MONTICELLO – The big news from last week was not necessarily what happened during a game, but what happened before a game – particularly the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Monticello High School Soccer Field on Wednesday. The new turf field is part of a $4.5 million facilities upgrade at MHS.
But there was success during game action as well. Here is a recap:
Girls soccer
Monticello 8, Decatur Eisenhower 0. Monticello christened its new turf field Wednesday with a blowout win against Eisenhower. The Sages (7-3-2) led by six at halftime and tacked on two more goals in the second half to finish off the rout. Addison Finet led Monticello with three goals and one assist. Elle Bodznick added two goals and one assist, and Sylvie Harvey, Lucy Maxwell and Margo Cassel also scored.
Monticello 9, Taylorville 0. Finet generated six points — four goals and two assists — for the visiting Sages (6-3-2) on Monday, during their second consecutive shutout win in nonconference play. Vanya Zuniga and Margo Cassel each scored twice for Monticello, which picked up one goal and two assists from Elle Bodznick. Netminder Allison Nebelsick wasn’t required to make a save in order to earn a clean sheet.
Monticello 1, Danville 0. Bodznick potted a first-half goal for the host Sages (8-3-2), who extended their win streak to four with a narrow nonconference triumph over the Vikings (4-6) on Saturday. Allison Nebelsick made that goal stand up with four keeper saves for Monticello.
Baseball
Monticello 9, St. Thomas More 2. Scoring seven runs across the fourth and fifth innings allowed the visiting Sages (8-1) to eclipse the Sabers (3-4) in an Illini Prairie Conference game on Monday. The win increased Monticello’s win streak to six games. Jacob Trusner knocked a solo home run among two hits for the Sages, who received two hits apiece from Eli Craft, Colton Vance and Logan Chupp to back Ike Young’s five innings of one-hit, six-strikeout pitching. STM’s Matt Delorenzo and Jason Ballard each tallied one RBI in defeat.
Monticello 2, Mattoon 0. Two runs in the top of the fifth inning lifted the Sages (9-1) to a nonconference victory at Mattoon the following day. Jack Buckalew earned the win on the bump with nine strikeouts in six innings of work, while Jacob Trusner hit a triple and Logan Chupp stretched out a double to motor Monticello’s offense.
Monticello 4, Unity 3. The host Sages (10-1) clung to an Illini Prairie Conference victory despite a three-run homer from Unity batter Aiden Porter in the top of the seventh inning Thursday. The Rockets (10-1-1) clicked late during a 15-strikeout showing from Monticello pitcher Luke Teschke, while Jacob Trusner and Colton Vance each collected two hits for the Sages. Monticello scored two runs in the second inning and two runs in the fifth inning. Wade Carroll plated two of the Sages’ runs, and Logan Chupp generated an additional run.
Williamsville 9, Monticello 8. A furious comeback attempt by the host Sages (10-2) fell just short on Saturday, as their five-run bottom of the sixth inning to tie the nonconference game was followed by Williamsville scoring once in the top of the seventh. Jacob Trusner cracked a home run and drove in four runs for Monticello. Eli Craft (3 for 3), Ike Young (2 for 4, two triples, two RBI) and Luke Teschke (2 for 4, one triple) also aided the Sages’ offense.
Softball
Monticello 27, St. Thomas More 0. The visiting Sages (4-5) emphatically ended a three-game skid as they rolled past the Sabers (1-5) in an IPC game.
Avery Schweitzer went 3 for 4 with five RBI for Monticello, finishing a home run short of the cycle. Kaylin Matthews crunched a home run for the Sages, who secured three hits from each of Schweitzer, Cassidee Stoffel, Sadie Walsh, Reese Patton and Marrissa Miller. Patton pitched all four innings as well, allowing three hits and striking out six.
Monticello 4, Clinton 0. Monticello pitcher Reese Patton went the distance in Wednesday’s nonconference home shutout against Clinton and allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out seven innings. Stoffel led the Sages (5-5) at the plate, going 2 of 4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Patton and Catie Swartz also had two hits apiece. Alaina Soberalski came up with the only hit for the Maroons (3-11).
Unity 19, Monticello 5. Walsh paced Monticello (6-5) with three hits, and Isabella Beery and Avery Schweitzer added two hits apiece on Thursday.
Monticello 11, Sullivan 10. Schweitzer swatted a single in the bottom of the eighth inning for the host Sages (6-6), giving them a walk-off victory over Sullivan (7-5) in nonconference play Saturday.. Monticello’s Marrissa Miller tied the game at 10 in the bottom of the seventh with a single. She finished the day 4 for 5 with two doubles.
