Montesano hasn't had much luck against Puyallup recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Bulldogs will host the Vikings at 6:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Montesano comes in on seven and Puyallup on four.
Montesano had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Pe Ell/Willapa Valley on Monday. The Bulldogs put the hurt on Pe Ell/Willapa Valley with a sharp 11-1 win. The Bulldogs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by seven runs or more this season.
Lainey Robinson and Ali Parkin did most of the damage at the plate: Robinson scored four runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4, while Parkin got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and three RBI. Alexa Stanfield was another key player, scoring three runs while going 3-for-3.
They weren't the only one making solid contact: Montesano kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Puyallup posted their closest victory since March 12th on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over Olympia.
Kiera Thomas was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits (and not a single walk). With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.3 strikeouts per game. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Paisley Jamison, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Montesano pushed their record up to 8-3-1 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Puyallup, their victory bumped their record up to 6-3.
Puyallup's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Montesano has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Puyallup, though, as they've been averaging 9.3 hits. Given Montesano's sizable advantage in that area, the Vikings will need to find a way to close that gap.
Montesano suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Puyallup in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
