3/20/17
Tumwater 6, Montesano 5 (8 inn)
(Tumwater, WA) This was the 3rd game of the season for Tumwater and the season opener for Montesano. Both teams would put a run up in a long 1st inning. Nick Chapman got it started for the Bulldogs with a basehit off Tumwater starter Logan Chase. He would score on an RBI single from Matt Plato. Tumwater answered in the bottom half of the inning with Noah Andrews leading off with a walk and then stole 2nd base. He scored when Noah Sirkel singled off Bulldog starter Nate Kloempman and it was 1-1.
After 2 more innings of scoreless baseball Montesano took advantage of 3 straight fielding errors to fuel a 4-run inning in the 4th. It began with Sawyer Rhoden walking. He was sacrificed to second on a bunt. Plato was then hit by a pitch and Dakoyta Reninger walked to load the bases. The Bulldogs Kyle Trout, Noah Quinn and Carson Klinger all grounded balls to the infield triggering the 3 straight errors. Teegan Zillyett sac flied to center to wrap up the 4-run outburst and the Bulldogs were in control 5-1.
Tumwater scrambled back with 2 runs in the 5th and 2 more in the 6th. The 5th inning the bases were empty with 2 out when Andrew Pullar and Austin Pullar both walked. A pitch to the backstop pushed both Pullars up a base to take the force out of play. Lead off hitter Noah Andrews then grounded a hot shot to short but an error would see the Pullars score and Tumwater was back in it down 5-3.
Jakob Holbrook led of the bottom of the 6th for the T-Birds with a walk and would score on another error to make it 5-4. Logan Hayes then came through ripping a single driving in Garrett Behrens to tie the game after 6 innings. Neither team would score in the 7th pushing it to extra innings.
The Bulldogs got 2 runners on in the top of the 8th but stranded them setting up the T-bird comeback win. With 1 out Jackson Davis singled and then Griffen Noice came in to pinch run for the T-Bird catcher. Logan Hayes slapped a single to right and Tumwater had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Noice then mistakenly got caught too far off 2nd and headed for 3rd. The close play went Noice’s way as the umpire called him safe at 3rd while Hayes advanced to 2nd.
Monte Head Coach Mike Osgood then put Hunter Merly on 1st to fill the bases looking for a double play to kill the scoring threat. Dustin Doll then came up looking to just drive one into the outfield with the defense pulled up tight but instead he worked the count full and then took ball 4 off relief pitcher Nick Chapman to force in the winning run and Doll gets the game winning RBI. Tumwater also got solid relief work from Wesley Swick and Landon Jordan, Jordan gets the win. Tumwater improves to 3-0 while Montesano opens the season 0-1 in a game they probably feel they let get away from them.
Out Tommy Lowe of the Greene Realty Group Players of the Game went to Tumwater’s Logan Hayes and Montesano’s Matt Plato. Our ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game went to Tumwater’s Griffen Noice for his steal of 3rd base setting up the winning run.
Photo Gallery
www.elisportsnetwork.com
