Montesano and Elma renewed their East County Rivalry with a thriller to headline Monday’s Twin Harbors prep softball action.

PREP SOFTBALL

Montesano 8, Elma 7

In a battle of two teams tied for first place in the 1A Evergreen League, the Montesano Bulldogs held off a furious late-inning rally to defeat Elma 8-7 on Monday in Elma.

The Bulldogs (9-3 overall, 4-0 1A Evergreen) led 1-0 after a run in the second on a Lex Stanfield sacrifice fly to score shortstop Addi Kersker.

The Eagles (9-4, 3-1) tied the game on a Mia Monroe RBI single in the bottom of the third and took a 2-1 lead on Aaleigha Weld’s run-scoring single to drive in senior shortstop Emmie Spencer in the fourth.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma senior Emmie Spencer, left, slides in ahead of the tag of Monte shortstop Addi Kersker during the Eagles’ 8-7 loss on Monday in Elma.

Monte tied the game in the fifth when outfielder Carsyn Wintrip came around to score on an error and delayed relay throw by the Eagles defense.

The Bulldogs regained the lead an inning later when first baseman Kylee Wisdom doubled to drive in Tieander Olson followed by a Kersker single to score pinch-runner Jaelyn Butterfield for a 4-2 lead.

With two on and one out in the seventh, Monte appeared to put the game out of reach when Bulldogs catcher and league MVP candidate Ali Parkin belted a home run over the left-center field fence for a 7-2 lead.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Montesano catcher Ali Parkin (3) is greeted by her teammates after hitting a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning of an 8-7 win over Elma on Monday in Elma.

Olson followed with a triple and scored on Elma’s second error of the game as the Bulldogs took a comfortable 8-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

But Elma’s offense has made life anything but comfortable for opposing defenses recently, and Monday’s game was no different.

A rare Monte error followed by a Chloe Donais double put two on with no outs.

Aaleigha Weld then scored on a wild pitch followed by a Raelynn Weld RBI sacrifice fly and suddenly Elma trailed 8-4.

Monroe worked a walk and advanced to second on an Ashlynn Weld single.

Monte reliever Grace Gooding – who had pitched well in replacing starter Riley Timmons in the third inning after Timmons suffered back stiffness – struck out Elma first baseman Callie Galligan to put Monte one out from victory.

Spencer had other plans as the hard-charging senior shortstop lined a double to center, scoring Monroe and Ashlynn Weld to cut the deficit to 8-6.

Lynsee Bednarik followed with a double to the fence in right, scoring Spencer to put Elma within a run at 8-7.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma’s Lynsee Bednarik looks toward the Eagles dugout after hitting a run-scoring double in the bottom of the seventh inning of an 8-7 loss to Montesano on Monday in Elma.

But the miraculous comeback was for not as Monte freshman reliever Kaitlyn Trail struck out freshman Audree Simmons to end the game as the Bulldogs escaped with an 8-7 win.

“I kept telling the girls the whole time, this is a team that never gives up,” Montesano head coach Pat Pace said of Elma. “You give them extra opportunities and they are going to take advantage of it and they did. We made it really hard for Thursday’s game.”

Pace is referencing the updated 1A Evergreen League rules for softball this season, where teams play each other twice with the tiebreaker being run-differential, similar to how it is set up for boys and girls soccer.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Montesano shortstop Addi Kersker, right, celebrates a leaping snow-cone catch by left fielder Liv Robinson, right, in the bottom of the fifth inning of the Bulldogs’ 8-7 win over Elma on Monday in Montesano.

With Elma coming back in the seventh to cut the deficit to one means if the Eagles win by two or more runs when the two teams meet up at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Montesano, Elma will be the league front-runner.

“It was a lot better when it was 8-2,” Pace quipped.

Gooding picked up the win, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 4 1-3 innings pitched.

Trail earned the save with the strikeout of Simmons while starter Timmons allowed an earned run on no hits and two walks with two strikeouts in two innings pitched.

