MONROE - The Cheesemakers split a doubleheader with Juda, one of the top teams in the state in Division 4.
"They are a very good team," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "(Amber) Ramos is fantastic."
Ramos, Juda's ace the past three seasons, struck out nine in six innings, while taking a 2-0 loss in Game 1 on Saturday.
"We were able to scrape a couple of runs and Becca (Armstrong) was fabulous on the mound for us," Buvid said.
Armstrong struck out 13 hitters and allowed just two hits and two walks in seven innings to get the win.
Monroe scored both of its runs in the third inning. Heather Barta walked, then stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. With the Panthers' infield drawn in for a play at the plate, Chandra McGuire blooped an RBI single. Two batters later, with McGuire at third base, Kelsey Erickson bunted the second run home.
"It was a very well played game," Buvid said.
Juda, ranked seventh in Division 4 in the WisSports.net Poll, won the second game 9-0, taking advantage of several Monroe errors.
"They beat us in every way, shape and form," Buvid said.
The Panthers scored their first run in the second inning, then went to town in the fourth.
Armstrong was gassed, according to Buvid, and Kristin McArdle took over on the mound in the fourth. Ramos led off the inning with a triple and later hit a 3-run home run over the left center fence. Juda scored eight runs in the inning.
Tabatha Davis was 3 for 3 at the plate for Juda and allowed just one hit and a walk in 3 1/3 innings on the hill. Ramos was 2 for 4 batting with the triple and home run, and allowed one hit and two walks in 3 2/3 innings of relief. Ramos also struck out seven batters in Game 2.
"She just killed us," Buvid said of Ramos, a junior. "They (Juda) are going to be really good in the tournament.
"But give our girls some credit, too. They scored a few runs against her in the first game and we did what we had to do to get a win."
The doubleheader was the remnants of a twice-rescheduled tournament the Cheesemakers were to host. However, rain canceled both the original date of games and the rescheduled date. Both Monroe and Juda were slated to play in the invite and, with May 21 open, decided to play a non-conference doubleheader against one another.
Monroe hosts Oregon tonight in the regular season finale today. Mount Horeb will come to town on Thursday in the opening round of the WIAA Division 2 state tournament. If all goes to plan, the Cheesemakers will be facing off against River Valley in the regional final. Monroe has made it to sectionals every year since 2006.
Juda, the top seed in the Division 4 Beaver Dam Sectional, has a first round bye in the tournament and will face the winner of Pecatonica and Argyle on Tuesday, May 31.
"They are a very good team," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "(Amber) Ramos is fantastic."
Ramos, Juda's ace the past three seasons, struck out nine in six innings, while taking a 2-0 loss in Game 1 on Saturday.
"We were able to scrape a couple of runs and Becca (Armstrong) was fabulous on the mound for us," Buvid said.
Armstrong struck out 13 hitters and allowed just two hits and two walks in seven innings to get the win.
Monroe scored both of its runs in the third inning. Heather Barta walked, then stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. With the Panthers' infield drawn in for a play at the plate, Chandra McGuire blooped an RBI single. Two batters later, with McGuire at third base, Kelsey Erickson bunted the second run home.
"It was a very well played game," Buvid said.
Juda, ranked seventh in Division 4 in the WisSports.net Poll, won the second game 9-0, taking advantage of several Monroe errors.
"They beat us in every way, shape and form," Buvid said.
The Panthers scored their first run in the second inning, then went to town in the fourth.
Armstrong was gassed, according to Buvid, and Kristin McArdle took over on the mound in the fourth. Ramos led off the inning with a triple and later hit a 3-run home run over the left center fence. Juda scored eight runs in the inning.
Tabatha Davis was 3 for 3 at the plate for Juda and allowed just one hit and a walk in 3 1/3 innings on the hill. Ramos was 2 for 4 batting with the triple and home run, and allowed one hit and two walks in 3 2/3 innings of relief. Ramos also struck out seven batters in Game 2.
"She just killed us," Buvid said of Ramos, a junior. "They (Juda) are going to be really good in the tournament.
"But give our girls some credit, too. They scored a few runs against her in the first game and we did what we had to do to get a win."
The doubleheader was the remnants of a twice-rescheduled tournament the Cheesemakers were to host. However, rain canceled both the original date of games and the rescheduled date. Both Monroe and Juda were slated to play in the invite and, with May 21 open, decided to play a non-conference doubleheader against one another.
Monroe hosts Oregon tonight in the regular season finale today. Mount Horeb will come to town on Thursday in the opening round of the WIAA Division 2 state tournament. If all goes to plan, the Cheesemakers will be facing off against River Valley in the regional final. Monroe has made it to sectionals every year since 2006.
Juda, the top seed in the Division 4 Beaver Dam Sectional, has a first round bye in the tournament and will face the winner of Pecatonica and Argyle on Tuesday, May 31.
