MONROE - Taylor O'Leksy has been a major cog in one of the most prolific offenses for the Monroe softball program.
O'Leksy and the Cheesemakers finished third place in the Monroe Invitational bashing Kenosha St. Joseph's 29-1 after losing their first game of the season 6-4 to Mosinee on Saturday at Twining Park.
O'Leksy took the loss to Mosinee hard, but she kept the game in perspective.
"It stinks," she said. But, "it's just a little bump in the road. It's nothing to be too worried about. We will just learn from it, move on and get better."
Mosinee went on to beat Delavan-Darien 2-1 to win the championship. Mosinee went 20-1 last year with the only loss coming to Rice Lake. Mosinee then lost in the sectional semifinals to Division 2 state runner-up Baldwin-Woodville.
"Sometimes we are playing good and a little lesson like that isn't terrible," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "They (Mosinee), along with Baldwin-Woodville and Rice Lake, are threats to go to state. We have to keep working and improving if we want to win a conference championship and make a state run. Like one of my assistant coaches said, 'we played a B game and they played an A game.'"
Monroe (12-1, 4-0 Badger South) opened the tournament with a 30-9 win over Waukesha Catholic Memorial. The Cheesemakers hit four home runs in the tournament and set a school record for home runs in a single season with eight. Monroe senior Kayla Updike crushed a three-run home run to left center in the third against Catholic Memorial to help the Cheesemakers take a 16-8 lead after five innings.
"It's one of the best balls I have seen hit," Buvid said of Updike's home run. "There was no doubt when she hit it.
"In my first 20 years of coaching I saw about four home runs hit over the fence and we had four today," Buvid said. "The game has changed and the athletes are better. The skill and power of the athletes is better."
The Cheesemakers batted around the order twice and erupted for 14 runs in the sixth. Monroe junior Kari Jordan went 4-for-6 with five RBI. Senior Ellie Grossen went 3-for-5 and senior Chandra McGuire was 2-for-4 with three RBI.
"Our kids can hit it if pitchers throw it right down the middle and leave it on what we call the red," Buvid said.
Monroe senior Sam Hose earned the win as the starting pitcher after going three innings. Hose gave up eight runs on nine hits. Sophomore Natalie Dillon pitched three innings in relief and gave up one run and didn't allow a hit. She struck out two and walked two.
Mosinee 6, Monroe 4
The Cheesemakers jumped on Mosinee pitcher Rochelle Koshalek scoring three runs in the first. McGuire walked and Updike doubled to center. O'Leksy, who went 3-for-4, lined a two-run double to left. O'Leksy scored after a wild throw to third on a groundout by Jordan to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
Mosinee battled back and tied the game on Autumn Michlig's RBI single to left in the fifth off Dillon. The Cheesemakers had a golden scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth. Monroe senior Katie Holmes walked and Grossen singled to right. With two on and no outs, McGuire hit a line drive to second. Koshalek worked out of the jam by striking out Updike and O'Leksy to end the threat.
"That was a big turning point in the game," Buvid said. If Chandra's line drive gets through it's probably in the gap and we score two runs to take a 5-3 lead."
Koshalek, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, delivered a two-run single to left to give Indians a 5-3 lead. Mosinee's Macee Beste then came through with an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-3.
The Cheesemakers rallied in the seventh. Grossen walked and McGuire doubled to left. With two outs, O'Leksy hit a pop up to the Indians' second baseman, but she slipped and it dropped for an RBI single. McGuire was thrown out at the plate to end the game. O'Leksy went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Cheesemakers.
"I probably made a mistake by sending her when we were down two runs and Kari was coming up," Buvid said. "If I had it to do all over again and I knew she was going to be out, I wouldn't have held her. Their centerfielder made a great throw.
"They are a very good team. They are the real deal. Their defense was exceptionally good. They will win a lot of games. They can play with anyone in Division 2."
Dillon pitched a complete game and took the loss. She gave up six runs on 11 hits. She struck out five and walked just one.
"She's making progress and getting better," Buvid said of Dillon. "She's not a power pitcher right now. To beat a top notch team, she has to throw her second and third pitches for strikes. That way she's not relying too much on her fastball. She just doesn't have the power to strike people out."
Monroe 29, Kenosha St. Joseph 1
The Cheesemakers put on a home run display in the final game. Updike belted a three-run home run to left center and Jordan hit a two-run home run to left center in the first to spark the Cheesemakers to a 5-0 lead.
The Cheesemakers scored 12 runs in the first as Kenosha St. Joseph struggled with freshmen and sophomore pitchers. Kensoha St. Joseph's ace pitcher from last year that led them to state isn't playing this season. The No. 2 pitcher was used against Delavan-Darien, so they had to use young and untested pitchers against the Cheesemakers.
"They ran out of pitching," Buvid said. "They went to state in Division 3 last year that is why we wanted them in the tournament."
The game got ugly as Kenosha St. Joseph pitchers walked 16 in four innings and committed 10 errors.
Dillon pitched three innings to get the win. She gave up one run on two hits. She struck out three and didn't issue a walk. Hose pitched one shutout inning in relief.
The Cheesemakers' 13-hit attack was led by Jordan who went 4-for-4. O'Leksy went 2-for-2 and Dillon was 2-for-4.
