MADISON - It's hard to imagine defensive breakdowns costing the Monroe softball team on the biggest stage.
Monroe (20-10) committed an uncharacteristic eight errors and the Cheesemakers lost a WIAA Division 2 state championship game, 4-1 to Luexemburg-Casco on Saturday at the University of Wisconsin's Goodman Diamond.
Monroe, the Division 2 state runner-up for the second straight year, entered the state tournament with the best fielding percentage (.948) in the Division 2 field, but a defensive collapse haunted the Cheesemakers in the title game. The eight errors by the Cheesemakers were just two away from tying a Division 2 record (10) set by Columbus in 1985.
"It's always easier to take games like this because you never really had a chance to win," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "We didn't give ourselves a chance to win with the errors. A couple of them kind of snowballed and we just never ridded ourselves."
Despite being down 4-0 entering the seventh inning, the Cheesemakers didn't go quietly. Emily Rufenacht and Brandi Trewartha lined singles to center leading off the seventh. Monroe sophomore Kelsey Erickson then ripped an RBI double in the right center field gap to put the Cheesemakers on the board. Danielle Deterville then struck out Kendra Clark and Kristin McArdle. Monroe junior Gwen Sutter then hit a comebacker to Deterville who threw to first to end the Cheesemakers' rally and she tossed her glove in the air to celebrate the Spartans' first state title.
Deterville retired the first 10 hitters she faced and shut the Cheesemakers down in the first three innings before senior Maggie Schuttler singled to center in the fourth to break up the no-hit bid. Deterville gave up just one run on four hits.
Monroe senior Meghan Roberts pitched six innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits.
"They (Luxemburg-Casco) played better than us today and they deserved to win," Buvid said.
Monroe (20-10) committed an uncharacteristic eight errors and the Cheesemakers lost a WIAA Division 2 state championship game, 4-1 to Luexemburg-Casco on Saturday at the University of Wisconsin's Goodman Diamond.
Monroe, the Division 2 state runner-up for the second straight year, entered the state tournament with the best fielding percentage (.948) in the Division 2 field, but a defensive collapse haunted the Cheesemakers in the title game. The eight errors by the Cheesemakers were just two away from tying a Division 2 record (10) set by Columbus in 1985.
"It's always easier to take games like this because you never really had a chance to win," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "We didn't give ourselves a chance to win with the errors. A couple of them kind of snowballed and we just never ridded ourselves."
Despite being down 4-0 entering the seventh inning, the Cheesemakers didn't go quietly. Emily Rufenacht and Brandi Trewartha lined singles to center leading off the seventh. Monroe sophomore Kelsey Erickson then ripped an RBI double in the right center field gap to put the Cheesemakers on the board. Danielle Deterville then struck out Kendra Clark and Kristin McArdle. Monroe junior Gwen Sutter then hit a comebacker to Deterville who threw to first to end the Cheesemakers' rally and she tossed her glove in the air to celebrate the Spartans' first state title.
Deterville retired the first 10 hitters she faced and shut the Cheesemakers down in the first three innings before senior Maggie Schuttler singled to center in the fourth to break up the no-hit bid. Deterville gave up just one run on four hits.
Monroe senior Meghan Roberts pitched six innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits.
"They (Luxemburg-Casco) played better than us today and they deserved to win," Buvid said.
