Buckaroos keep pace with top baseball teams

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The Monticello High School baseball team split 2A East Region games with North Sevier this past week. They lost 5-3 in Salina on Tuesday, April 14, then beat the Wolves 5-4 in Monticello on Friday, April 17.
The Buckaroos have been quietly keeping pace with some of the best teams in Utah 2A baseball. Currently they’re 9-7 on the year, ranked eighth in the standings with only three games left in the regular season.
On April 14 in Salina fell behind North Sevier early when the Wolves scored twice in the first inning, twice in the third, and once in the fourth to build a 5-0 lead.
Monticello got the bats working in the sixth inning, plating three runners, but that was as close as they could get as the rally fell two runs short.
Jaeden Camacho and Cache Young both went 2-for-3 on the day with one double each. Young drove in two Monticello runs and Camacho got one RBI.
Triston Felix pitched four innings, allowing five runs on just two hits while striking out nine. None of the runs were earned as Monticello committed two errors in the loss.
On April 17 the Buckaroos welcomed North Sevier to Monticello to close out their season series with the Wolves.
It was almost the exact opposite of the teams’ first matchup as this time it was Monticello establishing the lead and North Sevier falling short in a rally.
The Bucks scored three runs in the first inning and two in the second to build a 5-0 lead. The Wolves scored three in the fourth and one in the sixth, but Monticello held strong to keep them off the board in the seventh and close out the win.
Camacho, Young, and Felix all put together a two-hit game with Young driving in four of Monticello’s five runs in the win.
Jackson Keyes, Arturo Gutierrez, Tristan Burtenshaw, and Jaxson Breedlove all had one hit apiece. Felix nearly completed a complete game on the mound.
He allowed four runs on six hits and struck out 16 of the 32 batters he faced. Keyes came on to retire the final North Sevier batter in what was technically a closing situation.
Felix continues to lead the state of Utah with 130 strikeouts on the season. He ranks fourth in the entire nation in that category.
Monticello will close out their regular season with a couple of key 2A East games against South Sevier and a one-off with Dolores, CO.
They hosted the Rams on Tuesday, April 21 after the San Juan Record print deadline. They’ll visit Monroe this Friday, April 24. Dolores will come visit Monticello on Tuesday, April 28.
The 2A Utah State Baseball Tournament bracket is set to be revealed in a couple weeks on Friday, May 1.
Currently the Buckaroos are in position to travel to Beaver for the first two rounds of the tourney on Saturday, May 2.