McDonald sisters shine as Panthers close week with three victories
It was a week highlighted by big plays, key hits, and most importantly, three wins in four games for the Monticello High School softball team.
The Panthers (8-5, 10-11) bounced back from an early-week loss to West Liberty to sweep a home doubleheader from North Cedar, then win a dramatic non-conference game against visiting Anamosa.
We will start with the last one first, as the Panthers used some heroics from the McDonald sisters to overcome the neighboring rival Blue Raiders, by a score of 3-1, June 22 in Monticello.
Freshman Tori McDonald provided the winning hit, blasting a three-run homer over the center field fence in the bottom of the sixth, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead.
“What a great opportunity for a freshman,” said Monticello coach Bret McDonald, Tori’s father. “She really stepped up, and hit the ball hard. It’s something she’ll remember and I’ll remember for a long time.”
The homer might not have made much difference, if not for a big catch by Taylor McDonald, Tori’s sister, in the top of the second inning. Anamosa had taken a 1-0 lead and had two runners on when a Blue Raider shot headed for the right-centerfield fence.
Taylor raced back, leaped and caught the ball just above the fence-line for the final out.
“I know she’s my daughter, but as a coach, I don’t know if you ever see a catch like that,” Bret said. “She robbed a three-run homer.”
There were other factors as well. In the decisive sixth, Lauren Ries got a second chance when a foul fly ball was dropped, and delivered a one-out single. After a second out, DeLainy Fellinger singled, setting up Tori’s eventual game-winning homer.
And pitcher Caitlyn Cruise – winner of three straight games last week to up her season record to 8-7 – held the Raiders to seven hits while striking out four.
The week didn’t start out as well for the Panthers, who lost at West Liberty June 18 by a score of 14-4 in six innings. The Panthers took a 4-1 lead with four runs in the top of the third inning, but the Comets answered with four to take the lead, then scored nine more over the next three innings.
“They’re just really athletic, and always put a lot of pressure on you,” coach McDonald said.
Taylor McDonald batted 3-for-4 in the game, while Aspen Gillmore, Jaelynn Kraus, Reese Cox and Tori McDonald had two hits apiece.
The Panthers bounced back with a pair of shutouts against North Cedar June 19 in Monticello, by scores of 12-0 in four innings and 10-0 in five. Cruise pitched four-hitters in both games, striking out a total of eight batters for the doubleheader.
Taylor McDonald was 3-for-3 with three RBIs in the first game, and also made a diving catch in centerfield before doubling off a North Cedar runner who had strayed from first base. Kraus also was 3-for-3 with three RBIs, and Tori McDonald went 2-for-3.
In the second game, six players had two hits each: Taylor McDonald, Sydney Hansen, Gillmore, Ries, Kraus and Cox.
“They’re just awful young,” coach McDonald said of the Knights. “We did what we had to do, took care of hitting the ball hard and putting a lot of pressure on them.”
Regional pairings set
Regional softball pairings have been announced by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.
Monticello will open the post-season with a Class 3A, Region 8 quarterfinal game at Mount Vernon (14-13) July 3 at 7 p.m. The winner will play either Camanche or Anamosa in the semifinals July 6 at Camanche. The regional final will be July 9 at the home of the highest-ranked remaining team.
June 18
West Liberty 14, Monticello 4
(six innings)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
McDonald, Ta. 1b 4 1 3 0
Gillmore 2b 4 0 2 0
Hansen, S. 1b 3 1 1 1
Ries ss 3 1 1 0
Kraus p 3 1 2 0
James 3b 3 0 0 0
Cox rf 3 0 2 1
McDonald, To. c 3 0 2 2
Cruise p 3 0 0 0
Totals 29 4 13 4
Monticello 004 000 – 4 13 2
West Liberty 014 315 – 14 13 0
2B – Ta. McDonald, To. McDonald.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Kraus (L, 2-4) 5 8 9 4 3 2
Cruise 1 5 5 3 2 0
Totals 6 13 14 7 5 2
June 19
Monticello 12, North Cedar 0
(first game, four innings)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
McDonald, Ta. cf 3 3 3 3
Gillmore lf 3 2 2 2
Hansen, S. 1b 2 1 1 0
Ries 2b 3 1 1 0
Kraus 3b 3 1 3 3
Fellinger c 3 0 0 2
James rf 3 1 1 0
McDonald, To. ss 3 1 2 0
Cruise p 2 0 1 0
Hansen. P. cr 0 1 0 0
Cox cr 0 1 0 0
Totals 25 12 14 10
North Cedar 000 0 – 0 4 3
Monticello 263 1 – 12 14 0
2B – To. McDonald, Cruise.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Cruise (W, 6-7) 4 4 0 0 1 2
Totals 4 4 0 0 1 2
Monticello 10, North Cedar 0
(second game, five innings)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
McDonald, Ta. cf 4 1 2 1
Gillmore lf 3 1 2 1
Hansen, S. 1b 3 2 2 2
Ries 2b 4 1 2 3
Kraus 3b 3 0 2 0
Fellinger c 2 0 0 0
Cox dh 3 2 2 0
McDonald, To. ss 1 1 0 0
Cruise p 1 1 1 1
James rf 0 0 0 0
Steiner cr 0 1 0 0
Hansen, P. cr 0 0 0 0
Totals 24 10 13 8
North Cedar 000 00 – 0 4 3
Monticello 061 21 – 10 13 1
HR – Ries.
2B – S. Hansen, Ries.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Cruise (W, 7-7) 5 4 0 0 0 6
Totals 5 4 0 0 0 6
June 22
Monticello 3, Anamosa 1
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
McDonald, Ta. cf 3 0 1 0
Gillmore lf 3 0 0 0
Hansen, S. 1b 3 0 1 0
Ries 2b 3 1 2 0
Kraus ss 3 0 1 0
Fellinger c 3 1 1 0
McDonald, To. ss 3 1 2 3
Cox dh 3 0 2 0
Cruise p 2 0 0 0
James rf 0 0 0 0
Totals 26 3 10 3
Anamosa 010 000 0 – 1 7 3
Monticello 000 003 x – 3 10 1
HR – To. McDonald.
SB – Ta. McDonald 3.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Cruise (W, 8-7) 7 7 1 1 3 4
Totals 7 7 1 1 3 4