double from Toren Crites.

Caden Grubb went five innings to pick up the win, holding Hoquiam scoreless on one hit – a leadoff single by Riley Montoure in the second – with seven strikeouts.

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano pitcher Caden Grubb picked up a victory over Hoquiam during a double header on Saturday in Shelton.

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano pitcher Caden Grubb picked up a victory over Hoquiam during a double header on Saturday in Shelton.

The Bulldogs had nine hits from eight different players in the game, led by Johansen, who went 2-f0r-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI.

Montesano 902 40 – 15 9 0

Hoquiam 000 00 – 0 1 6

WP: Ca. Grubb (5 IP, 0R, H, 7K). LP: Bryson (0.1 IP, 8R, 5ER, 3H, 4BB).

Leading hitters: Montesano – Johansen 2-4, 2B, 2R, 2RBI); Wilson (1-2, 2B, R, RBI); Crites (1-2, 2B, R, RBI); Poler (1-1, 3R, RBI); Co. Grubb (1-3, 2RBI); Taylor (1-4, R, 2RBI); Kjesbu (1-4, R, RBI); Morris (1-1, R, RBI). Hoquiam – Montoure (1-2).

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano’s Bode Poler slides back to first base as Hoquiam’s Chris Bryson receives a pick-off throw during a double header against on Saturday in Shelton.

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano’s Bode Poler slides back to first base as Hoquiam’s Chris Bryson receives a pick-off throw during a double header against on Saturday in Shelton.

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam infielder Zander Jump makes a catch during a double header against Montesano on Saturday in Shelton.

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam infielder Zander Jump makes a catch during a double header against Montesano on Saturday in Shelton.

Montesano 18, Hoquiam 1

Montesano completed the twin-bill sweep with an 18-1 five-inning victory over Hoquiam in the nightcap.

Leading 1-0 after scoring a run in the top of the first inning, Montesano struck for four runs in the second and took a 5-0 lead on first baseman Caden Grubb’s RBI double to score infielder Jaxson Wilson.

Monte put the game into 10-run rule territory with 12 runs in the fourth as Hoquiam struggled to get out of the inning.

In the frame the Bulldogs scored runs in a variety of ways. Zach Timmons, Toren Crites, Tucker Eaton and Bode Poler each had run-scoring singles in a frame that included runs crossing the plate via a hit batter, two fielder’s choice ground balls, a sacrifice bunt, an error and a bases-loaded walk.

Hoquiam’s lone run came in the bottom of the fourth when Chris Bryson drove in Zander Jump with a single up the middle.

Cam Tayor picked up the win, allowing an unearned run on one hit with six strikeouts in five innings pitched.

Monte’s offense was led by Poler and Wilson with three hits apiece.

The first-place Bulldogs now stand at 5-0 in the 1A Evergreen league and sit a full game ahead of Elma in the win column.

Monte hosts Tenino in a league matchup at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at Vessey Field in Montesano.

Hoquiam hosts Mt. Tahoma in a non-league contest at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

Montesano 140 (12)1 – 18 13 1

Hoquiam 000 10 – 1 1 2

WP: Taylor (5 IP, R, 0ER, H, 6K). LP: Montoure (3.1 IP, 14R, 11ER, 11H, 3K, 3BB).

Leading hitters: Montesano – Poler (3-4, 2B, 3R, RBI); Wilson (3-3, 2R, 2RBI, 2SB); Timmons (1-3, R, 2RBI); Perry (1-2, 3R, RBI); Eaton (1-2, 2R, RBI); Johansen (1-1, R); Co. Grubb (1-2, R, 2RBI); T. Crites (1-3, R); Ca. Grubb (1-3, 2B, 2R). Hoquiam – Bryson (1-2, RBI).

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 4, Naselle 1

The Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans won for the fourth-straight time to start the season with a 4-1 victory over Naselle on Saturday in Naselle.

PWV (4-0 overall) broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning on RBI singles from freshman Lucas Lusk and junior Connor “Cheese” Keeton.

A Brayden Ruddell run-scoring single in the fifth put the Titans up 3-0.

PWV added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Blake Howard came around to score on a Keeton single.

Junior Liam Smaciarz picked up the victory, holding the Comets (3-1) scoreless on one hit with three strikeouts in three innings pitched.

Keeton (3 IP, 0R, H, 4K) and freshman Max Jarvis (IP, 1ER, K, 4BB) combined to allow one run in four innings of relief for the Titans.

PWV faces Forks for a double header starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Forks.

PWV 002 010 1 – 4 8 1

Naselle 000 000 1 – 1 2 5

WP: Smaciarz (3 IP, 0R, H, 3K). LP: Anderson (7 IP, 4R, 2ER, 7H, 5K, BB).

Leading hitters: PWV – Keeton (2-4, 2RBI); Ruddell (2-3, RBI): Lusk (1-3, R, RBI); Howard (1-4, R); King (1-3, R); Clements (1-3). Naselle – Lindstrom (2-2).

MEN’S COLLEGE BASEBALL

GHC snaps skid, takes 3-of-4 against Blue Mountain

Grays Harbor College snapped a 17-game losing streak by winning three of four games at Blue Mountain College over the weekend.

The Chokers (4-20) opened Friday’s double header with a 5-3 win over the Timberwolves (7-11), with outfielder Tam Bellefuil (3-4, R, RBI) and winning pitcher Crew Howell (7 IP, 2R, ER, 2H, 6K) leading the way for the Chokers.

In the nightcap, Blue Mountain scored three runs in the seventh to snap a 2-2 tie and beat the Chokers 6-3.

Krishen Narayan took the loss for GHC, allowing six runs – five earned – on 10 hits with two strikeouts in eight-innings pitched.

On Saturday, GHC swept its final two games of the weekend series against Blue Mountain.

Grays Harbor rallied for five runs in the ninth inning then held on for a 9-7 win in the opener.

The Chokers trailed 3-2 heading to the top of the eighth inning where a run on an error followed by a Dylan Ahmad RBI sac fly gave the Chokers a 3-2 lead.

In the ninth, GHC scored five runs on RBI singles by Bellefuil, Hector Arrieta, Jerry Valdez and Jaden Herwick and a fielder’s choice ground out from Hunter Hillyard to take a 9-3 lead.

Blue Mountain rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but reliever Hunter Hillyard earned the save when he got Joaquin Velez-Fucal to ground out to first to end the game.

Cameron Horne (3-3, 2B, 2R), Bellefuil (3-5, R, RBI) and Arrieta (3-4, 3R, RBI) collected three hits apiece for GHC.

The Chokers host Pierce College for a double header scheduled to start at 1 p.m. on Friday.