The Monticello Billies returned to the field on Monday night after the remainder of last week's games were postponed and rescheduled due to weather, to take on a non conference opponent, Hot Springs Lakeside, in a contest that was changed to a home game, the original schedule was to face Magnolia in Magnolia.
Jackson Hines would be called upon to start the contest on the mound for the Billies.
Hines would get the first batter to fly out to start the contest but Eysa Chapman would put the Rams on the board in the next at bat with a solo home run to left field.
Before the end of the inning, the Rams would score three runs to take a 3-0 lead.
Monticello would get one run back in the bottom of the inning after a hit by Jagger Hines scored Brenden Brown. Hines would reach third on an error but would be left stranded on the bases.
Hot Springs would go on to score three runs in the top of the second, four in the top of the third, and four in the top of the fourth to take a 14-1 lead.
Monticello would score their final run of the contest in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Jagger Hines would lead off with a single followed by a single by Trystan White. Hines would steal third to put runners at the corners.
Following the first out of the inning, Jon Luke Brotherton would hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Hines to set up the final score of 14-2.
Returning to conference play on Tuesday, April 11, traveling to Star City to face the Bulldogs for the second time this season, Star City defeated the Billies in their first contest earlier in the season.
Easton Byrd would get the start on the mound for the Billies and would be given a 3-0 cushion in the top of the first inning to work with.
Kaleb Romero would lead off with a single before the Bulldogs record the first out of the inning on a ground out by Jon Luke Brotherton.
Brenden Brown drew a walk with Romero stealing third to get runners on the corners.
Jagger Hines singled to score Romero.
After the second out of the inning, Warren Pennington would connect for a single to score Brown and Hines for the 3-0 lead.
Byrd would get Star City’s lead off batter to ground out and would give up a single followed by an intentional walk to give the Bulldogs runners on first and second.
The next batter would hit into a double play to get Monticello out of the inning.
After a scoreless top half of the second inning, Star City would tie the contest 3-3 in the bottom of the second inning after three singles pulled the Bulldogs within one run, 3-2, followed by three consecutive walks that gave the Bulldogs their game tying run.
Monticello would get a single from Brown to start the top of the third followed by a walk to Jagger Hines, but both runners would be stranded on the bases after Star City recorded three consecutive outs to end the inning.
After holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the bottom of the third, the Billies top of the fourth would be similar to the top of the third as the first two batters would reach base before recording three consecutive outs to end the inning.
Star City would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Monticello recorded the first out of the inning getting the lead off batter to fly out but the next batter would reach base on a walk followed by a single and the next batter reaching on an error to load the bases with one out.
Christian Carnal singled to score two runs and after Dillon McBryde was hit by a pitch, Gavin White would hit into a fielder’s choice for the final score of the game to set up the 6-3 win, handing Monticello their third consecutive loss.
With the loss, Monticello falls to 11-8 overall and currently has a 3-4 record in the 8-4A Conference.
Stuttgart currently leads the conference followed by Star City, Warren, Hamburg, and Monticello.
There are five conference games remaining in the season with the Billies to face Hamburg and Watson Chapel on the road in their next two conference contests with a 5 pm scheduled start.
Monticello will travel to Sheridan on Thursday, April 13, for a non conference contest at 5 pm.
The Billies will need to finish fourth in the conference to earn a spot in the 4A South Regional Tournament held in DeQueen.