O'Leksy and the Cheesemakers finished third place in the Monroe Invitational bashing Kenosha St. Joseph's 29-1 after losing their first game of the season 6-4 to Mosinee on Saturday at Twining Park.
O'Leksy took the loss to Mosinee hard, but she kept the game in perspective.
"It stinks," she said. But, "it's just a little bump in the road. It's nothing to be too worried about. We will just learn from it, move on and get better."
Mosinee went on to beat Delavan-Darien 2-1 to win the championship. Mosinee went 20-1 last year with the only loss coming to Rice Lake. Mosinee then lost in the sectional semifinals to Division 2 state runner-up Baldwin-Woodville.
"Sometimes we are playing good and a little lesson like that isn't terrible," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "They (Mosinee), along with Baldwin-Woodville and Rice Lake, are threats to go to state. We have to keep working and improving if we want to win a conference championship and make a state run. Like one of my assistant coaches said, 'we played a B game and they played an A game.'"
Monroe (12-1, 4-0 Badger South) opened the tournament with a 30-9 win over Waukesha Catholic Memorial. The Cheesemakers hit four home runs in the tournament and set a school record for home runs in a single season with eight. Monroe senior Kayla Updike crushed a three-run home run to left center in the third against Catholic Memorial to help the Cheesemakers take a 16-8 lead after five innings.
"It's one of the best balls I have seen hit," Buvid said of Updike's home run. "There was no doubt when she hit it.
"In my first 20 years of coaching I saw about four home runs hit over the fence and we had four today," Buvid said. "The game has changed and the athletes are better. The skill and power of the athletes is better."
The Cheesemakers batted around the order twice and erupted for 14 runs in the sixth. Monroe junior Kari Jordan went 4-for-6 with five RBI. Senior Ellie Grossen went 3-for-5 and senior Chandra McGuire was 2-for-4 with three RBI.
"Our kids can hit it if pitchers throw it right down the middle and leave it on what we call the red," Buvid said.
Monroe senior Sam Hose earned the win as the starting pitcher after going three innings. Hose gave up eight runs on nine hits. Sophomore Natalie Dillon pitched three innings in relief and gave up one run and didn't allow a hit. She struck out two and walked two.
Mosinee 6, Monroe 4
The Cheesemakers jumped on Mosinee pitcher Rochelle Koshalek scoring three runs in the first. McGuire walked and Updike doubled to center. O'Leksy, who went 3-for-4, lined a two-run double to left. O'Leksy scored after a wild throw to third on a groundout by Jordan to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
Mosinee battled back and tied the game on Autumn Michlig's RBI single to left in the fifth off Dillon. The Cheesemakers had a golden scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth. Monroe senior Katie Holmes walked and Grossen singled to right. With two on and no outs, McGuire hit a line drive to second. Koshalek worked out of the jam by striking out Updike and O'Leksy to end the threat.
"That was a big turning point in the game," Buvid said. If Chandra's line drive gets through it's probably in the gap and we score two runs to take a 5-3 lead."
Koshalek, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, delivered a two-run single to left to give Indians a 5-3 lead. Mosinee's Macee Beste then came through with an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-3.
The Cheesemakers rallied in the seventh. Grossen walked and McGuire doubled to left. With two outs, O'Leksy hit a pop up to the Indians' second baseman, but she slipped and it dropped for an RBI single. McGuire was thrown out at the plate to end the game. O'Leksy went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Cheesemakers.
"I probably made a mistake by sending her when we were down two runs and Kari was coming up," Buvid said. "If I had it to do all over again and I knew she was going to be out, I wouldn't have held her. Their centerfielder made a great throw.
"They are a very good team. They are the real deal. Their defense was exceptionally good. They will win a lot of games. They can play with anyone in Division 2."
Dillon pitched a complete game and took the loss. She gave up six runs on 11 hits. She struck out five and walked just one.
"She's making progress and getting better," Buvid said of Dillon. "She's not a power pitcher right now. To beat a top notch team, she has to throw her second and third pitches for strikes. That way she's not relying too much on her fastball. She just doesn't have the power to strike people out."
Monroe 29, Kenosha St. Joseph 1
The Cheesemakers put on a home run display in the final game. Updike belted a three-run home run to left center and Jordan hit a two-run home run to left center in the first to spark the Cheesemakers to a 5-0 lead.
The Cheesemakers scored 12 runs in the first as Kenosha St. Joseph struggled with freshmen and sophomore pitchers. Kensoha St. Joseph's ace pitcher from last year that led them to state isn't playing this season. The No. 2 pitcher was used against Delavan-Darien, so they had to use young and untested pitchers against the Cheesemakers.
"They ran out of pitching," Buvid said. "They went to state in Division 3 last year that is why we wanted them in the tournament."
The game got ugly as Kenosha St. Joseph pitchers walked 16 in four innings and committed 10 errors.
Dillon pitched three innings to get the win. She gave up one run on two hits. She struck out three and didn't issue a walk. Hose pitched one shutout inning in relief.
The Cheesemakers' 13-hit attack was led by Jordan who went 4-for-4. O'Leksy went 2-for-2 and Dillon was 2-for-4.
