History often finds a way of repeating itself, and it did just that Saturday as, for the second time in the last three seasons, Montesano won the WIAA’s 2025 1A State Softball Championship.
Montesano defeated Rochester 10-4 to clinch its second state championship in the last three seasons and its third since 2019.
Despite the loss, Rochester placed the highest it ever has in program history, according to the WIAA website.
With that in mind, Rochester coach Joni Guerrero said she is tremendously proud of her team for their efforts throughout the 2025 season and in the WIAA’s 1A State Softball Tournament.
“It sucks, and like I was just telling our superintendent, unfortunately that’s the game they’re going to remember,” Guerrero told The Chronicle after the loss. “The fight, making history, they don’t get that yet because they’re going to remember this game. But we’re going to talk about it in the bus.”
Guerrero noted that seven of Rochester’s nine starters are part of the graduating class of 2025. Not only did they leave their mark on the Warriors softball program during their final campaign, they made a lasting impression on Rochester residents as an abundance of family, friends and community members made the 180-mile trip to Richland for the tournament.
“When seven out of your starting nine are seniors, that’s a huge chunk of your team. We wouldn’t have been anywhere close to where we were the last four years without these seniors,” Guerrero said. “They’re a huge piece of this, not just even this year — but all four years of our run.”
Rochester opened the scoring in the 1A state championship game in the top of the second inning after a Charlie Culp 2-RBI double. Rochester’s 2-0 lead was quickly erased in the bottom of the second inning after an RBI single, sacrifice fly and 2-RBI double put Montesano ahead, 4-2.
Montesano led 4-3 after the top of the third.
In the bottom of the third inning, Montesano extended its lead to 6-3 after a two-run home run from freshman Violet Prince.
Montesano added three more runs to their score in the bottom of the fifth inning after a 2-RBI double by junior Lex Stanford and an RBI single from Prince to extend the lead to 9-3.
Montesano added its final insurance runs of the 1A state championship game in the bottom of the sixth inning after a fielding error allowed a runner on third to advance home — extending the Bulldogs’ lead to 10-3.
Rochester showed signs of life in the top of the seventh inning when runners reached base after a single, a throwing error and a walk — loading the bases with just one out. Trailing seven runs with the bases loaded, the Warriors needed a miracle to put together a comeback.
After Rochester added one additional run after a fielding error in the top of the seventh, Montesano recorded one final strikeout to earn the team’s second 1A state championship in three years.
Despite trailing early in the state championship, Guerrero was also proud of her team for staying present and never giving up until the final out.
“You have a game like that and you still only lose by six, that shows our talent. We fought. We could’ve rolled over and died many times in that game,” Guerrero said. “I’m proud of that. The want and their heart in that game, I love it.”