Freshman pitcher Aslynn Weld allowed eight runs – seven earned – on seven hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in taking the complete-game loss.

“I think what you’re seeing is a group of girls that just absolutely love each other,” Elma head coach Ashley Stancil said of Elma’s knack for scoring runs late in its recent games. “They know there is no quit in the next girl. … We just want to make it a game and they just genuinely care for each other and want to play the game, which is a pleasure to watch. … Monte is just a solid team they always are and they always will be. … They are just a very well-coached team.”

Montesano 010 012 4 – 8 6 1

Elma 001 100 5 – 7 9 2

WP: Gooding (4.1 IP, 4R, 4ER, 8H, BB, 2K). LP: Ash. Weld (7 IP, 8R, 6ER, 6H, 5BB, 8K). SV – Trail (0.1 IP, K).

Leading hitters: Montesano – Parkin (2-4, HR, R, 3RBI); Wisdom (1-3, 2B, RBI); Olson (1-1, 3B, R, RBI); Kersker (1-3, R, RBI); Gooding (1-2, 2B). Elma – Spencer (2-3, 2B, 2R, 2RBI); Monroe (1-3, R, RBI); Aal. Weld (1-2, 2R, RBI); R. Weld (1-3, RBI); Donais (1-3, 2B, R); Bednarik (1-4, 2B, RBI); Galligan (1-4).

Aberdeen 4, Black Hills 0

Aberdeen got a big performance from junior pitcher Lilly Camp to earn a 4-0 victory over Black Hills on Monday in Tumwater.

The Bobcats (10-3, 5-2 2A Evergreen) and Wolves (4-7, 1-6) were locked in a scoreless tie through six innings until the Bobcats’ half of the seventh.

Britten Neal led off with a walk and was followed by Camp, who homered to right to give Aberdeen the 2-0 lead.

With nobody on and two outs, Laynie Yakovich doubled and later scored on a Zoe Vessey single.

Vessey then scored on a Black Hills error for a 4-0 lead.

Camp ran into a little trouble in the seventh after a leadoff single and walk, but then struck out the side to secure the victory.

Camp allowed three hits and three walks while striking out 16 in the complete-game shutout victory.

Aberdeen sits in third place behind W.F. West and Tumwater, which are tied for first place.

The Bobcats host Rochester at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Aberdeen 000 000 4 – 4 4 0

Black Hills 000 000 0 – 0 3 2

WP: Camp (7 IP, 0R, 0ER, 3H, 3BB, 16K). LP: Goheen (7 IP, 4R, 3ER, 4H, 5BB, 6K).

Leading hitters: Aberdeen – Camp (1-3, HR, R, 2RBI); L. Yakovich (1-3, 2B, R); A. Yakovich (1-3, 2B); Vessey (1-4, R, RBI). Black Hills – Arko (1-3); Malone (1-3); McMahon (1-3).

DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO Hoquiam senior catcher Faith Prosch had three home runs in an 18-1 win over Tenino no Monday in Tenino.

Hoquiam 18, Tenino 1

Hoquiam brought heavy bats to the plate in an 18-1 win over Tenino on Monday in Tenino.

The Grizzlies (5-10, 3-2 1A Evergreen) had six home runs as a team in the game – three alone by senior catcher Faith Prosch – and had 18 hits as a team.

Leading 4-1 in the top of the second inning, Prosch, shortstop Lexi LaBounty and pitcher Kayte Sauer hit back-to-back-to-back home runs for an 8-1 lead.

Prosch hit her second two-run homer of the game in the third followed two batters later by an Avery Howard two-run shot over the center-field fence.

Prosch belted her third two-run home run of the day in the top of the fourth, staking Hoquiam to a 16-1 lead.

In addition to her three home runs, Prosch also tripled, giving her four hits, four runs and eight RBI in the stellar performance.

Sauer earned the victory in the circle, allowing one run on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in the five-inning victory.

Hoquiam sits in third place in the 1A Evergreen League, a half-game behind Elma in the loss column.

