The Monticello Lady Billies have captured the outright 8-4A Conference Championship for the second year in a row, and their third in three years having shared the honor in the 2021-22 Season.
In the 2022-23 Season, the Lady Billies would need to defeat Stuttgart in the final conference game of the season to claim the title, fast forward one year later with the Lady Billies claiming the title well in advance with an 11-0 conference record heading into Thursday’s conference final regular season contest against Stuttgart at home.
The Lady Billies would face Crossett on Friday, April 19, for the second time in the season.
In their first conference contest back on March 26, the Lady Eagles would give the Lady Billies a tough, close contest with the Lady Billies taking the game by a single run, 7-6.
In the second contest the Lady Billies would enter the game trailing the season record for home runs by 10 to tie and 11 to break the record that is currently held by Smackover that was set in 2019.
Libby Kingston would lead off for the Lady Billies with a bunt and would reach on an error. Kingston would advance all the way to third base on the error.
Addi Frazer would get Monticello on the board with a two-run home run in the next at bat.
After the first two outs of the inning, Kiley Lane would add a run to the scoreboard on a solo home run.
In the top of the second inning, Allie Regalado reached first on an error off of a bunt.
Kingston would get the first out of the inning on a fly ball and Frazer would be intentionally walked in the next at bat.
Alaina Lyle would get the second out of the inning on a fly ball to shortstop.
Audrey Howard would put the Lady Billies up by six runs in the next at bat on a three-run homerun.
Lane would connect for her second solo shot of the game in the next at bat to give the Lady Billies a 7-0 lead, and in the next at bat, Ashley Hales would connect for the Lady Billies third consecutive home run to make the score 8-0.
After recording the first out of the bottom of the second on a ground out, Lyle would strike out the next two Lady Eagle batters to end the inning.
Regalado led off the top of the third inning with a single followed by a two-run home run by Kingston to extend the lead to 10-0.
The Lady Billies would get one more run in the inning after Abri Scott scored on a walk.
The Lady Billies would defeat Crossett in five innings by a score of 11-0 and would move within five home runs of breaking the season record after connecting for six against Crossett.
The Lady Billies would return home on Monday, April 22, for a non-conference contest against the Woodlawn Lady Bears.
Woodlawn would start the contest with their lead off batter reaching first on an error but Alaina Lyle was able to strike out the next batter and get the third batter to pop out before striking out the final batter to end the inning.
The Lady Billies would have their first two batters of the contest pop out and fly out before Lyle would reach on an error and advance to second. Audrey Howard would connect for a single to score Lyle to take the 1-0 lead.
Monticello would extend their lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the second inning after a triple by Madeline Stanley, who would score on an RBI out by Regalado.
The Lady Billies would record four singles and a double for the next four runs.
The Lady Billies would get their final runs of the contest in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Stanley to set up the 8-0 final.
With the home run by Stanley, the Lady Billies now need four homeruns in the final two contests to break the record.
With the win, the Lady Billies improved to 20-0 on the season and 11-0 in conference play.
The Lady Billies will compete in their final regular season conference contest on Thursday, April 25, hosting Stuttgart at 5 pm.
The Lady Billies will play in their final regular season home contest at home on Tuesday, April 30, in a non conference contest against the Conway Lady Wampus Cats with a scheduled start time of 5 pm.
