WATERTOWN - The Cheesemakers dropped three games to Division 1 teams at the Watertown Invite Saturday.
"We had some good things happen, but we were facing some pretty good competition," Monroe softball coach Dale Buvid said.
Monroe lost to host Watertown, Waunakee and Madison La Follette, each of which has qualified for the state tournament over the last several years.
Watertown 13, Monroe 8
The Cheesemakers opened the tournament with a loss to eventual champion Watertown. Behind the stellar pitching of junior Kristin McArdle, Monroe jumped out to an 8-2 lead through four innings.
Then, Watertown changed pitchers and found its groove.
"They took out their No. 1 pitcher for a someone who threw slow and slower," Buvid said.
Monroe could not adjust to the reliever, who took over with one out in the fourth after the Cheesemakers had scored all of their runs.
To lead off the fifth, Watertown then found its bats, mashing five runs in the inning and never looking back.
"They started smashing the ball," Buvid said.
McArdle lasted just 4 2/3 innings before being relieved by sophomore Erica Hegi. The duo allowed a combined 14 hits and struck out three.
Gwen Sutter went 4-for-4 at the plate to pace the Cheesemakers with Jess Beckman (3-for-4) and Kendra Clark (2-for-3) also chipping in on the hitting.
"Sutter and Beckman were are stars for the day. They really led the offense," Buvid said.
Waunakee 8,
Monroe 1
Sutter continued her big day in the second game, knocking in Monroe's only run in the top of the first.
Waunakee took over in the second, scoring three runs.
Hegi started the game and allowed eight hits over five innings and seven earned runs. Beckman took over in the sixth.
Waunakee, which qualified for state last year, held Monroe's hitters to just three scattered hits in the game.
"They also threw a pretty slow pitcher. We train our girls to hit the best pitchers in the state with quick swings, and we couldn't adjust to the change in speed," Buvid said. "The change (in the pitching distance) to 43 feet certainly didn't help."
Madison La Follette 3, Monroe 2
The Cheesemakers gave up a 2-0 lead and left the go-ahead run stranded in the sixth.
After scoring one run in both the second and third, Monroe let La Follette tie the score in the fifth. In the sixth, Clark led off with a double and a pinch runner reached third on a passed ball. However, against another offspeed pitcher, the Cheesemakers couldn't bring in the run.
"We left her stranded, and that would have been the go-ahead run," said Buvid, whose team scattered five hits. "Again, another below average pitcher with a slow fastball. But they kept it down and hit the edges and we couldn't adjust."
La Follette's leadoff hitter walked to open the seventh against McArdle, who otherwise pitched extremely well. The run came in and Monroe couldn't counter in the bottom half of the inning.
The Cheesemakers were thrown out at the plate three times in the game.
Monroe (1-5, 1-0 Badger South) host Fort Atkinson Tuesday.
"We had some good things happen, but we were facing some pretty good competition," Monroe softball coach Dale Buvid said.
Monroe lost to host Watertown, Waunakee and Madison La Follette, each of which has qualified for the state tournament over the last several years.
Watertown 13, Monroe 8
The Cheesemakers opened the tournament with a loss to eventual champion Watertown. Behind the stellar pitching of junior Kristin McArdle, Monroe jumped out to an 8-2 lead through four innings.
Then, Watertown changed pitchers and found its groove.
"They took out their No. 1 pitcher for a someone who threw slow and slower," Buvid said.
Monroe could not adjust to the reliever, who took over with one out in the fourth after the Cheesemakers had scored all of their runs.
To lead off the fifth, Watertown then found its bats, mashing five runs in the inning and never looking back.
"They started smashing the ball," Buvid said.
McArdle lasted just 4 2/3 innings before being relieved by sophomore Erica Hegi. The duo allowed a combined 14 hits and struck out three.
Gwen Sutter went 4-for-4 at the plate to pace the Cheesemakers with Jess Beckman (3-for-4) and Kendra Clark (2-for-3) also chipping in on the hitting.
"Sutter and Beckman were are stars for the day. They really led the offense," Buvid said.
Waunakee 8,
Monroe 1
Sutter continued her big day in the second game, knocking in Monroe's only run in the top of the first.
Waunakee took over in the second, scoring three runs.
Hegi started the game and allowed eight hits over five innings and seven earned runs. Beckman took over in the sixth.
Waunakee, which qualified for state last year, held Monroe's hitters to just three scattered hits in the game.
"They also threw a pretty slow pitcher. We train our girls to hit the best pitchers in the state with quick swings, and we couldn't adjust to the change in speed," Buvid said. "The change (in the pitching distance) to 43 feet certainly didn't help."
Madison La Follette 3, Monroe 2
The Cheesemakers gave up a 2-0 lead and left the go-ahead run stranded in the sixth.
After scoring one run in both the second and third, Monroe let La Follette tie the score in the fifth. In the sixth, Clark led off with a double and a pinch runner reached third on a passed ball. However, against another offspeed pitcher, the Cheesemakers couldn't bring in the run.
"We left her stranded, and that would have been the go-ahead run," said Buvid, whose team scattered five hits. "Again, another below average pitcher with a slow fastball. But they kept it down and hit the edges and we couldn't adjust."
La Follette's leadoff hitter walked to open the seventh against McArdle, who otherwise pitched extremely well. The run came in and Monroe couldn't counter in the bottom half of the inning.
The Cheesemakers were thrown out at the plate three times in the game.
Monroe (1-5, 1-0 Badger South) host Fort Atkinson Tuesday.