The Grizzlies host Tenino at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Hoquiam 446 22 – 18 18 1

Tenino 100 00 – 1 6 1

WP: Sauer (5 IP, R, ER, 6H, BB, 7K). LP: Grayless (2.1 IP, 11R, 9ER, 11H, 2BB).

Leading hitters: Hoquiam – Prosch (4-5, 2 HR, 3B, 4R, 8 RBI); Templer (3-4, 3R, RBI); LaBounty (2-3, HR, 2B, 4R, RBI); Howard (2-3, HR, 2B, 2R, 2RBI); Sauer (1-4, HR, R, 2RBI); Stanstipher (2-4, R); Deitrick (2-5, 2R, RBI); Dhooghe (1-2, RBI); Burgess (1-3, R). Tenino – Hussey (2-3, R); Grayless (1-3); Goodwin (1-3); Bratton (1-3); Sutherland (1-2).

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 3, Ocosta 1

A Karli Phelps triple turned out to be the difference as Pe Ell-Willapa Valley defeated Ocosta 3-1 in the first game of a double header on Monday in Pe Ell.

The Titans (11-4, 4-1 2B Pacific) took a lead against standout pitcher Jessie Gilbert and the Wildcats (10-2, 2-1) with three straight two-out singles in the bottom of the third to load the bases.

Phelps stepped to the dish and sent a Gilbert 0-1 pitch into center field for a triple, clearing the bases for a 3-0 lead.

Ocosta would score a run in the fifth when Noel Cuzdey lined a single to center to score Madisyn Garrison.

PWV ace Lauren Emery held the Wildcats scoreless the rest of the way to pick up the win, allowing one earned run on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts in the complete-game victory.

Gilbert took the rare loss, allowing three runs – none earned – on three hits with a walk and 14 strikeouts in six innings pitched.

Ocosta 000 010 0 – 1 6 2

PWV 003 000 x – 3 3 1

WP: Emery (7 IP, R, ER, 6H, BB, 5K). LP: Gilbert (6 IP, 3R, 0ER, 3H, BB, 14K).

Leading hitters: Ocosta – J. Schlegel (2-3); Rosander (1-3, 2B); Olive (1-3, 2B); Cuzdey (1-4, RBI). PWV – Phelps (1-2, 3B, 3RBI); Matlock (1-3, R); Hodel (1-3, R).

Ocosta 7, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 3

Ocosta earned a split of its double header with PWV with a 7-3 victory in the nightcap.

The Wildcats scored a pair of runs in the first on a two-run error and two in the third on a PWV error followed by a Jolissa Schlegel RBI double.

The Titans would trim the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth on a Lauren Matlock run-scoring double, making it a 3-1 game.

But Ocosta responded with three in the top of the sixth on a Samantha Schlegel two-run home run and a Jessie Gilbert RBI double for a 7-1 lead.

PWV scored twice in the sixth on an error and dropped third strike, but got no closer as Gilbert retired Brookelynn King on a bunt ground out to end the sixth and worked around a Matlock double to retire the side in the seventh.

Gilbert went 3-for-4 with two doubles and allowed one earned run on five hits with two walks and 13 strikeouts in seven innings to lead Ocosta.

Ocosta hosts Taholah at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

PWV takes on Ilwaco in a double header at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Ilwaco.

Ocosta 202 003 0 – 7 9 4

PWV 000 012 0 – 3 5 2

WP: Gilbert (7 IP, 3R, ER, 5H, 2BB, 13K). LP: Barnum (6 IP, 7R, 3ER, 9H, BB, 5K).

Leading hitters: Ocosta – Gilbert (3-4, 2 2B, R, RBI); Ness (2-3, R); S. Schlegel (1-4, HR, 2R, 2RBI); Cuzdey (1-3, 2B, 2R); Rosander (1-4); J. Schlegel (1-4, RBI). PWV – Matlock (4-4, 3B, 2 2B, RBI); Phelps (1-4, 2B, R).