Panthers top Cascade twice, split twinbill with Bellevue
It was a sweep of sweeps.
One day after the Monticello High School baseball team went up to Cascade and swept a doubleheader, the Panther softball team did the same thing.
Monticello scored a pair of high-powered victories, beating Cascade 11-6 and 9-3 on Tuesday, June 27.
How much power? Fifteen hits, including nine doubles, in the first game. Three home runs among 13 hits in the second game.
“Those were two of our bigger wins this year,” Monticello coach Bret McDonald said. “You don’t need much to get pumped up for those games.”
With those wins, and a split of a home doubleheader against Bellevue two nights later, the Panthers closed in on the .500 mark, both in River Valley Conference play (8-9) and overall (11-13).
After spotting Cascade a 1-0 lead in the first game, Monticello scored three times in the top of the third inning to take the lead, and led the rest of the way. The Panthers were up 6-5 through five innings, then scored four in the top of the sixth – a two-run double by Rylee Warthen was the key hit – to go up 10-5.
Lauren Ries had an outstanding game at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Getting two hits each were Shay Stephen, Taylor McDonald, Jaelynn Kraus, Sydney Hansen and Aspen Gillmore. Kraus, Hansen and Gillmore had two doubles apiece.
Pitcher Caitlyn Cruise held Cascade to seven hits and got the win.
The second game was close until Monticello scored four runs in the top of the ninth to take a 9-3 lead, with a Warthen double knocking in two of those runs. Warthen, Cruise and Stephen had solo homers; the Stephen and Warthen blasts both happened in the third inning.
Kraus pitched for the win, allowing two earned runs on 10 hits.
“I thought we pitched both games pretty well,” McDonald said. “And we really saw the ball real well, and were a little more patient at the plate.”
Thursday’s games against Bellevue were complete opposites. Bellevue won the first one 13-3, scoring in five of the seven innings, including four runs in the top of the first. The Panthers were held to six hits. Kraus was 2-for-4.
The nightcap was Monticello’s turn to take control early. The Panthers scored seven times in the bottom of the first inning, led 8-1 through three innings, and went on to win 1-42 in five.
Kraus fired a three-hitter with three strikeouts and no walks. Gillmore batted 2-for-3 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth that ended the game due to the 10-run rule. Warthen was 3-for-4. Jacqueline Petersen, Cruise and Hansen had two RBIs apiece.
Monticello will open postseason play with a Class 3A, Region 5 quarterfinal game at Anamosa Wednesday, July 5 at 7 p.m. The winner will play either Mount Vernon or Vinton-Shellsburg in a semifinal game Friday, July 7, 7 p.m. at Mount Vernon. The final is July 10 at the site of the highest remaining seed.
June 27
Monticello 11, Cascade 6
(first game)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
Stephen c 5 2 2 2
McDonald, Ta. ss 5 2 2 1
Kraus dp 5 1 2 3
Warthen 3b 4 0 1 2
Cruise p 4 0 0 1
Petersen 2b 4 0 0 0
Hansen cf 4 1 2 0
Gillmore lf 4 2 2 0
Ries 1b 4 3 4 2
McDonald, To. rf 0 0 0 0
Totals 39 11 15 11
Monticello 003 304 1 – 11 15 0
Cascade 100 400 1 – 6 7 3
LOB – Monticello 7, Cascade 7.
2B – Kraus 2, Hansen 2, Gillmore 2, Ries,
McDonald, Warthen.
SB – Ta. McDonald, Ries.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Cruise (W, 4-7) 7 7 6 6 4 2
Totals 7 7 6 6 4 2
Monticello 9, Cascade 3
(second game)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
Stephen 3b 4 1 1 1
McDonald, Ta. ss 4 1 1 1
Kraus p 4 2 2 0
Warthen rf 4 3 4 4
Cruise dp 4 1 2 3
Petersen 2b 4 0 1 0
Hansen cf 4 0 1 0
Gillmore lf 4 0 0 0
Ries 1b 3 1 1 0
McDonald, To. c 0 0 0 0
Totals 35 9 13 9
Monticello 003 002 4 – 9 13 2
Cascade 101 010 0 – 3 10 1
LOB – Cascade 7, Monticello 5.
HR – Stephen, Warthen, Cruise.
2B – Warthen, Cruise.
SB – Ta. McDonald, Kraus.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Kraus (W, 5-5) 7 10 3 2 0 3
Totals 7 10 3 2 0 3
June 29
Bellevue 13, Monticello 3
(first game)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
Stephen c 4 0 1 0
McDonald, Ta. ss 4 2 1 0
Kraus dp 4 1 2 1
Warthen 3b 3 0 0 0
Cruise p 4 0 0 1
Petersen 2b 3 0 0 1
Hansen cf 3 0 0 0
Gillmore lf 2 0 1 0
Ries 1b 3 0 1 0
McDonald, To. Rf 0 0 0 0
Totals 30 3 6 3
Bellevue 401 104 3 – 13 14 2
Monticello 200 000 1 – 3 6 4
LOB – Monticello 8, Bellevue 7.
2B – Kraus.
SB – Cruise, Hansen.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Cruise (L, 4-8) 7 14 13 8 2 3
Totals 6 14 13 8 2 3
Monticello 14, Bellevue 2
(five innings)
MONTICELLO AB R H BI
Stephen c 2 1 0 1
McDonald, Ta. ss 3 1 1 0
Kraus p 3 2 2 0
Warthen 3b 4 3 3 1
Cruise dp 3 2 1 2
Petersen 2b 3 2 1 2
Hansen cf 3 1 2 2
Gillmore lf 3 2 2 4
James cr 0 0 0 0
Ries 1b 3 0 0 0
To. McDonald c 0 0 0 0
Totals 27 14 12 12
Bellevue 100 10 – 2 3 1
Monticello 710 06 – 14 12 0
LOB – Monticello 7, Bellevue 2.
HR – Gillmore.
2B – Warthen, Hansen, Gillmore.
SB – Ta. McDonald 2, Gillmore.
Monticello IP H R ER BB SO
Kraus (W, 6-5) 5 3 2 2 0 3
Totals 5 3 2 2 0 3