MHS battles back, but falls in regional

     From a spectator’s standpoint, it was the kind of game many enjoy: close, back-and-forth, with outstanding defensive plays and big hits.

     It didn’t end the way the Monticello High School softball team had hoped, however, as the final big hit belonged to Mount Vernon.

     Bailey Sullivan’s double off the right centerfield fence with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in Kristen Elliott with the winning run, as the Mustangs edged Monticello 4-3.           

     The loss, coming in the Class 3A, Region 5 quarterfinals July 3 in Mount Vernon, ended the Panthers’ season.

     “It was just a real good softball game,” Monticello coach Bret McDonald said. “We just needed one hit or one bounce to go differently, and it would have been our game.

     “But give all the credit to them. We hit some balls hard, and they made the plays they had to make.”

     After the Panthers were retired in order in the top of the first inning, Mount Vernon struck early, scoring a pair of runs on a two-run single by Sullivan.

     Monticello answered in the top of the third. Reese Cox reached base on an infield single, and Tori McDonald drew a two-out walk. A wild pitch moved both runners up, and Taylor McDonald followed with a triple into the right centerfield gap, scoring Cox and McDonald and tying the game 2-2.

     “After the first inning, I thought we played really well,” coach McDonald said. “The defense played well, and Caitlyn (Cruise) pitched really well.”

     A double play in the fourth helped keep the score tied. A Mount Vernon bunt attempt turned into an out at first, when third baseman Jaelynn Kraus threw to Lauren Ries, who was covering first. Ries then fired to shortstop Tori McDonald, who tagged out a Mustang runner who had strayed off second.

     The 2-2 score held up until the bottom of the fifth, when the Mustangs scored on an RBI hit by Elliott to take a 3-2 edge.

     Again the Panthers came back, tying the game in the sixth. McDonald singled to centerfield, stole second and then third base, and scored on a bunt single by Ries to tie the game 3-3.

     Monticello looked ready to take the lead in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with two out, but Mount Vernon leftfielder Kyli Orr made a diving catch on a ball off the bat of Ries, leaving the score tied.

     “I thought their left side just played of of this world,” coach McDonald said.

     Mount Vernon then won the game on consecutive one-out hits in the bottom of seventh, a single by Elliott and a double off the right centerfield fence by Sullivan.

     Monticello had six hits, led by Taylor McDonald’s 2-for-3, two RBI performance. Caitlyn Cruise pitched the entire game for the Panthers.

     Monticello finished the season 13-16, including 10-7 in the River Valley Conference, good for third place in the North Division.

     “I thought our three freshmen (Lainey Fellinger, Tori McDonald, Reese Cox) really grew. All three just got better and better as the season went on,” the coach said.

     “And our three seniors (Taylor McDonald, Ries, Cruise); you can’t say enough about them. They’ll be pretty tough to replace.”

July 3

Class 3A, Region 5

Quarterfinals

Mount Vernon 4, Monticello 3

MONTICELLO                            AB    R      H    BI

McDonald, To. ss                          3      1      0      0

McDonald, Ta. cf                           3      1      2      2

Ries 2b                                          4      0      1      1

Kraus 3b                                       3      0      1      0

Hansen, S. 1b                               3      0      0      0

Gillmore lf                                      3      0      0      0

Cox dh                                           3      1      1      0

Fellinger c                                      2      0      0      0

James rf                                         3      0      1      0

Cruise p                                         3      0      0      0

Totals                                           27     3      6      3

Monticello                 002  001  0     –    3      6      1

Mount Vernon           200  010  1     –    4    11      1

One out when winning run scored.

3B – Ta. McDonald.

2B – Ta. McDonald 2.

Monticello                IP       H     R    ER   BB   SO

Cruise (L, 0-1)        6 1/3    11     4      4      0      0

Totals                     6 1/3    11     4      4      0      0