MONROE - The Monroe softball team won the Badger South Conference title for the third straight year, but the Cheesemakers' offense still hasn't clicked on all cylinders.
At least until Friday, when Monroe beat Sauk Prairie 8-1 in a non-conference game on Senior Night at Twining Park.
"It felt good to finally get our bats going a little bit," said Kari Jordan who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. "We kind of feed off each other. Once we started we got a string of them. I'm just glad we could pull this one out."
The Cheesemakers (13-6, 9-2 Badger South) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning off Sauk Prairie pitcher Elizabeth German. Monroe junior Natalie Dillon walked and junior Kaya Teasdale moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Jordan then delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Dillon.
Junior Hannah Vetterli ripped an RBI single to center to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Teasdale went 2-for-3 with one RBI and Vetterli was 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI.
"We have been disappointed in our offense," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "There were some well struck balls today. I think that is a step in the right direction. Sauk is a solid team."
Monroe senior Hailey Kaiser went 1-for-2, senior Carly Arneson was 1-for-2 with one RBI. Buvid credited the play of his seniors for the spark early in the game.
"It's very satisfying that they were able to play well," he said.
Dillon was just as dominant as the Cheesemakers' offense. Dillon pitched 52⁄3 shutout innings and gave up just two hits, while striking out 10.
"Her rise ball was as good as it has been all year," Buvid said of Dillon. "The fastball was in good locations and the rise ball was in good power locations. She couldn't get her changeup over. One of these days she will have all three."
Monroe sophomore Carly Upmann pitched 11⁄3 innings in relief and gave up one run on two hits. He struck out one and walked two.
The Cheesemakers broke the game open with a four-run fourth. Kaiser singled and scored on a groundout by Arneson. The Cheesemakers tacked on three more runs after two outs. Monroe senior Nicole McGrath struck out, but reached first base on a passed ball on the third strike. Dillon lined an RBI single to right to give the Cheesemakers a 4-0 lead. Teasdale followed with an RBI single. Jordan crushed an RBI single to center to give the Cheesemakers a 6-0 lead.
In the fifth, Cassidy Pivonka singled and Lexi Hilliard singled down the left field line. Junior Brooke Adams came through with a pinch-hit RBI single to right center to give the Cheesemakers a 7-0 lead.
Vetterli doubled with two outs in the sixth to set up another scoring opportunity for the Cheesemakers. Upmann reached on an error and Vetterli scored.
"We wanted to start out strong and we did," Jordan said. "I'm just glad we were able to tack on some runs for our pitchers."
Monroe will play Dakota, Ill. and Lena-Winslow today in Lena. The Cheesemakers will play five games next week in a three-day span before gearing up for the regional tournament. The games will include Badger North leader DeForest, Delavan-Darien, Kenosha Tremper, Freeport and Fort Atkinson.
"It will be good to help get us ready for the tournament," Buvid said. "We will see a bigger school in Kenosha Tremper and Delavan-Darien has one of the best pitchers in the state we could face."
At least until Friday, when Monroe beat Sauk Prairie 8-1 in a non-conference game on Senior Night at Twining Park.
"It felt good to finally get our bats going a little bit," said Kari Jordan who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. "We kind of feed off each other. Once we started we got a string of them. I'm just glad we could pull this one out."
The Cheesemakers (13-6, 9-2 Badger South) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning off Sauk Prairie pitcher Elizabeth German. Monroe junior Natalie Dillon walked and junior Kaya Teasdale moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Jordan then delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Dillon.
Junior Hannah Vetterli ripped an RBI single to center to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Teasdale went 2-for-3 with one RBI and Vetterli was 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI.
"We have been disappointed in our offense," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "There were some well struck balls today. I think that is a step in the right direction. Sauk is a solid team."
Monroe senior Hailey Kaiser went 1-for-2, senior Carly Arneson was 1-for-2 with one RBI. Buvid credited the play of his seniors for the spark early in the game.
"It's very satisfying that they were able to play well," he said.
Dillon was just as dominant as the Cheesemakers' offense. Dillon pitched 52⁄3 shutout innings and gave up just two hits, while striking out 10.
"Her rise ball was as good as it has been all year," Buvid said of Dillon. "The fastball was in good locations and the rise ball was in good power locations. She couldn't get her changeup over. One of these days she will have all three."
Monroe sophomore Carly Upmann pitched 11⁄3 innings in relief and gave up one run on two hits. He struck out one and walked two.
The Cheesemakers broke the game open with a four-run fourth. Kaiser singled and scored on a groundout by Arneson. The Cheesemakers tacked on three more runs after two outs. Monroe senior Nicole McGrath struck out, but reached first base on a passed ball on the third strike. Dillon lined an RBI single to right to give the Cheesemakers a 4-0 lead. Teasdale followed with an RBI single. Jordan crushed an RBI single to center to give the Cheesemakers a 6-0 lead.
In the fifth, Cassidy Pivonka singled and Lexi Hilliard singled down the left field line. Junior Brooke Adams came through with a pinch-hit RBI single to right center to give the Cheesemakers a 7-0 lead.
Vetterli doubled with two outs in the sixth to set up another scoring opportunity for the Cheesemakers. Upmann reached on an error and Vetterli scored.
"We wanted to start out strong and we did," Jordan said. "I'm just glad we were able to tack on some runs for our pitchers."
Monroe will play Dakota, Ill. and Lena-Winslow today in Lena. The Cheesemakers will play five games next week in a three-day span before gearing up for the regional tournament. The games will include Badger North leader DeForest, Delavan-Darien, Kenosha Tremper, Freeport and Fort Atkinson.
"It will be good to help get us ready for the tournament," Buvid said. "We will see a bigger school in Kenosha Tremper and Delavan-Darien has one of the best pitchers in the state we could face."
