MONROE - Kayla Updike had a cut on her finger after a failed sacrifice bunt attempt in the bottom of the seventh inning. She didn't let that stand in her way of delivering the biggest hit for the Monroe softball team this season.
Updike crushed an RBI triple to left to score senior Ellie Grossen to give the Cheesemakers a thrilling 4-3 walk-off win on a soggy field at Twining Park on Thursday.
"I knew I had to get the ball in play where the runner could score, the senior Updike said. "It felt really nice right off the bat. I knew it was going pretty far. I was just glad it wasn't right to her like most of our hits. It's just an amazing feeling to win a close game like that."
Monroe coach Dale Buvid said Updike struggled hitting a little bit earlier in the year.
"Kayla has been a little hard on herself," Buvid said. "She's her own toughest critic. She's hitting .450 now. I know how tough the game is. I wish she would stop doing that. To her credit, she found a way."
Early on, it didn't look like it would take Monroe (10-0, 4-0 Badger South), ranked No. 2 in the Division 2 Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association poll, long to find its groove on offense. The Cheesemakers broke the game open with a three-run first inning off Stoughton pitcher Sarah Seaton. Monroe senior Chandra McGuire walked and Updike reached on an error. Monroe senior Taylor O'Leksy then ripped an RBI single to center. Junior Kari Jordan knocked in a run on a groundout and senior Kirsten Vetterli had an RBI single up the middle to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
Seaton settled down after the first, throwing five shutout innings before Updike's heroics in the seventh.
"It's the best pitching we have faced all year from an opponent," Buvid said. "She (Seaton) threw harder than we expected. She has added 3 to 5 miles per hour to her pitches. She's throwing 54 or 55. I give Stoughton a lot of credit. It's not that we played bad. They just made a lot of plays."
The Cheesemakers had a golden scoring opportunity in the fifth. McGuire smoked a lead-off triple to center. Buvid elected not to bunt. He instead trusted the heart of the Cheesemakers' lineup for a team that is averaging 12.7 runs per game and 13 hits per game through the first nine games. Updike struck out and O'Leksy popped out to second base. Jordan lined out to center to end the threat.
"There were a lot of years where we would have bunted and put it in the dirt for a squeeze," Buvid said. "With the weapons we have this year, you think with your No. 3 and 4 hitters up we could get a fly ball or a groundout to score the run."
The Vikings rallied with a two-run sixth to tie the game at 3. Monroe sophomore pitcher Natalie Dillon walked the lead-off hitter. Stoughton's Madi Sehmer lined an RBI double to left and Holly Brickson lined an RBI single down the right field line. Dillon was able to get out of the jam by getting Emily Auby to ground out to Updike at first.
"I think for a sophomore she (Dillon) showed great poise tonight," Buvid said. "She battled and competed for us. She's a gamer."
With the rain and wet ball, it wasn't the most ideal day to pitch. Dillon pitched a complete game and gave up three runs on four hits. She struck out four and walked an uncharacteristic six.
"We have asked her to throw harder," Buvid said of Dillon. "We probably won't back off of that. She was throwing 51 mph earlier in the year and we want to see if we can get her up to 53 or 54. As a coach you have to live with some of the walks because we are asking her to do something out of her scope because we are looking at the big picture - competing for a conference championship and state."
Buvid said Dillon also has a rise ball and drop ball that she is working to become more consistent throwing for strikes.
"She has to throw her third and fourth pitches for strikes," he said. "We only threw about two or three rise balls today. She has a drop ball that is a college level pitch, but she can't always throw it for strikes."
Updike remained confident even after the Vikings came back to tie the game.
"We knew we had to keep our composure," she said. "Our defense was really strong. We backed up our pitcher really well."
The Cheesemakers have won 10 straight games and will look to keep the streak going when they host the Monroe Invitational Saturday. Monroe will play at 11 a.m. Saturday against Catholic Memorial and 2:30 p.m. against Mosinee at Twining Park before the championship game is determined. The Cheesemakers have won 20 straight conference games and are looking to repeat the unbeaten Badger South season to repeat as champions.
