Joey Sprinkle came up a home run short of the cycle helping Monticello get past Paxton-Buckley-Loda 11-1 in non-conference boy’s baseball action.

Sprinkle laced a two-run first inning triple through a stiff wind in the first inning to put Montcello up 2-1 against PBL’s no. 1 pitcher Brett Giese. 

WIth Andrew Rudolph at the plate, Sprinkle scored on a wild pitch to make the score 3-1. After Rudolph walked and stole second, Logan Chupp scored Rudolph on an RBI single to make it 4-1.

That was all the support freshman Luke Teschke would need as he pitched five one-run innings for the win. Teschke allowed just two hits with five walks and nine strikeouts. 

Jared Lockmiller hit three consecutive RBI singles to finish 3-for-4 with three RBIs. 

Sprinkle would have been a double short of the cycle if not for the stiff wind blowing left to right at Monticello High School. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Sprinkle sent a 3-2 drive deep to left and even bat-flipped on his way down the first base line but the wind knocked down what would’ve been a sure fire home run on most days. Sprinkle settled for a double, his third hit of the afternoon.

Tristan Foran finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Jarred Gronsky walked twice and scored the only run for the Panthers.

Monticello improves to 4-3 overall. They’ll host IVC Monday afternoon.

PBL drops to 6-2.