Boys Track and Field
Monticello Senior Mick Wright won the boys 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash at the Monticello High School Boys Invitational Friday.
Charlie Dill placed fourth in the 400-meter dash and Ayden LeGrande placed fourth in the 800-meter run. Rylan Good placed fourth and Jacob Elston finished eighth in the 1,600-meter run.
Jackson Helms placed seventh in the 110-meter hurdles.
The 4x100 meter relay team of Dill, Wright, Cohen Neighbors and Caden Murphy placed sixth.
In the 4X400 meter relay, Dill, LeGrande, Trey Welter and Good placed sixth. Good, LeGrande, Welter and Dill placed sixth.
Good, Elston, Legrande and Caleb Wood placed second in the 4X 800 meter relay.
Senior Drew Sheppard won the boys high jump and Cole Sowinski placed second in the pole vault. Tylor Bundy finished second in the long jump.
In the distance medley, the team of Liam Sokolowski, Xander Anawaty, Logan Sikorski and River Derby placed fifth.
Girls track and field
At Tolono. Tuscola received a dominant performance from Lia Patterson, helping the Warriors to the team championship at the 15-team Unity Invitational. Winners included Rose Talbert of Monticello in the 400 (59.78), Mabry Bruhn of Monticello in the 800 (2:20.30).
Piatt County
Monday
Baseball
Cerro Gordo/Bement 19, Heritage 9. In a Lincoln Prairie Conference showdown between two teams seeking their first win of the season, the visiting Broncos (1-5) departed Broadlands with the five-inning success versus the Hawks (0-9). The game was scoreless entering the top of the third inning, when CG/B went off for eight runs. Some of the Broncos’ standouts included Ty Carlson (4 for 4, two RBI, three runs), Tyson Moore (3 for 4, three RBI, four runs), Michael Freese (3 for 4, two RBI) and Brenden Puckett (2 for 3, two RBI, two runs). Heritage’s Haiden Davis and Joey Markstahler each drove in two runs.
Softball
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 11, Arcola 1. Alisha Frederick’s three hits, three RBI and two runs at the plate kickstarted the host Knights (9-1) in their eighth consecutive win, this one over the Purple Riders (2-5) during a Lincoln Prairie Conference meeting. Charley Condill tacked on three hits, two RBI and two stolen bases for ALAH in this five-inning outcome, which included Mackenzie Condill’s two hits, two RBI and two runs scored plus Madison Schweighart’s eight strikeouts pitched.
Cumberland 11, Blue Ridge 2. The host Knights (4-6) saw their win streak end at four games because of their LPC foe. Blue Ridge scored the first run in the bottom of the second inning but then surrendered the next 11 runs. Lily Summers drove in a run and scored once for the Knights, with Alexis Wike giving the team two hits and its other run.
Heritage/Academy High 13, Cerro Gordo/Bement/Decatur Lutheran 7. Scoring each of this LPC game’s first 11 runs allowed the visiting Hawks (1-5) to get in the win column for the first time this season, taking care of the Broncos (0-10).
Tuesday
Baseball
ALAH 15, Paris, 4. Dalton Vanausdoll wasted no opportunities at the plate on Tuesday, driving in six on three hits to lead ALAH Knights past Paris Tigers 15-4 on Tuesday. Vanausdoll drove in runs on a home run in the first, a home run in the third, a home run in the fourth, and a wild pitch in the sixth.
ALAH Knights earned the victory despite allowing Paris Tigers to score four runs in the fourth inning.
ALAH Knights fired up the offense in the first inning, when Vanausdoll homered on a 3-2 count, scoring two runs.
ALAH Knights notched five runs in the fifth inning. The big inning was thanks to singles by Maddix Stirrett and Lucas Butcher, an error on a ball put in play by Kody Kornewald, and a double by Will Hilligoss.
Vanausdoll was the winning pitcher for ALAH Knights. Vanausdoll allowed four hits and four runs over three and two-thirds innings, striking out five. Stirrett threw two and a third innings in relief out of the bullpen.
ALAH Knights tallied three home run on the day. Vanausdoll put one out in the first, third, and fourth innings.
ALAH Knights saw the ball well, racking up 15 hits in the game. Butcher, Vanausdoll, Clay Seal, Nathan Hale, and Stirrett all had multiple hits for ALAH Knights. Vanausdoll and Butcher each collected three hits to lead ALAH Knights.
Arthur Christian 10, Blue Ridge 7. Brock Helmuth legged out a double as part of a three-hit performance that keyed the Conquering Riders (2-2) past the host Knights (1-5) in a nonconference contest. Cody Kuhns earned the win on the bump by pitching three innings and fanning two batters while allowing only two earned runs. Cory Larkin paced Blue Ridge with two hits.
