The Monticello Lady Billies capped off a week the saw Monticello defeat the 2A-8 Conference Champions, the Woodlawn Lady Bears, on Tuesday, April 25, in one run contest that saw Woodlawn hold the Lady Billies to a single hit, but lost the contest on a wild pitch that allowed Meygan Bivens to score the only run of the contest in the bottom of the third inning.
Bivens reached base on a walk, but was also the only Lady Billie to record a hit in the contest.
Alaina Lyle pitched the complete game allowing no runs, four hits, three walks, and six strikeouts in the non conference contest in preparation for the Stuttgart Lady Ricebirds on Thursday night to decide the 4A-8 Conference Championship.
The conference championship game would have to wait, as the contest was postponed due to inclement weather that moved into the area and with the weekend being Monticello’s prom weekend, it was agreed to move the contest to Monday, May 1.
Travelling to Stuttgart, the championship would be decided between two teams that had each only lost one contest all season with the Lady Billies falling to Stuttgart earlier in April, and Stuttgart’s only loss coming to Star City.
Alaina Lyle would get the call to enter the circle for the Lady Billies, getting the Stuttgart lead off batter to ground out in the bottom of the first inning for the first out and striking out the next two batters to end the inning.
Lyle would continue a solid pitching performance in the bottom of the second allowing one hit before a fly out and ending the inning with two strikeouts.
Monticello would get on the board first in the top of the third inning.
Meygan Bivens would lead off the inning with a bunt and would reach first on an error followed by a bunt by Ashlynn Snow that would advance Bivens to second and Snow to first on an error.
Kaylie Jester would be brought in as a pinch runner for Snow and would advance to third on a bunt by Kate Morgan that got Bivens out at second for the first out of the inning on a fielder’s choice.
After the second out of the inning, Lyle would connect for a single to center field that would score Jester and Kate Morgan to give the Lady Billies a 2-0 lead.
Lyle would return to sit the Lady Ricebirds down in order in the bottom half of the inning.
Monticello would get two baserunners in the top of the fourth with Anna Morgan reaching on an error and Bivens connecting for a single but both runners were stranded on the bases.
Stuttgart was held to three batters once more in the bottom of the inning after a lead off ground out followed by a walk with the runner being thrown out attempting to steal, and a strikeout.
Kate Morgan led off the top of the fifth for the Lady Billies with a single on a bunt to third.
After a strikeout and Kate Morgan being caught stealing, the Lady Billies recorded two walks, but once more left the runners on the base paths after the third out was recorded.
Lyle got the first two Stuttgart batters to fly out and ground out before issuing a walk and closing the bottom of the fifth with a ground out.
Monticello would have one baserunner in the top of the sixth inning on a single by Madeline Stanley with Stuttgart recording a single in the bottom of the inning for their only baserunner, Lyle would record three strikeouts in the inning.
The Lady Billies added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning after Kate Morgan led off with a pop up that was caught for the first out of the inning, Addi Frazer would record her first hit of the day on a single to right field and would advance to second on a passed ball.
Lyle would follow Frazer with a single to left field that scored Frazer to give the Lady Billies a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Stuttgart led off the bottom of the seventh with a single followed by a ground out to Madeline Stanley at second base with the runner advancing.
A second single in the inning would score the runner to cut the Monticello lead to 3-1.
Lyle would strike out the next batter before another single by Stuttgart to put runners at the corners.
With the runners now at second, the runner advanced on defensive indifference, and third, Lyle would get the final batter to ground out to Kate Morgan to end the contest, securing the 4A-8 Conference Championship with the 3-1 victory.
As a team the Lady Billies recorded six hits in 30 at bats and struckout 14 times with three walks and three runs.
Lyle would pitch the complete game, allowing one run on five hits, walking two, and striking out 10 batters.
Lyle also went 2 for 2 from the plate with two walks and was responsible for all three Lady Billie runs, recording three RBI.
Kate Morgan would go 1 for 4 with a run, Addi Frazer was 1 for 4 with a run, Madeline Stanley was 1 for 3, Meygan Bivens was 1 for 3, and Kaylie Jester scored a run as a pinch runner.
With the win, the Lady Billies end the regular season with an overall record of 21-1 and a 4A-8 Conference record of 11-1.
The Lady Billies will enter the 4A South Regional Tournament in DeQueen as the one seed from the conference and will face the fourth seed from the 4A-7, the Magnolia Lady Panthers, on Thursday, May 4, in DeQueen with a strat time scheduled for 3 pm.
If successful against Magnolia, the Lady Billies would advance to play on Friday, May 5, at 2:30 pm, and would either play on Saturday, May 6, in the third place game at 12 pm or in the Regional Championship contest at 2:30 pm.
One win at the Regional Tournament will qualify the Lady Billies for the 4A State Championship Tournament to be held in Lonoke.
