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Monroe will face Baldwin-Woodville in the Division 2 State Finals.
When: 3 p.m. Saturday, June
Where: Goodman Diamond, Madison
WATCH THE GAME ONLINE: If you are unable to make it to Goodman Diamond Saturday, you can stream the game live at www.foxsportswisconsin.com/
streaming.
MADISON - For a group that talked about playing with a razor-sharp focus in the state tournament this season, the Monroe softball team sure was having a good time as it waited to start its semifinal game Thursday night.
There were plenty of laughs to go around as the Cheesemakers laid in a circle beyond the right field fence and enjoyed each other's company.
Turned out the fun was just beginning.
Becca Armstrong extended her strong postseason run in the circle and the Cheesemakers pounded out nine hits and kept the pressure on from start to finish in a 5-1 victory against Plymouth at Goodman Diamond.
Monroe's 15th consecutive victory earned the Cheesemakers (22-7) a date with Baldwin-Woodville (26-1) in Saturday's 3 p.m. championship game.
"This is amazing. The feeling is just so intense and surreal right now," Monroe sophomore first baseman Kayla Updike said.
Sophomore shortstop Ellie Grossen said the Cheesemakers were a relaxed bunch prior to the game and carried that mood into the contest.
"I think some of us were feeling some pressure, but this year it's all about the experience and making it fun for everyone," Grossen said.
"We don't want to sit around and be nervous about it. We just want to have fun this year."
The fun started early and just kept coming for Monroe's offense, which produced single runs in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to back Armstrong, who fired a complete-game five-hitter with six strikeouts.
Updike, Grossen and senior Alyssa Montgomery, who sang the National Anthem prior to the first semifinal game, each finished with two hits as the Cheesemakers put multiple runners on base in every inning.
"We ran into a great team - the best team we've faced all year," Plymouth coach Gale Grahn said. "There are no easy outs in that lineup, that's for sure. They'll do well in the final on Saturday."
Junior Heather Barta gave Monroe a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a bloop single to right center to score senior Kasey Gutzmer.
Plymouth tied it in the third when leadoff hitter Sophia Keila, who led off with a triple to left, scored on a bounce out.
But the Cheesemakers quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the inning when Updike, who led off with a single, scored from second on freshman Kari Jordan's slow bouncer to shortstop that was scored an error.
Monroe extended its cushion to 3-1 in the fourth, when Grossen led off with a bunt single and scored on Updike's laser double to the fence in left.
Monroe made it 4-1 in the fifth when Gutzmer reached on an error and scored on Montgomery's single to center field.
Updike finished 2-for-3 and also was hit by a pitch. The only time she was retired, she laid down a perfect bunt that plated the speedy Grossen from second base to give Monroe a 5-1 lead in the sixth.
"I was in the moment and it was just so amazing to be up there and feel ready to go," Updike said. "That double felt really good."
Grossen also reached base three times. Her two singles pushed her single-season program-record hits total to 41.
"We came out and played Monroe softball," Grossen said. "I feel like when we came out strong (offensively) it made them lose hope a little it and it made them back down. That helped a lot, coming out and getting those hits right away.
"There we were some things we could have cleaned up, but it was pretty good for us."
One of the things Grossen was referring to was the Cheesemakers' hitting with runners in scoring position. Monroe left nine runners on base.
"We're pretty happy with what we did offensively, we just couldn't break the game open," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "You're happy with nine hits in a state tournament game, but at the same time, I think we left some runs out there.
"We have all these (state tournament) T-shirts running around here that say 'Crooked Number' on the back and we got one, one, one, one, one. It would have been nice to put a crooked number up there."
Next up for the Cheesemakers is the Baldwin-Woodville team that defeated them in the state semifinals a year ago. The Blackhawks, who lost in the state title game a year ago, are on a 13-game winning streak.
Buvid said the Cheesemakers will have to "be at our very best to beat that team."
Said Updike: "We're hoping for redemption. We want to show them we can play with the best."
There were plenty of laughs to go around as the Cheesemakers laid in a circle beyond the right field fence and enjoyed each other's company.
Turned out the fun was just beginning.
Becca Armstrong extended her strong postseason run in the circle and the Cheesemakers pounded out nine hits and kept the pressure on from start to finish in a 5-1 victory against Plymouth at Goodman Diamond.
Monroe's 15th consecutive victory earned the Cheesemakers (22-7) a date with Baldwin-Woodville (26-1) in Saturday's 3 p.m. championship game.
"This is amazing. The feeling is just so intense and surreal right now," Monroe sophomore first baseman Kayla Updike said.
Sophomore shortstop Ellie Grossen said the Cheesemakers were a relaxed bunch prior to the game and carried that mood into the contest.
"I think some of us were feeling some pressure, but this year it's all about the experience and making it fun for everyone," Grossen said.
"We don't want to sit around and be nervous about it. We just want to have fun this year."
The fun started early and just kept coming for Monroe's offense, which produced single runs in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to back Armstrong, who fired a complete-game five-hitter with six strikeouts.
Updike, Grossen and senior Alyssa Montgomery, who sang the National Anthem prior to the first semifinal game, each finished with two hits as the Cheesemakers put multiple runners on base in every inning.
"We ran into a great team - the best team we've faced all year," Plymouth coach Gale Grahn said. "There are no easy outs in that lineup, that's for sure. They'll do well in the final on Saturday."
Junior Heather Barta gave Monroe a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a bloop single to right center to score senior Kasey Gutzmer.
Plymouth tied it in the third when leadoff hitter Sophia Keila, who led off with a triple to left, scored on a bounce out.
But the Cheesemakers quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the inning when Updike, who led off with a single, scored from second on freshman Kari Jordan's slow bouncer to shortstop that was scored an error.
Monroe extended its cushion to 3-1 in the fourth, when Grossen led off with a bunt single and scored on Updike's laser double to the fence in left.
Monroe made it 4-1 in the fifth when Gutzmer reached on an error and scored on Montgomery's single to center field.
Updike finished 2-for-3 and also was hit by a pitch. The only time she was retired, she laid down a perfect bunt that plated the speedy Grossen from second base to give Monroe a 5-1 lead in the sixth.
"I was in the moment and it was just so amazing to be up there and feel ready to go," Updike said. "That double felt really good."
Grossen also reached base three times. Her two singles pushed her single-season program-record hits total to 41.
"We came out and played Monroe softball," Grossen said. "I feel like when we came out strong (offensively) it made them lose hope a little it and it made them back down. That helped a lot, coming out and getting those hits right away.
"There we were some things we could have cleaned up, but it was pretty good for us."
One of the things Grossen was referring to was the Cheesemakers' hitting with runners in scoring position. Monroe left nine runners on base.
"We're pretty happy with what we did offensively, we just couldn't break the game open," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "You're happy with nine hits in a state tournament game, but at the same time, I think we left some runs out there.
"We have all these (state tournament) T-shirts running around here that say 'Crooked Number' on the back and we got one, one, one, one, one. It would have been nice to put a crooked number up there."
Next up for the Cheesemakers is the Baldwin-Woodville team that defeated them in the state semifinals a year ago. The Blackhawks, who lost in the state title game a year ago, are on a 13-game winning streak.
Buvid said the Cheesemakers will have to "be at our very best to beat that team."
Said Updike: "We're hoping for redemption. We want to show them we can play with the best."
