Monticello High baseball team gets first win of the season

The Monticello High School baseball team began the past week without a win on the season. In fact, when they hosted Altamont on Tuesday, March 30, it had almost been two years since the Bucks had won a baseball game.

This was, of course, partially due to COVID-19 wiping out all last season, but it went without saying that MHS was due for a win. As it turned out, the week was good to the team.

Monticello jumped on the Longhorns early in the game, taking a 2-0 lead after the first inning. The Bucks really got going with a five-run second inning and seven runs in the third to build a formidable 14-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, another five Buckaroos crossed the plate to increase the lead to 19-0. When Altamont failed to score in the top of the fifth inning, the game was called by virtue of the ten-run “mercy rule.”

Though scant statistics were available for the game, we know pitcher Devin Hatch improved to 1-2 on the season with the win. Paxton Christensen came on in relief of Hatch to close the game.

The win moved Monticello to 1-4 on the season, but they remained 0-1 in the 2A Central since Altamont belongs to the 2A North.

Two days later, on Thursday, April 1, the Buckaroos welcomed the San Juan Broncos JV squad to Monticello. Again, few details were available at press time about this game.

Monticello gets back to region play this Friday, April 9 with a trip to Fillmore to take on Millard. The Eagles are dead last in the 2A Central with an 0-3 record. They’re just 1-9 overall with their lone win coming on March 20 at home against Altamont 12-1.

Judging by the fact that both teams beat Altamont quite handily this season, one can assume that Monticello and Millard are two fairly evenly-matched teams, but we won’t know for sure until the two take to the diamond at the end of the week in central Utah and settle the debate.

Basketball
Congratulations to Monticello’s Cedar English who was named to the Deseret News 2A First Team basketball team.

English, a senior guard, averaged 17.2 points per game this season and led the Bucks to a 10-12 overall record and to the state quarterfinals for the first time since Monticello moved to 2A.

Track & field
After taking the Easter weekend off, the boys and girls track and field teams will be back in action this Saturday, April 9 when they travel south to Blanding for the San Juan Invitational at the SJHS track. If you get a chance, go down and watch the fun.

Girls golf
The Monticello girls golf team is hoping to finally start the season on Tuesday, April 13 in a match at the Palisades State Park Golf Course in Sterling, UT.

The team’s first match of the season was canceled last month.