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The Monticello Lady Billies travelled to DeQueen this past week after capturing the 8-4A Conference Championship as the #1 seed in the 4A-4 Regional Championship Tournament.
With the number one seed, the Lady Billies would face the fourth seed out of the 7-4A, the Arkadelphia Lady Badgers, in the opening round of the tournament.
Alaina Lyle would get the start in the circle for the Lady Billies and would open the contest with consecutive strikeouts followed by a pop up for the final out of the first inning.
It would not take long for the Lady Billies to get on the board.
Libby Kingston would lead off with a double followed by a single by Addi Frazer that scored Kingston for the 1-0 lead.
Monticello added a second run in the bottom of the second inning after a single by Macey Stell reached on a single followed by Halle Ross reaching first on an error that would score Stell for the 2-0 lead.
After Lyle struck out the side in the bottom of the second, the Lady Billies would pick up another run in the top of the third on an RBI single by Bliss Becker to score Grace Ferguson.
Monticello added six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Kingston to increase the Lady Billie lead to 9-0.
The Lady Billies would put the contest away in the bottom of the sixth after Stell hit into a fielder’s choice for an RBI that scored Ashley Hales to give the Lady Billies the 10-0 win.
Lyle would pitch the complete game, throwing six innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out 13 batters.
Libby Kingston would lead the way at the plate going 3 for 4 with two runs and 3 RBI.
Returning on Friday, May 9, to face the Warren Lady Jacks for the third time this season, the Lady Billies would give up three runs in the top of the first inning after a double by Pressley Reep scored three runs.
Monticello would get two runs back in the bottom of the inning after Kingston led off with a single followed by a two-run home run to left field by Addi Frazer cut the lead to 3-2.
Warren would add a single run in the top of the second inning and would get the Lady Billies out in order in the bottom of the inning.
Lyle would cut the lead back to one run in the bottom of the third inning on a solo home run to make the score 4-3.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Lady Billies would get to the top of the scoreboard.
Ashlynn Snow would lead off with a single, followed by a single to Kingston and Frazer to load the bases.
Lyle would give the Lady Billies the lead on the next at bat, connecting for a grand slam for the 7-4 advantage and before the end of the inning had extended their lead to 11-4.
Warren added two runs in the top of the sixth inning, but the lady Billies would respond with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a two0run home run by Bliss Becker for the 13-6 final to advance Monticello to the semifinals to face the Nashville Scapperettes on Saturday, May 9.
In the final contest, neither team would get a run across in the first inning but Monticello would take a 5-0 lead in the top of the second inning after a walk to Snow scored Becker and a double by Kingston and a double by Frazer would get the final four runs of the inning.
Nashville added two runs in the bottom of the inning with Monticello getting on in the top of the third followed by Nashville cutting the lead to 6-5 after scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Lady Billies would go on to add three runs in the top of the fourth and three runs in the top of the fifth innings to extend their lead to 12-5.
Nashville would come back to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the lead to 12-8, but the Lady Billies would halt the comeback attempt to take the 4A-4 Regional Championship.
The Lady Billies will now enter the 4A State Tournament as the number one seed from the region and will face the fourth seed from region one, Prairie Grove at 3 pm on Thursday, May 15, at Monticello.