Wednesday
Softball
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 12, Tuscola 2. Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and then at least one in every inning thereafter in Wednesday’s rout of Tuscola. Mackenzie Condill and Alisha Frederick both had three hits and two RBI for the Knights (10-1), and Kaci Beachy and Maggie Benedict also drove in two runs apiece. Madison Schweighart got the win after giving up two runs and scattering five hits in five innings.
Thursday
Baseball
Cerro Gordo/Bement 14, Arthur Christian 12. The Broncos (2-6) spoiled the Conquering Riders’ home opener with an offensive explosion that included a home run and five RBI from Kendall Carlson, three hits and five RBI from Michael Freese and a pair of base knocks from Tyson Moore.
Softball
Le Roy 14, Blue Ridge 1. Cassie Zimmerman picked up two hits for the Knights (4-7).
Friday
Baseball
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 2, Cumberland 1. Clay Seal was nearly unhittable, lifting the host Knights to their third straight win as ALAH improved to 4-0 in Lincoln Prairie Conference play. Seal only allowed two hits in six innings of work and struck out 10 for the Knights (6-5). Wyatt Hilligoss recorded the save. Dalton Vanausdoll and Hilligoss each had a hit for ALAH.
Both teams were strong on the pitcher’s mound Friday, but ALAH Knights defeated Cumberland Pirates 2-1. ALAH Knights pitchers allowed just two hits to Cumberland Pirates.
ALAH Knights fired up the offense in the first inning, when Clay Seal drew a walk, scoring one run.
Cumberland Pirates evened things up at one in the top of the third inning when an error scored one run for Cumberland Pirates.
ALAH Knights pulled away for good with one run in the fourth inning. In the fourth Kody Kornewald grounded out, scoring one run.
Seal earned the win for ALAH Knights. The lefty allowed two hits and one run over six innings, striking out ten and walking one. Wyatt Hilligoss threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.
Dalton Vanausdoll and Will Hilligoss each managed one hit to lead ALAH Knights.
Cerro Gordo/Bement 7, Argenta-Oreana 0. Tyson Moore was electric on the mound, throwing a one-hit shutout and striking out nine for the host Broncos in a Lincoln Prairie win. Moore also went 1 for 2, scored two runs and stole two bases for CG/Bement (3-6). Brayden Strack, Michael Freese, Brody Somers and Kade Alumbaugh all had an RBI.
Softball
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 18, Heritage/Academy High 2. The host Knights won their 10th straight game, doing so in four innings in Lincoln Prairie Conference play. Alisha Frederick went 4 for 4 with two doubles, a triple, four RBI and four runs scored to lead ALAH (11-1). Kailee Otto (3 for 3, two RBI, three runs scored) and Maggie Benedict (2 for 2, RBI, two runs scored) also provided strong hitting performances.
Villa Grove 12, Blue Ridge 0. Villa Grove used three separate four-run innings to cruise past the Knights at home in a Lincoln Prairie triumph. Carsyn Stiger had the lone hit for Blue Ridge (4-8) with a double.
Saturday
Baseball
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 15, Casey-Westfield 12. A high-scoring nonconference affair went in favor of the visiting Knights (7-5), who have won each of their last four games now. Dalton Vanausdoll finished 3 for 5 with a triple, three RBI and three runs scored as ALAH pulled ahead for good with a five-run sixth inning. Other key contributors for the Knights included Clay Seal (2 for 4, three RBI, two runs) and Logan Schrock (2 for 3, three RBI, two runs).
Cerro Gordo/Bement 15, Decatur Eisenhower 0. An eight-run second inning permitted the host Broncos (4-6) to run away with a four-inning, nonconference win in Bement. Brayden Strack went 2 for 4 with two RBI and three runs scored for CG/B, which saw Michael Freese go 2 for 3 with three runs scored. Ty Carlson drove in two runs and Brody Somers tacked on two hits for the Broncos, with Somers also throwing all four innings and striking out eight batters against three hits allowed.
Boys track and field
Saturday
At Fairbury. Ridgeview/Lexington won the 10-team Prairie Central Invitational with 161 points, besting runner-up Bloomington Central Catholic (110). Blue Ridge’s Matt Schumacher swept the throwing events with first-place distances of 42-11 1/2 in shot put and 126-1 in discus.
Girls track and field
At Fairbury. Blue Ridge squeezed out a team championship in the 10-squad Prairie Central Invitational, producing 93 points to outlast runner-up Prairie Central (89). Blue Ridge’s 3,200 relay quartet of Indra Nolan, Jasmine Petmecky, Mya Laidley and Anna Place won (13 minutes, 49.39 seconds).