MADISON - Monroe pitcher Becca Armstrong wasn't about to give up on her changeup.
She stuck with the pitch after a shaky start and it helped keep high-scoring Plymouth guessing as the Cheesemakers advanced to the WIAA Division 2 state championship game with a 5-1 semifinal victory Thursday night at Goodman Diamond.
"She wasn't throwing the changeup for strikes, so I wasn't calling it," said sophomore catcher Chandra McGuire, who calls pitches along with coach Dale Buvid. "Then in the dugout she said to just keep calling for it.
"And then it started to work."
Armstrong walked the second batter of the game and also issued a two-out base on balls in the second inning. At that point she had registered no strikeouts. After the second walk, she finished with six strikeouts.
"After a while my changeup started working well," Armstrong said. "Two or three changeups into the game, it started coming around and they started going for it.
"The low fastball and the changeup helped us win this game."
Plymouth (22-7) came into the state tournament averaging over six runs a game and having won seven straight and 11 of its last 12. The Panthers managed just one run and five hits off Armstrong.
"She threw pretty hard, I thought, and as the game wore on got better," said Buvid.
"She seemed to be in control the vast majority of the game and overpowered the bottom of their order a little bit."
Armstrong said last year's loss to eventual champion Baldwin-Woodville was a big motivator in helping to calm everyone's nerves against Plymouth, even though she said they knew little about the Panthers.
"Being here last year helped a lot," said Armstrong. "We just wanted to prove we could play."
The Cheesemakers lost 10-0 in five innings to Baldwin-Woodville in last year's semifinals and now get a rematch against the once-beaten Blackhawks on Saturday.
"I feel like we're a whole new team this year and that we can play with them," said Armstrong, the losing pitcher in that game a year ago. "I think it was more nerves in last year's game. This year we have to put it all out on the field."
McGuire was a freshman leftfielder in 2011.
"We're hoping to stay in the game a little more this year," she said. "And show them what Monroe softball can really do."
She stuck with the pitch after a shaky start and it helped keep high-scoring Plymouth guessing as the Cheesemakers advanced to the WIAA Division 2 state championship game with a 5-1 semifinal victory Thursday night at Goodman Diamond.
"She wasn't throwing the changeup for strikes, so I wasn't calling it," said sophomore catcher Chandra McGuire, who calls pitches along with coach Dale Buvid. "Then in the dugout she said to just keep calling for it.
"And then it started to work."
Armstrong walked the second batter of the game and also issued a two-out base on balls in the second inning. At that point she had registered no strikeouts. After the second walk, she finished with six strikeouts.
"After a while my changeup started working well," Armstrong said. "Two or three changeups into the game, it started coming around and they started going for it.
"The low fastball and the changeup helped us win this game."
Plymouth (22-7) came into the state tournament averaging over six runs a game and having won seven straight and 11 of its last 12. The Panthers managed just one run and five hits off Armstrong.
"She threw pretty hard, I thought, and as the game wore on got better," said Buvid.
"She seemed to be in control the vast majority of the game and overpowered the bottom of their order a little bit."
Armstrong said last year's loss to eventual champion Baldwin-Woodville was a big motivator in helping to calm everyone's nerves against Plymouth, even though she said they knew little about the Panthers.
"Being here last year helped a lot," said Armstrong. "We just wanted to prove we could play."
The Cheesemakers lost 10-0 in five innings to Baldwin-Woodville in last year's semifinals and now get a rematch against the once-beaten Blackhawks on Saturday.
"I feel like we're a whole new team this year and that we can play with them," said Armstrong, the losing pitcher in that game a year ago. "I think it was more nerves in last year's game. This year we have to put it all out on the field."
McGuire was a freshman leftfielder in 2011.
"We're hoping to stay in the game a little more this year," she said. "And show them what Monroe softball can really do."
