The Monterey High School Wildcats picked up two more wins this past week when they knocked off a talented Livingston Academy squad before rolling to an easy road victory over Red Boiling Springs.
Eli Phillips singled in the second and fourth innings Thursday, and had a double in the fifth to lead the Monterey Wildcats in a 9-6 win over Livingston Academy.
After a scoreless first inning, Monterey got on the board after a Lincoln Davis triple drove in a score, and Philips’ first single allowed Davis to cross the plate. Monterey’s batting order would eventually get Phillips in to score and make it 3-0.
Monterey put the game out of reach in the top of the fourth with four runs. Phillips’ second single of the game scored two. Brayden Reams drew a walk to score a run, and a Lawson Cantrell single scored two.
Livingston would get a Mason Poston homer in the bottom of the inning to get on the board.
Monterey added another two runs in the fifth and then held off Livingston’s comeback attempt that saw the Wildcats score five runs over the fifth and sixth innings to make it interesting.
Monterey collected 12 hits on the evening. Along with Phillips’ four-RBI performance, Dawson Hedgecough recorded two hits and Davis had three, along with two stolen bases.
Reams got the win for Monterey, giving up 10 hits, with four strikeouts, two walks and six runs (four earned) in six-and-one-third innings. Cantrell got the save.
Monterey also turned two double plays in the contest and was charged with one error.
“Brayden Reams did a great job tonight, making some big pitches and those two timely double plays started with Lawson Cantrell, Monterey coach John Looper said. “Lincoln (Davis) and Eli (Phillips) had a good night at the plate with some momentum changing hits.”
Monterey continued their winning ways Friday as it traveled to Red Boiling Springs and came home with a 15-1 victory under its belt.
Monterey got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second on a Noah Selby single that drove in a score, and a Hedgecough RBI single in the third, which extended the Wildcats’ lead to 2-0.
The fourth inning was when the Wildcats got hot and Monterey added six runs on five hits.
A Reams single scored two, a Tanner Brown double added another two, and a Dylan Whitehead dinger scored two more runs.
The Wildcats added seven more runs in the top of the sixth. Whitehead and Hedgecough earned one RBI each, while Grayson Norrad added two on a single, Jake Rachford’s triple scored two, and Brown hit a single to score another.
Phillips was on the mound for the win with an 11-strikeout performance in five innings for Monterey. He gave up two hits and walked two. Hedgecough finished in relief, with three strikeouts and no walks.
Monterey had 17 hits with Hedgecough going 4-for-4 to lead the way. Brown had three hits and three RBIs, White had two hits and three RBIs with Reams and Cantrell recording two hits each in the win.
“We got off to a slow start, their pitcher was a real competitor,” Looper said. “We were finally able to score a bunch of runs and got hot.
“Eli (Phillips) dominated on the mound for five innings. It was a great way to end the week.”
Monterey, now 7-6 and 1-3 in district, will head to Jackson County Monday before hosting the Blue Devils on Tuesday.