Broncos dominate as rivals San Juan and Monticello meet twice on the Blanding baseball diamond in same week

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
In a strange twist due to ongoing schedule changes the San Juan and Monticello high school baseball teams played just two games this past week, both against each other.
Game one, originally scheduled to be played in Monticello on Tuesday, April 11, was moved to Blanding due to the continued unplayability of the MHS baseball field.
Game two was in Blanding per the actual schedule on Friday, April 14. The Broncos dominated both games 25-7 and 11-0, improving to 10-3 on the season and remaining third in the 2A RPI standings.
Game one was a battle early on, with San Juan scoring the opening run in the first inning and Monticello answering with three runs in the top of the second.
The Broncos took control from there though with five runs in the bottom of the second followed by an 18-run explosion in the third. The Buckaroos were finally able to plate four more in the top of the fifth and San Juan closed out the win with a one-run bottom of the fifth.
Five Broncos drove in three runs apiece in the game: Branten Bethea, Ian Johnson, Collin Baker, Cooper Palmer, and Garrett Young. And five had one RBI apiece: Jerzy Nieves, Parker Snyder, Jake Ivins, Corbin Middleton, and Owen Adams.
Nieves was 3-for-3 in the game with a double, a triple, and four runs scored. Johnson was 2-for-2, scoring three San Juan runs. Bethea was 2-for-3 with a couple triples and three runs scored. And Ivins was 2-for-4 on the day with two runs scored.
On the mound Ivins allowed just one hit and no runs while striking out four Monticello batters in 2.1 innings. Jagger Nieves got the win, allowing one hit and four runs in one inning of work. And Jaiten Knight struck out two and allowed three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings.
Kooper Nielson provided most of the offensive production for the Buckaroos. He was 1-for-3 on the day, but drove in three runs and scored two himself. Mason Atwood drove in a couple for MHS and Jackson Keyes had an RBI.
Treydon Harris was 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a couple runs for the Bucks. Easton Young, Shane Lewis, and Traken Lee all got one hit apiece.
On the mound Easton Young and JD McDonald both struck out three San Juan batters each and Jackson Keyes struck out another.
The local rivals’ second meeting on Friday, April 14 wasn’t as much of an offensive outpouring for San Juan, but the Bronco pitchers very effectively kept Monticello off the board for the 11-0 shutout.
Two pitchers shared the honors in a one-hit gem. Collin Baker put in four innings of work, allowing the lone hit while striking out four. Garrett Young struck out three in one inning.
Bethea, Johnson, Baker, Snyder, Jerzy Nieves, and Ivins all drove in one run apiece for San Juan. Bethea was a perfect 2-of-2 on the day. Johnson and Baker were both 2-for-3.
JD McDonald mustered the only hit for Monticello although Shane Lewis did draw a walk. Starting pitcher Treydon Harris struck out one Bronco batter in the loss.
Monticello dropped to 1-8 on the season and is now tenth in the 2A standings. It’s a light week for the Buckaroos with just a doubleheader at South Sevier on Tuesday, April 18.
San Juan on the other hand is set for a very busy week. They played Gunnison Valley at home on Tuesday, April 18. On Wednesday, April 19 they travel to Cortez to take on the Montezuma-Cortez Panthers. Then they’ll close the week with a home doubleheader against Duchesne on Saturday, April 22.