In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello pounded out four home runs and a web gem by Meadow Miller to secure the win, giving Monticello a 7-6 win over Meridian in non-conference high school softball action on Wednesday in Monticello.

With the bases loaded and the tying run on third and the go-ahead run at second, a foul ball along the third base dugout was snagged by a lunging Miller, and the Lady Sages held off constant pressure by the Lady Hawks pursuit of a comeback win.

Monticello slugged a pair of two-run home runs in the first inning. The first was Madison Highland's drive to left field, which popped out of the mitt of the Meridian left fielder and went over the fence, scoring Emma Lawhead (running for Cassidee Stoffel).

A catch on the play would have ended the inning, but two batters later, Reese Stiger blasted a two-run shot to left that scored Ali Weidner and put Monticello in front 5-0.

With one out in the second inning, Sadie Walsh blasted a homer to left field to make it 6-0 Monticello.

The Lady Hawks did not go quietly into that good night. With two outs in the third, back-to-back-to-back run-scoring hits cut the deficit to 6-3. 

Meridian added two more runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 6-5. 

Monticello got its eventual game winner on a solo home run to right center field off the bat of Isabella Beery. 

Stoffel got the win for Monticello. She worked the first four-plus innings, starting the fifth inning before being lifted by Highland.

Stoffel came back into the game for the seventh inning, working through a bases loaded jam to preserve the win. 

No Monticello batter recorded multiple hits in the victory. Beery, Highland and Stiger each drove in two. 

The State Bank of Bement Player of the Game was Highland.

Meridian suffered its first loss of the season to go to 3-1.

Monticello improve to 5-2. They will host Decatur Eisenhower on Friday.