"It's our goal to win it," Updike said of winning the conference and going unbeaten. "There are some good teams out there. We just have to keep cranking the ball and keep playing good defense. Hopefully, if we do that we will win more games."
Updike crushed an RBI triple to left to score senior Ellie Grossen to give the Cheesemakers a thrilling 4-3 walk-off win on a soggy field at Twining Park on Thursday.
"I knew I had to get the ball in play where the runner could score, the senior Updike said. "It felt really nice right off the bat. I knew it was going pretty far. I was just glad it wasn't right to her like most of our hits. It's just an amazing feeling to win a close game like that."
Monroe coach Dale Buvid said Updike struggled hitting a little bit earlier in the year.
"Kayla has been a little hard on herself," Buvid said. "She's her own toughest critic. She's hitting .450 now. I know how tough the game is. I wish she would stop doing that. To her credit, she found a way."
Early on, it didn't look like it would take Monroe (10-0, 4-0 Badger South), ranked No. 2 in the Division 2 Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association poll, long to find its groove on offense. The Cheesemakers broke the game open with a three-run first inning off Stoughton pitcher Sarah Seaton. Monroe senior Chandra McGuire walked and Updike reached on an error. Monroe senior Taylor O'Leksy then ripped an RBI single to center. Junior Kari Jordan knocked in a run on a groundout and senior Kirsten Vetterli had an RBI single up the middle to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
Seaton settled down after the first, throwing five shutout innings before Updike's heroics in the seventh.
"It's the best pitching we have faced all year from an opponent," Buvid said. "She (Seaton) threw harder than we expected. She has added 3 to 5 miles per hour to her pitches. She's throwing 54 or 55. I give Stoughton a lot of credit. It's not that we played bad. They just made a lot of plays."
The Cheesemakers had a golden scoring opportunity in the fifth. McGuire smoked a lead-off triple to center. Buvid elected not to bunt. He instead trusted the heart of the Cheesemakers' lineup for a team that is averaging 12.7 runs per game and 13 hits per game through the first nine games. Updike struck out and O'Leksy popped out to second base. Jordan lined out to center to end the threat.
"There were a lot of years where we would have bunted and put it in the dirt for a squeeze," Buvid said. "With the weapons we have this year, you think with your No. 3 and 4 hitters up we could get a fly ball or a groundout to score the run."
The Vikings rallied with a two-run sixth to tie the game at 3. Monroe sophomore pitcher Natalie Dillon walked the lead-off hitter. Stoughton's Madi Sehmer lined an RBI double to left and Holly Brickson lined an RBI single down the right field line. Dillon was able to get out of the jam by getting Emily Auby to ground out to Updike at first.
"I think for a sophomore she (Dillon) showed great poise tonight," Buvid said. "She battled and competed for us. She's a gamer."
With the rain and wet ball, it wasn't the most ideal day to pitch. Dillon pitched a complete game and gave up three runs on four hits. She struck out four and walked an uncharacteristic six.
"We have asked her to throw harder," Buvid said of Dillon. "We probably won't back off of that. She was throwing 51 mph earlier in the year and we want to see if we can get her up to 53 or 54. As a coach you have to live with some of the walks because we are asking her to do something out of her scope because we are looking at the big picture - competing for a conference championship and state."
Buvid said Dillon also has a rise ball and drop ball that she is working to become more consistent throwing for strikes.
"She has to throw her third and fourth pitches for strikes," he said. "We only threw about two or three rise balls today. She has a drop ball that is a college level pitch, but she can't always throw it for strikes."
Updike remained confident even after the Vikings came back to tie the game.
"We knew we had to keep our composure," she said. "Our defense was really strong. We backed up our pitcher really well."
The Cheesemakers have won 10 straight games and will look to keep the streak going when they host the Monroe Invitational Saturday. Monroe will play at 11 a.m. Saturday against Catholic Memorial and 2:30 p.m. against Mosinee at Twining Park before the championship game is determined. The Cheesemakers have won 20 straight conference games and are looking to repeat the unbeaten Badger South season to repeat as champions.
"It's our goal to win it," Updike said of winning the conference and going unbeaten. "There are some good teams out there. We just have to keep cranking the ball and keep playing good defense. Hopefully, if we do that we will win more games."
