MONTICELLO - Sadi Hilliard had some making up to do for her big sister in Thursday evening's WIAA Division 4 regional against Shullsburg.
Senior catcher MacKenzie Hilliard threw out two potential base-stealers but her sophomore sister dropped a third pinpoint throw from behind the dish. To avoid a sibling rivalry, the younger Hilliard drilled the game-winning RBI in the sixth inning and gunned down the potential tying run in the seventh inning.
Third-seeded Monticello fell behind, 4-0, to the No. 3 seed Shullsburg, before the Ponies tied things up with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a Miner error that led to major problems.
"It was like the floodgates opened," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said.
Hilliard drove in freshman Taylor Pfeuti, who was a courtesy runner for starter Mary Hershberger, in the sixth after Pfeuti pilfered second base.
"She's probably my best base runner and I try to get her out there every chance I get," Garrison said.
After Shullsburg starter Samantha Peacock tripled and stood at third with one out in the seventh, Hilliard cleanly fielded a solid-struck ball and gunned home to her sister to take down Peacock and essentially end the game.
The Ponies travel to Gratiot to play Black Hawk in Tuesday's regional semifinals.
Senior catcher MacKenzie Hilliard threw out two potential base-stealers but her sophomore sister dropped a third pinpoint throw from behind the dish. To avoid a sibling rivalry, the younger Hilliard drilled the game-winning RBI in the sixth inning and gunned down the potential tying run in the seventh inning.
Third-seeded Monticello fell behind, 4-0, to the No. 3 seed Shullsburg, before the Ponies tied things up with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a Miner error that led to major problems.
"It was like the floodgates opened," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said.
Hilliard drove in freshman Taylor Pfeuti, who was a courtesy runner for starter Mary Hershberger, in the sixth after Pfeuti pilfered second base.
"She's probably my best base runner and I try to get her out there every chance I get," Garrison said.
After Shullsburg starter Samantha Peacock tripled and stood at third with one out in the seventh, Hilliard cleanly fielded a solid-struck ball and gunned home to her sister to take down Peacock and essentially end the game.
The Ponies travel to Gratiot to play Black Hawk in Tuesday's regional semifinals.
