Panthers power past Anamosa in regionals, before falling to Mount Vernon
Rylee Warthen of Monticello (23) is greeted by happy teammates after Warthen’s three-run homer at Anamosa July 5 in the regional quarterfinals. (Photos by Pete Temple)
Panther catcher Shay Stephen pops up to make a pickoff attempt to second base in the Anamosa game.
Taylor McDonald makes a running catch in center field against Anamosa.
A happy Caitlyn Cruise of Monticello rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against Anamosa. Cruise was also the winning pitcher. (Photo submitted)
The satisfaction of avenging an earlier loss to a neighboring rival lasted two days for the Monticello High School softball team.
The Panthers put together one of their best all-around performances of the season in an 8-3 win at Anamosa in the quarterfinal round of the Class 3A, Region 5 tournament July 5.
Two nights later, Monticello ran up against eighth-ranked Mount Vernon in the semifinals, and suffered a 13-2, five-inning, season-ending defeat.
At Anamosa, Caitlyn Cruise pitched “one of her better games,” Panther head coach Bret McDonald said.
“Caitlyn had good control of the game, and I think she really wanted to pitch that game,” he said. “Anamosa can really hit the ball, and I thought we limited them on offense.”
Cruise received big-time help in a couple of ways. Rylee Warthen’s three-run homer in the bottom of the third inning broke a 2-2 tie, and put the Panthers ahead 5-2. Cruise then helped herself, hitting a solo homer in the very next at bat to make it 6-2.
And, the Panthers had stellar defensive performances, a couple of which came from center fielder Taylor McDonald. She made a running catch in left center field for the third out in the top of the second inning.
In the fifth, Anamosa trailed 6-3 but was threatening with runners on second and third and only one out. McDonald raced in, dived forward and snared a sinking liner, then fired to second to double off a Blue Raider runner and end the inning.
“That was a big double play,” coach McDonald said. “She made a couple of great plays.”
Monticello opened the lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI ground out by Taylor McDonald and an RBI single by Jaelynn Kraus.
The power briefly went out at the Anamosa complex before the start of the seventh inning. After a brief meeting among the coaches and umpires, it was determined there was still enough daylight to play.
On June 20 at Anamosa, the Panthers had seen a 9-1 lead slip away in a 14-11 Blue Raider win.
There was no such comeback this time. Anamosa put the first batter on base in the top of the seventh, but a fly out and two grounders later, the game was over.
“It was a good win, to come back and beat a team that had beaten you previously,” coach McDonald said.
Kraus had a big game, batting 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. Shay Stephen and Taylor McDonald each had two hits. Warthen finished with four RBIs.
In Friday’s semifinal game at Mount Vernon, Monticello seemed ready to pick up where it had left off. Warthen blasted a two-run homer in the top of the first to give Monticello an early 2-0 lead.
It changed considerably over the next three innings, as the Mustangs took advantage of six Panther errors and six walks to score 13 runs.
“It was one of those games where the snowball starts rolling,” coach McDonald said. “They’re so fast, and if you make the tiniest mistake, they jump on you.”
Monticello was held to four hits.
The Panthers finished the season 8-9 in the River Valley Conference, 14-15 overall.
They will lose three seniors: Jacqueline Petersen, Stephen and Warthen.
“I can’t say enough about them,” McDonald said. “They all contributed to us in different ways.
“Rylee had a great year; she was one of those kids who can really hit for power. Shay was a good on-field leader, and Jacqueline was one of those good all-around players.”
Among others, the Panthers will return pitchers Cruise and Kraus next year.
“It was such a learning year for our pitchers,” the coach said, “but I thought they got better.”
Northeast tournament
Prior to the regional tournament, the Panthers ended their regular season with three games in the single-day Northeast Tournament July 1. Monticello lost to Maquoketa 6-0, beat Calamus-Wheatland 9-8 in six innings, and beat Bellevue 8-2.
The Panthers were held to four hits in the Maquoketa game. Against Cal-Wheat, the Panthers held on after seeing a 9-1 lead turn into a one-run game.
Cruise pitched a two-hitter against Bellevue, and Stephen batted 3-for-3.
