MONROE - Senior third baseman Katie Holmes has missed big chunks of the past two state tournament runs by the Monroe softball team.
Holmes battled a sprained ankle last year that kept her out of the regional and sectional games before she returned for the state tournament, and as a sophomore she missed the tournament with a finger injury. That is why it meant so much to Holmes to come through with an RBI infield single to help the Cheesemakers beat Mount Horeb 5-1 in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal Tuesday at Twining Park.
"I'm going to cross my fingers that the third time is the charm," said Holmes, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
"Right before (my at-bat) we had a meeting and I was supposed to pull the ball. They threw a pitch out and the shortstop went to cover third base and I hit the ball where she was supposed to be. I lucked out. I didn't do what I was supposed to do, but I made it."
The Cheesemakers, ranked No. 4 in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Division 2 poll, and Vikings were locked in a pitcher's duel for five innings. Holmes' hit came on the heels of Kaylea Ambrose's pinch-hit RBI single to left to score Brooke Adams that sparked a three-run sixth by the Cheesemakers.
"It's always a tough decision," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said of pinch-hitting with Ambrose. "We know she (Ambrose) is a good hitter and has hit two home runs on JV. She's talented enough to be up here. We want to give our seniors a chance to play. At the end of the year, we are going to play who we think gives us the best chance. She came through with a big hit and made me look smart as a coach."
With the win, Monroe (24-3) will advance and host River Valley in a regional championship game Thursday at Twining Park. The Cheesemakers have won seven straight regional titles and beat River Valley four of the past five years including three times for the regional title.
"We have had River Valley's number," Buvid said. "Last year we got to their freshman pitcher. She is a year older now. If we are not better than today we will probably come up a little short. We have to be on our 'A' game."
Early on, the underdog Vikings (11-11) proved to be up to the challenge with pitcher Kaitlynn Massman keeping her pitches down and working the lower part of the strike zone. The Cheesemakers were 1-for-8 hitting with runners in scoring position the first five innings and finished 3-for-11. Monroe senior Taylor O'Leksy went 2-for-3 and senior Ellie Grossen was 2-for-4.
"We weren't clicking," Buvid said of the Cheesemakers' hitting. "Massman gets a lot of the credit for that. We struck out a lot early and hit a lot of fly balls. We still feel like we can be better than that."
Massman hit a home run to center field off Monroe pitcher Natalie Dillon in the second to tie the game at 1. Monroe senior Kayla Updike answered hitting a solo home run to left center in the third to give the Cheesemakers a 2-1 lead.
"It felt really nice to make contact with the ball," Updike said of her team-leading fifth home run. "That is all I was looking to do and it went pretty far. We just had to focus and see the ball. We knew we had to drive the ball back up the middle."
Dillon didn't need much run support. She pitched a complete game two-hitter. She struck out a season-high 12 and walked five. With one on and two outs, she pitched around Massman walking her and then walked another batter to load the bases. Dillon pitched out of a the bases-loaded jam by striking out Gabrielle Coulthard on a rise ball.
"It's relieving," Dillon said. "I'm obviously nervous when it's close. I just have to remember one pitch at a time. Obviously, when she (Massman) hit that home run in her first at-bat, you knew you couldn't give her anything good there. A walk in that situation didn't hurt. It's always going to be key to get my rise ball over and I can get them chasing."
Holmes battled a sprained ankle last year that kept her out of the regional and sectional games before she returned for the state tournament, and as a sophomore she missed the tournament with a finger injury. That is why it meant so much to Holmes to come through with an RBI infield single to help the Cheesemakers beat Mount Horeb 5-1 in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal Tuesday at Twining Park.
"I'm going to cross my fingers that the third time is the charm," said Holmes, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
"Right before (my at-bat) we had a meeting and I was supposed to pull the ball. They threw a pitch out and the shortstop went to cover third base and I hit the ball where she was supposed to be. I lucked out. I didn't do what I was supposed to do, but I made it."
The Cheesemakers, ranked No. 4 in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Division 2 poll, and Vikings were locked in a pitcher's duel for five innings. Holmes' hit came on the heels of Kaylea Ambrose's pinch-hit RBI single to left to score Brooke Adams that sparked a three-run sixth by the Cheesemakers.
"It's always a tough decision," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said of pinch-hitting with Ambrose. "We know she (Ambrose) is a good hitter and has hit two home runs on JV. She's talented enough to be up here. We want to give our seniors a chance to play. At the end of the year, we are going to play who we think gives us the best chance. She came through with a big hit and made me look smart as a coach."
With the win, Monroe (24-3) will advance and host River Valley in a regional championship game Thursday at Twining Park. The Cheesemakers have won seven straight regional titles and beat River Valley four of the past five years including three times for the regional title.
"We have had River Valley's number," Buvid said. "Last year we got to their freshman pitcher. She is a year older now. If we are not better than today we will probably come up a little short. We have to be on our 'A' game."
Early on, the underdog Vikings (11-11) proved to be up to the challenge with pitcher Kaitlynn Massman keeping her pitches down and working the lower part of the strike zone. The Cheesemakers were 1-for-8 hitting with runners in scoring position the first five innings and finished 3-for-11. Monroe senior Taylor O'Leksy went 2-for-3 and senior Ellie Grossen was 2-for-4.
"We weren't clicking," Buvid said of the Cheesemakers' hitting. "Massman gets a lot of the credit for that. We struck out a lot early and hit a lot of fly balls. We still feel like we can be better than that."
Massman hit a home run to center field off Monroe pitcher Natalie Dillon in the second to tie the game at 1. Monroe senior Kayla Updike answered hitting a solo home run to left center in the third to give the Cheesemakers a 2-1 lead.
"It felt really nice to make contact with the ball," Updike said of her team-leading fifth home run. "That is all I was looking to do and it went pretty far. We just had to focus and see the ball. We knew we had to drive the ball back up the middle."
Dillon didn't need much run support. She pitched a complete game two-hitter. She struck out a season-high 12 and walked five. With one on and two outs, she pitched around Massman walking her and then walked another batter to load the bases. Dillon pitched out of a the bases-loaded jam by striking out Gabrielle Coulthard on a rise ball.
"It's relieving," Dillon said. "I'm obviously nervous when it's close. I just have to remember one pitch at a time. Obviously, when she (Massman) hit that home run in her first at-bat, you knew you couldn't give her anything good there. A walk in that situation didn't hurt. It's always going to be key to get my rise ball over and I can get them chasing."
