TUMWATER — What started as a high-scoring affair slowly turned into a battle of the bullpens, but the Wolves weren’t able to scratch across the runs they needed late, as Black Hills fell to Montesano 10-7 in their season opener.
Montesano got on the board quickly with four runs in the top of the first, but the Wolves (0-1) instantly responded in the bottom half.
After a walk and two singles loaded the bases, Zion Baker drew a walk to get Black Hills on the board. Two batters later, an Orion Pate two-run single got the Wolves within one and chased the Montesano starter out of the game.
A two-run single from Hunter Venable later in the inning put them up 5-4 after one.
“I liked how we didn’t wait,” Black Hills coach Nicholas Mailhot said. “We just attacked and hit our pitches.”
Montesano was able to tie it in the top of the second, and after a scoreless bottom half, they took control in the third.
After a walk, a passed ball, and a single put runners on the corners with no one out, a safety squeeze brought home the Bulldogs’ sixth run and allowed the runner from first to advance to third.
After a stolen base, another safety squeeze not only brought home the runner from third, but also the runner from second, who didn’t hesitate and raced home after rounding third.
Montesano was able to tack on two more to push its lead to 10-5, and a Venable RBI groundout and Truman Wimsett RBI single in the bottom half made it 10-7 after three.
From there, the bullpens took over.
Logan Swannack took over on the bump for the Wolves, and he struck out three without allowing a hit over three scoreless innings of work.
“Swannack was huge,” Mailhot said. “That settled us down, allowed us to get back in the game … We didn’t close the gap all the way, but he was huge in getting us there.”
The Wolves couldn’t close the gap because Montesano’s John Griffin was just as lights-out as Swannack was. Griffin pitched the final four innings of the game, working efficiently to keep the Wolves at bay and maintain the Bulldogs’ lead.
In each of his first three innings of work, Griffin needed just nine pitches to retire the side.
“The other team was able to attack the zone really well,” Mailhot said. “They did a good job throughout the game and slowed our bats down.”
Black Hills’ best chance to cut into the lead came in the bottom of the sixth, when Parker Termini was at third with just one out. Willy Kytta roped a line drive that seemed destined for the left field corner, but instead, it was snagged by the Montesano third baseman, who quickly raced over to the bag to double-up Termini and end the inning.
“The only place we could hit it where we don’t get the result we want,” Mailhot said before shrugging. “It’s baseball.”
Black Hills was able to bring the tying run to the plate twice in the bottom of the seventh, but Griffin was able to get a flyout and a strikeout to end the game.
The Wolves will have to wait until Monday for the chance to bounce back, when they’ll welcome Hoquiam in another non-league matchup.
“It was really great to be out here and play a game,” Mailhot said. “To see our boys compete and give the best they could, I thought they did that today … I’m excited to see how we compete there (Monday). We got a lot to build on and I’m excited to see that.”
