The Aberdeen Bobcats will play for a spot in the state championship tournament after advancing in the 2A District 4 Tournament on Thursday at Rec Park.

Aberdeen (12-8 overall) entered the season as the No. 9 seed — the lowest in the tournament — and advanced to the quarterfinal round after an 11-3 victory in the play-in game against No. 8 Mark Morris on Tuesday.

In Thursday’s quarterfinals, Aberdeen lost 10-1 to top-seeded Ridgefield (21-1).

Aberdeen took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when red-hot Laynie Yakovich sent a double to left field to drive home Maddie Gore, who singled earlier in the frame.

But Aberdeen starter Lilly Camp ran into trouble in the bottom of the third, walking the bases loaded. Ridgefield took advantage of several Aberdeen defensive miscues in the inning, scoring six runs in the frame without a base hit.

All told, Aberdeen walked four, committed three errors and a dropped third strike that led to the Spudders’ big inning.

That was more than enough run support for Ridgefield pitcher Kaylen Wingerd, who allowed the one run on six hits in pitching a complete game.

Camp, who was questionable to pitch going into the tournament with a back injury, gave up eight runs — two earned — on just one hit with 11 strikeouts and six walks in five innings pitched.

With the loss, Aberdeen faced the possibility of having its season end early against N0. 5 Columbia River in an elimination game.

Led by a huge game from outfielder Merryn Bruner, Aberdeen’s offense erupted for a 15-5 mercy-rule victory.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the third, Aberdeen scored five runs in the frame, capped by a Bruner two-run home run to center field.

Aberdeen added two runs in the fourth on back-to-back doubles from Aili Scott and Hailey Wilson followed by a Gore RBI single to go up 7-2.

Leading 7-5 after Columbia River scored three runs on an error and Sophia Reyes’ two-run homer off Camp in the top of the fifth, the Bobcats put the game away with seven runs in the bottom of the frame.

Emma Siano led off with a single and was promptly chased home on Bruner’s second two-run bomb of the game, putting Aberdeen up 9-5. Annie Boyle and Shyanna Patrick followed with singles and Zoe Vessey walked to load the bases. After Scotlyn Lecomte hit into a fielder’s choice groundout with pinch-runner Abby Mainio out at home, Wilson drove in Patrick with a sac fly followed by a Gore two-run single.

The Bobcats weren’t done yet.

Yakovich reached on an error and later scored on a single by Siano, her second base hit of the frame.

Needing one run to earn a walk-off, 10-run mercy rule victory, Boyle was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the sixth and advanced to second on a walk to Patrick. Vessey then singled to center, scoring pinch-runner Mainio with the game-winning run.

Bruner went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI to lead a Bobcats offense that cracked 17 hits in the game.

Camp picked up the victory, allowing four earned runs on six hits with 10 strikeouts and a walk in six innings pitched.

Aberdeen will face league foe Rochester in a district elimination final at 4 p.m. today at Rec Park.

A win and Aberdeen is in the state tournament. A loss ends the season.

Columbia River 200 030 — 5 6 2

Aberdeen 005 271 — 15 17 1

Columbia River — Wiley (2-3, RBI), Reyes (1-3, R, 2RBI), Yanez (1-2, 2R, RBI), Ventura (1-2, 2R), McRae (1-3, RBI). LP – McRae (4.2 IP, 13R, 11ER, 16H, 2K, 2BB).

Aberdeen — Bruner (3-4, 2 HR, 2R, 5RBI), Gore (3-4, 2B, 2R, 3RBI), Scott (2-2, 2B, 2R), Wilson (2-3, 2B, R, 2RBI), Yakovich (2-4, R, RBI), Siano (2-4, 2R, RBI), Boyle (1-3), Patrick (1-3, R), Vessey (1-3, R, RBI). WP – Camp (6 IP, 5R, 4ER, 6H, 10K, BB).

PREP BOYS SOCCER

King’s 3, Montesano 0

Montesano’s season came to an end with a 3-0 loss to King’s in a 1A State regional round game on Wednesday at Woolsey Stadium in Seattle.

The Bulldogs finished the season with a 13-6 record.

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

BASKETBALL

Grays Harbor College Adult Rec League

Thursday, May 18

Sneaker Krew 57, Chokers 50

Sneaker Krew — Sam Johnson 20 points

Chokers — Nolan Charley 17.

Goon Squad 52, Taholah 48

Goon Squad — Austin Perez 12, Jesse Purdy 11.

Taholah — Tyler Crossguns 15.

Panch State 67, Coffee Shop 66

Panch State — Logan Walker 23, Luke Vargas 16.

Coffee Shop — Eric Johnson 20.