July 1
Northeast Tournament
Maquoketa 6, Monticello 0
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
Stephen c 3 0 0 0
McDonald, Ta. ss 3 0 0 0
Kraus dh 3 0 0 0
Warthen 3b 3 0 0 0
Cruise p 3 0 1 0
Petersen 2b 3 0 1 0
Hansen cf 3 0 1 0
Gillmore lf 3 0 1 0
Ries 1b 3 0 0 0
McDonald, To. rf 0 0 0 0
Totals 27 0 4 0
Maquoketa 110 002 2 – 6 5 1
Monticello 000 000 0 – 0 4 2
LOB – Monticello 6, Maquoketa 2.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Cruise (L, 4-9) 7 5 6 2 3 2
Totals 7 5 6 2 3 2
Monticello 9, Cal-Wheat 8
(six innings)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
Stephen 3b 3 1 1 1
McDonald, Ta. ss 3 1 2 3
Kraus p 3 1 2 0
Warthen dh 3 1 1 2
Cruise rf 2 1 0 0
Petersen 2b 3 1 0 0
Hansen cf 2 1 1 1
Gillmore lf 3 1 2 0
Ries 1b 3 1 1 2
McDonald, To. c 0 0 0 0
Totals 25 9 10 9
Calamus-Whtld. 000 107 – 8 8 1
Monticello 030 06x – 9 10 4
LOB – Calamus-Wheatland 6, Monticello 3.
HR – Ta. McDonald, Warthen.
2B – Kraus, Gillmore, Ries.
SB – Kraus, Cruise, Petersen.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Kraus (W, 7-5) 5 5 5 2 5 1
Cruise 1 3 3 2 0 0
Totals 6 8 8 4 5 1
Monticello 8, Bellevue 2
(five innings)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
Stephen c 3 1 3 0
McDonald, Ta. cf 2 1 1 0
Kraus ss 3 2 1 0
Warthen 3b 3 1 1 2
Cruise p 2 2 1 1
Petersen 2b 3 0 0 2
Hansen lf 3 1 1 1
Ries 1b 3 0 1 1
McDonald, To. rf 2 0 0 0
James cr 0 0 0 0
Totals 24 8 9 7
Bellevue 002 00 – 2 2 2
Monticello 023 3x – 8 9 1
LOB – Monticello 6, Bellevue 2.
HR – Cruise.
2B – Ta. McDonald.
SB – Kraus, Warthen.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Cruise (W, 5-9) 5 2 2 1 2 1
Totals 5 2 2 1 2 1
July 5
Class 3A Reg. Quarterfinal
(at Anamosa)
Monticello 8, Anamosa 3
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
Stephen c 3 2 2 0
McDonald, Ta. cf 2 1 2 1
Kraus ss 4 2 3 1
Warthen 3b 4 1 1 4
Cruise p 2 1 1 1
Petersen 2b 3 0 0 0
Gillmore rf 3 0 0 0
Ries 1b 3 1 0 0
To. McDonald lf 3 0 0 0
Totals 27 8 9 7
Anamosa 002 010 0 – 3 4 2
Monticello 204 002 x – 8 9 4
LOB – Anamosa 6, Monticello 5.
HR – Warthen, Cruise.
SB – Kraus 2, Stephen, Ta. McDonald.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Cruise (W, 1-0) 7 4 3 0 2 1
Totals 7 4 3 0 2 1
July 7
Class 3A Reg. Semifinal
(at Mount Vernon)
Mt. Vernon 13, Monticello 2
(five innings)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
Stephen c 3 1 1 0
McDonald, Ta. cf 3 0 1 0
Kraus ss 2 0 0 0
Warthen 3b 1 1 1 2
Cruise p 2 0 0 0
Petersen 2b 2 0 1 0
Hansen dp 2 0 0 0
Gillmore rf 2 0 0 0
Ries 1b 2 0 0 0
To. McDonald lf 0 0 0 0
Totals 19 2 4 2
Monticello 200 00 – 2 4 6
Mount Vernon 052 6x – 13 6 0
LOB – Mount Vernon 4, Monticello 3.
HR – Warthen.
SB – Ta. McDonald 2.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Cruise (L, 1-1) 4 6 13 5 6 0
Totals 4 6 13 5 6 0
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