MONROE - Monroe softball players didn't have to worry about jinxing junior pitcher Becca Armstrong by talking about the possibility of a no-hitter Tuesday.

Armstrong was well aware that she carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. She gave up just a bunt single to Edgerton's Morgan McCue, allowed two runners all game and only one reached second base in a 7-0 win over Edgerton in a WIAA Division 2 semifinal.

"I was aware of the no-hitter," Armstrong said. "It happened to be a great bunt. I wasn't too unhappy it wasn't a no-hitter. You just have to keep pitching and do what you are doing."

Armstrong has now thrown back-to-back one-hit shutouts in the postseason. She struck out 10 and didn't issue a walk. She had a lot of success with her changeup.

"I had to mix it up," she said. "You have to go with what is working. They struggled hitting my changeup.."

Monroe (18-7), which has won 11 straight games, advances to play Rock Valley South Conference champion Beloit Turner (23-1) in a regional championship game at 5 p.m. Thursday in Beloit.

"I think a lot of it is our pitcher going out and getting the job done early in the game," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said of Armstrong. "She set the tone early for us."

The Cheesemakers' offense provided more than enough punch for Armstrong.

Monroe sophomores Chandra McGuire, Kayla Updike and Taylor O'Leksy, the Cheesemakers' No. 2-4 hitters, did most of the damage by going a combined 7-for-10. O'Leksy went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Updike went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored and McGuire was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

The Cheesemakers scored three runs after two outs in the third off Edgerton's Carlie Schmeling. Sophomore Ellie Grossen started the scoring opportunity reaching on a dropped fly ball by Edgerton left fielder Jana Plautz. McGuire then crushed an RBI triple to right and Updike laced an RBI single to center to give Monroe a 2-0 lead. O'Leksy then lined an RBI double to center.

"We started the hit parade after two outs," Buvid said. "Our Nos. 1-4 hitters were very good. We have to give Ellie, Chandra and the top half of our lineup credit for getting some good swings on a good pitcher."

O'Leksy found a comfort zone in the batter's box.

"Her speed was just like the pitching machine when we practice," O'Leksy said of Schmeling. "When we see it we can just rip it with line drives. We have been working really hard towards this in practice. In our game, it showed. Now we only have three more games (to state)."

The Cheesemakers chased Schmeling in the fifth, when she was tagged with four runs. Grossen led off with a single and McGuire followed with a single. Updike then delivered an RBI single to center to give the Cheesemakers a 4-0 lead. O'Leksy lined an RBI single to left and Kasey Gutzmer had a two-run, two-out double to push the cushion to 7-0.

Next up for Monroe is a Turner team led by freshman phenom pitcher Kelsie Packard, who throws in the 62 mph range. The Cheesemakers won't have Armstrong pitch any batting practice to help simulate the power pitcher they will face.

"We don't usually have our pitchers throw batting practice to our hitters except for at the beginning of the season," Buvid said. "The day before the game we don't want her to go out and throw 120 pitches. We will speed up the pitching machine. There are not many pitchers that will just throw it by us. It comes down to making good decisions and choices. Against a good hard thrower you don't have as much time to react.

"You don't get to 23-1 by just showing up. It will probably be a low-scoring game. Hopefully, we can put the ball in play and score some runs."