Baseball: Montesano sweeps Tenino in big Doubleheader

4/20/2024

1st place in the EVCO 1A and quite possibly the League Championship was on the line at Tenino as the Beavers hosted Montesano in a Saturday afternoon double-header. Our coverage of both games is below.

Game 1

Montesano 6, Tenino 3

Pitcher Kellan Knox racked up 12 strikeouts to lead the Beavers into the 7th inning with a 3-1 lead. The Bulldogs defense didn’t help their own cause with 3 big errors early that resulted in 2 runs coming across the plate to give Tenino a quick 2-0 lead after 1 and then 3-0 after 2.

Montesano would get a run back in the 4th when Tyson Perry knocked in Tyler Johansen. Johansen doubled wiht 1 out and Perry doubled with 2 outs. The Bulldogs then exploded for 5 in the top of the 7th off reliever Cody Strawn who gave up 4 earned runs. Zach Timmons came up with the big hit with the bases loaded he cleared them with a deep double. Timmons would score on an error to make 6-3.

Tenino threatened loading the bases with 2 outs but reliever Skylar Bove would coaxed a groundout to end the game.

Knox was pulled after 6 innings as he was 8 pitches short of his limit but finished with what looked like a winning effort of 6 innings pitched, 12 strikeouts, 1 earned run on 3 hits. Austin Gonia had 4 hits for the Beavers with 3 singles a double and a run scored.

Camden Taylor started for the Bulldogs and went 3.2 innings giving up the 3 runs but did well to keep the Bulldogs close. John Griffin was next blanking the Beavers for 7 outs before Bove closed out the win. Timmons led the offense with a pair of doubles going 2-4 with 3 RBI and a run scored.

Our Thorbeckes MVP went to Zach Timmons.

ESN Postgame Show

Zach Timmons knocks a huge 3 run double

Game 2

Montesano 16, Tenino 11

Game 2 began and unfortuntely for Tenino ended the same way as game 1. The Beavers took an early 1-0 lead in the 1st inning on an RBI sacrifice fly from Austoin Gonia scoring Cody Strawn who had singled and advanced on an error.

The game would go back and forth with Montesano scoring 2 in the 3rd when after 1 run in and 2 outs Tenino pitcher Jack Burkhardt was having trouble getting to the Bulldogs and walked 2, hit a batter and then walked in the 2nd run. Beavers Head Coach Ryan Schlesser was not happy with the strike zone and let it be known. To be fair, Montesano Head Coach Mike Osgood would also question ho0w tight the strike zone was as a total of 16 walks were awarded between the 2 teams.

Tenino came right back in the bottom of 3 with a 2 run rally capped off with a 2 run double from Carson Hart.

Both teams would score 4 in the 4th inning with the Bulldogs Bode Poler ripping a 2 run home run leading the charge. The Beavers Burkhardt would single to lead off the bottom of 4. Will Feltus who had a solid day would knock in a run on an RBI single and Aust9in Gonia had another big game at the plate as he blistered a double and ended up 3-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

Gonia ended the day with 9 at bats going 7-7 with a sacrifice and a walk, 3 runs scored an RBI and a stolen base. Gonia also caught all 14 innings for a busy day.

Tenino would lead 8-6 after 4 and added another run in the 5th when Preston Snider hit an RBI single to score Burkhardt and with 6 out to get Tenino was looking to break even in the twin bill with a 9-6 lead.

The Bulldogs had other plans though and got things rolling sending 10 to the plate and scoring 4 and took a 10-9 lead. Toren Crites got things started with a lead-off single, followed by a double from Colton Grubb, Jaxson Wilson got on board by error and then a big swing from Tyler Johnson for a 2 RBI double. Cam Taylor added an RBI single.

Tenino answered with 2 runs in the bottom of 6 when Gonia singled to lead off the inning and would score on a Burkhardt sacrifice. Hunter Sweet would pick up Hart with an RBI single to give Tenino the 11-10 lead and just 3 outs from the win.

But history would quickly repeat itself as Montesano unloaded for 6 runs in the top of the 7th. Monte got things started by taking advantage of a struggling Beaver bullpen who walked the lead-off batter Colton Grubb then hit 2 batters and walked in Grubb. Then back-to-back singles from Kole Kjesbu and Tyson Perry. Poler then belted a double and this led simply too much for Tenino.

When the dust settled the Beavers trailed 16-11 and other than a 1-out double by Gonia the Beavers went down in order to end the day.

Tenino had to use 5 pitchers in the 2nd game and all struggled while Montesano went with 2 pitchers Caden Grubb went 3.1 innings and Skylar Bove finished and although they gave up plenty of runs the offense was more than sufficient to pick up the pair of really important wins.

Our Thorbeckes MVP went to Bode Poler who doubled and sent one over the fence. Montesano is now 10-1 in EVCO 1A league play while Tenino dropped to 7-3 and in a tie with Elma. Montesano has 2 league games left both on the road at Elma and then at Eatonville. Tenino is on the road at Hoquiam and will host Elma on April 30 which could very well determine 2nd place.

ESPN Postgame Show