The Monticello High School Spring Sports schedule is officially underway with the Billies and Lady Billies getting baseball, softball, and soccer underway this past week.
On Monday, Monticello saw the beginning of softball and soccer.
At Hyatt Field, the Lady Billies got the soccer season underway as new girls head coach Zach Young saw his first match being against his mentor, Hamburg Head Coach Miguel Mondragon and the defending 4A-8 Conference champions from last season, the Hamburg Lady Lions.
Hamburg started fast scoring four goals in the first half and put the match under the “Sporstmanship Rule” with their sixth goal about 12 minutes into the second half.
Monticello would get a goal on a penalty kick by Sally Perez with the Lady Billies falling 6-1.
The Monticello Billie Soccer Team took the field next against Hamburg and saw themselves go down 4-0 at the half and would also be placed under the “Sportsmanship Rule” in the second half with Hamburg taking a 9-0 win.
The Monticello Soccer teams will travel to Hermitage on Thursday, February 29, with the girls beginning at 5 pm.
At Monticello High School, also on Monday night, the Monticello Lady Billies got the 2024 Season underway on a new turf field against the Rison Lady Wildcats.
The Lady Billies are the defending 2023 4A-8 Conference Champions and open the season after this week's announcement that the Lady Billie Head Coach, BJ Jackson, had been selected to the Arkansas Officials Association 2024 Hall of Fame Class.
Alaina Lyle got the start in the circle for the Lady Billies and began the contest by getting the lead off batter to ground out followed by two strikeouts.
The Lady Billies would start their first 2024 plate appearance with a single by Libby Kingston.
After the first out of the inning, Lyle would connect on a two-run homerun.
Monticello would score five runs in the inning to take a 5-0 lead.
Monticello would add four runs in the bottom of the second inning with home runs by Addi Frazer and Kiley Lane and would add two more runs in the bottom of the third inning to set up the 11-0 five inning win.
Libby Kingston would go 2 for 3 with two runs and a double, Addi Frazer was 2 for 3 with two runs, an RBI, and a home run, Audrey Howard went 2 for 3 with two runs, Kiley Lane was 2 for 3, 2 Runs, 4 RBI, a home run, and a triple.
Madeline Stanley was 1 for 3 with an RBI, and Ashley Hales was 1 for 2 with a run and an RBI.
Alaina Lyle pitched an opening day no-hitter with seven strikeouts pitching the complete game. Lyle walked one batter.
At the plate, Lyle would go 3 for 3 with a home run and a double with a run and 3 RBI.
The Lady Billies will travel to Woodlawn to face the Lady Bears on Thursday, February 29.
First pitch is set for 5 pm.
The Lady Billies will host a series of games on Saturday, March 2 beginning at 1 pm with Monticello facing White Hall and Smackover.
The Monticello Billie Baseball team got underway at home on Tuesday, February 27, hosting the Magnolia Panthers.
This would be the first game under newly hired head coach Ross Rogers who comes to Monticello after coaching the last few seasons at Fordyce.
Jagger Hines got the opening day start on the mound and would get the first three Magnolia batters out in order with a ground out and two fly outs.
After a lead off strikeout, Brooks Harvey would draw a walk for the first Billie baserunner of the season.
Harvey would steal second and advance to third on an error before a single by Trystan White would bring Harvey home for the score.
White would advance to second on an error and score on a single to the pitcher by Jagger Hines for a 2-0 Billie lead.
Magnolia would come back to tie the contest at two in the top of the third inning on a single and an error.
Monticello regained the lead in the bottom of the third after a walk by Jagger Hines and an RBI double by Blaine Hayden that scored Hines.
Monticello increased their lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning after Kaleb Romero scored on an error.
Magnolia would get one run back in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single and would score two runs in the top of the seventh inning on a single and a fly out that allowed the runner to score from third after tagging up.
The final run from Magnolia would be enough as Billies loaded the bases but recorded three consecutive outs to give the Panthers the 5-4 win.
Kaleb Romero would go 2 for 4 with a run, Brooks Harvey scored a run, Trystan White was 1 for 3 with a run and an RBI, Jagger Hines was 1 for 3 with a run and an RBI, Blaine Hayden was 1 for 2 with a double and an RBI, and Evan Bealer was 1 for 2 with a double.
Jagger Hines got the start, pitching five innings allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits, a walk, and two strikeouts.
Brooks Harvey pitched 1.1 innings allowing two runs on three hits with a strikeout and a walk, and Jon Luke Brotherton threw .2 innings allowing a run and three walks.
The Billies will return to play Dumas at home on Thursday, February 29, with the first pitch set for 5 pm.
