Monticello waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They had just enough and edged the Western Albemarle Warriors out 7-6. That result was just more of the same for these two, as Monticello also won the last time the pair played back in April.
Madison Steppe made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Steppe has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in nine consecutive pitching appearances. Steppe was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Willow Barr, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Sammi Deitsch, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
On Western Albemarle's side, Jillie Clark was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Even though they lost, Western Albemarle was hitting in the alleys and finished the game with three doubles. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Monticello didn't hit any.
Monticello pushed their record up to 11-5 with that victory, which was their seventh straight at home. As for Western Albemarle, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-11.
Monticello will head out on the road to challenge Albemarle at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Monticello's pitching crew has only allowed 1.3 runs per game this season, so Albemarle's hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Western Albemarle, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Orange County at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
