The Monticello Magic are taking a road trip to square off against the Buffalo Bison at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Monticello's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Buffalo's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Friday, Monticello was able to grind out a solid win over Spring Lake Park, taking the game 12-7. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Magic.
Brock Holthaus made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Holthaus was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Tim Marcus and Carson Deibele did most of the damage at the plate: Marcus went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while Deibele went 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was Deibele's first of the season.
Meanwhile, Buffalo hadn't done well against Edina recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Bison walked away with a 4-1 victory over the Hornets.
COLE LINDBERG looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, he posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in May of 2024.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on DOLEN BRISK, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024.
Monticello pushed their record up to 5-2 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Buffalo, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season.
Monticello beat Buffalo 5-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Magic since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
