The streak now stands at 20 for Montesano. The Bulldogs dropped Tenino 16-1 in three innings and then rode an 18 strikeout performance from Samantha Stanfield to defeat Hoquiam 8-1 at the District IV 1A softball tournament at Fort Borst Park in Centralia on May 17.

The two wins earned Montesano a spot in the district title game against La Center. But more importantly, Montesano extended a streak of state berths that now spans four United States presidents.

Monte 8, Hoquiam 1

Samantha Stanfield set the tone for this contest from the very first inning. The junior needed just 11 pitches to strike out the first three Grizzlies sent to the plate. From there, she worked through the Hoquiam lineup with near precision to tally 18 strikeouts.

“The rise balls were really getting them off and then it was fastballs outside,” Stanfield said. “Every game I try to get faster. It means the world (to get a state berth). We are all about tradition here.”

Offensively, the Bulldogs started off early with Stanfield leading off by bunting her way aboard before Lindsay Pace came up moments later and drilled a home run over the right field fence to make it 2-0 and plate what would be the game-winning runs for Montesano.

Hoquiam was able to show that Stanfield wasn’t exactly unhittable in the third inning when Kylee Bagwell ripped a shot over the left field fence for a home run. The round trip would cut the lead to 2-1, but that was as close as the Grizzlies would get.

Montesano would add two more runs in the bottom half of the third. Stanfield doubled with Pace following with a single. Both runners came around to score with Stanfield coming home on a ground out and Pace sprinting home on a fielding error.

The Bulldogs tacked on two more in the fourth on a single by Peyton Poler, before notching a run in the fifth and another in the sixth to cap the scoring.

Stanfield remained solid throughout, almost giving her fielders the day off. Montesano third baseman Hannah Quinn was the only Bulldog to field a ball for an out against the Grizzlies.

“Everything is working right now, the pitching, offense and defense,” Montesano head coach Pat Pace said. “I get excited every year. This is pretty special. This is a good group of kids right now and they want to end on a high note for the seniors.”

Monte 5, Hoquiam 0

If there was ever a game to define the term pitcher’s duel, it was the District IV 1A tournament championship on May 20. The rematch of the 2016 state 1A championship game featured the defending champ La Center led by Abigail England against Montesano with ace Samantha Stanfield in the circle.

The two rang up hitters one after another with Stanfield notching 14 strikeouts, and England collecting 12 Ks. But when the dust settled at Fort Borst Park it was Montesano holding the trophy after a 5-0 win.

Already assured of their 20th straight state appearance, the Bulldogs will face Zillah in the opening round of state at noon on Friday.

Montesano was aggressive at the plate and the Bulldogs were able to deliver timly hitting to take advantage of seven hits and just 12 baserunners. Stanfield’s domination included allowing just seven baserunners for the Wildcats.

“The rise ball is working well and (Sam’s) speed is coming around,” coach Pace said. “Abby England is one of the better pitchers we have faced this year, so to see her and Sam go at it, I thought it might be a 1-0 or 2-0 ball game. But we had some girls come up and put the ball in play for some hits at the right time and that is all it was. We constantly tell all of our batters to be very aggressive. With a good pitcher like Abby, we said ‘You may only get one good pitch.’”

Montesano’s Lindsay Pace needed just one good pitch to give the Bulldogs the eventual game-winning run in the first inning. Hitting second in the Bulldog lineup, the sophomore jumped on the first pitch from England and deposited the ball over the center-field fence.

Back in March, Columbian-Vancouver sportswriter Meg Wochnick had posted a video of England’s fastball from the view of an umpire on Twitter with a simple question of “Think you can hit off of La Center’s Abby England,” along with her 0.84 ERA from 2016. For most viewers, it was fascinating and a unique view. For Lindsay Pace it was a challenge she said she has been thinking about ever since she saw the video.

“I was just swinging,” Lindsay Pace said. “I wanted to hit her (pitching) ever since we saw that video, we had the goal to hit a home run off of her.”

While Pace got the offense started, Stanfield delivered all the defense for the Bulldogs in the first two innings in the form of six strikeouts.

In the third inning, Lindsay Pace delivered again, this time with a double to score Abi Parkin. After a fielding error by the Wildcats helped extend the inning, Allyssa Gustafson blooped a single to right to score Pace and put the Bulldogs up 3-0.

Montesano added another run in the fourth when Josie Toyra reached on a error and was driven home by Morgan Kersker. The Bulldogs capped the scoring in the seventh inning with Gustafson coming up with her second hit of the day, pulling a ball down the third base line for a double to score Pace.

Stanfield allowed just four baserunners in the first six innings, but in the seventh she would face a bit of a jam. England worked to help her cause with a leadoff ground-rule double. Stanfield was able to strikeout Caitlyn Thompson moments later, but La Center’s Coral Clark put a ball just over the infield for a single and Sydney Mairose got aboard with an infield single to load the bases with one out. From there, Stanfield took over. The junior struck out La Center’s Quinn Wiseman and got Ceanna Johnston to ground out to third to end the game.

After hoisting the trophy on Saturday, Montesano defeated Chehalis 5-0 on May 22 in a non-league game to tune up for the state 1A tournament, which will begin on Friday at Columbia Playfields in Richland.