MONROE - After his Monroe High School softball team slugged its way to a seven-run lead after two innings, coach Joe O'Leksy watched his team learn what he hopes is a valuable lesson in Thursday's showdown with Fort Atkinson.
Monroe erupted for a six-run first inning and had a seven-run lead after two innings. But Fort Atkinson pulled off a thrilling comeback by scoring four runs in the sixth en route to a 13-10 win over Monroe at Twining Park.
"I think when you get up by so much so quickly it's easier to be comfortable," said Monroe senior Lexi Hilliard, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two stolen bases. "We can't do that. In softball, any team can come back and beat anybody."
Fort Atkinson (4-3, 3-1 Badger South) took a leg up on the Cheesemakers (7-3, 4-2) in the race to win the Badger South Conference. Oregon (4-0) is unbeaten atop the conference now.
Monroe sophomore pitcher Olivia Bobak pitched a complete game and gave up seven earned runs on 10 hits. She walked a season-high 11 and struck out 11.
"I think the big thing is our defense and pitching failed us," O'Leksy said. "We lost our composure on the mound and in the infield. We had the game in hand. We allowed them to come back. We made some mistakes and Fort Atkinson took advantage of them. Sometimes you have to have a game like this to get better and remember how hard it is to win games. It's a learning lesson."
The Cheesemakers pounded out six hits that led to six runs in the first off Fort Atkinson sophomore starting pitcher Kat Brandl. Junior Meredith Hose, who went 2-for-5 with two RBI, lined a double to left to lead off the inning. Sophomore Hailey Betthauser bunted for a single. Junior Alysha Witt then lined an RBI single to right. Brandl walked Bobak, and Hilliard delivered an RBI single to give the Cheesemakers a 2-1 lead. Senior Carly Upmann walked with the bases loaded to extend the lead to 3-1. Senior Megan Baumgartner lined a two-run single to center to give the Cheesemakers a 5-1 lead. Freshman Grace Tostrud singled and Betthauser was later hit by a pitch to give the Cheesemakers a 6-1 lead.
The Cheesemakers kept the pressure on the Blackhawks in the second. Bobak singled to lead off and Hilliard doubled to center. Upmann, who had three RBI, drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to give the Cheesemakers a 7-2 lead. Brandl then walked two straight batters to load the bases. Hose came through with a two-run single to right to give the Cheesemakers a 9-2 lead. Witt also went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
That's when Fort Atkinson brought in sophomore lefty Mackenzie Kramer to pitch. Kramer dazzled, pitching five innings and giving up just one run on three hits to get the win. She limited the Cheesemakers to just one hit in the first four innings she pitched and didn't give up a run until Upmann's RBI single in the seventh.
"She was a little slower," Hilliard said of Kramer's pitching. "Sometimes we get a little ahead of ourselves, and we are a little too quick."
The Blackhawks completed their comeback in the sixth. Bobak walked three straight batters to load the bases. Brandl, the Blackhawks' lead-off hitter who went 4-for-4 with four RBI, had the big blow - a two-run double that gave the Blackhawks a 10-9 lead. Autumn Congdon followed with an RBI single to left to extend the Blackhawks' lead to 11-9.
"She struggled a little bit," O'Leksy said of Bobak in the circle. "I know she will bounce back, and this will make her stronger next time."
The Blackhawks scored two unearned runs in the seventh after Bobak walked two to start the inning. One scored on a throwing error at first base.
"A couple of errors got us down, and we can't let that happen," Hilliard said.
Fort Atkinson senior Morgan Dunkleberger was also a thorn in the side of the Cheesemakers going 2-for-4 with four RBI.
"We will bounce back," O'Leksy said.
Monroe erupted for a six-run first inning and had a seven-run lead after two innings. But Fort Atkinson pulled off a thrilling comeback by scoring four runs in the sixth en route to a 13-10 win over Monroe at Twining Park.
"I think when you get up by so much so quickly it's easier to be comfortable," said Monroe senior Lexi Hilliard, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two stolen bases. "We can't do that. In softball, any team can come back and beat anybody."
Fort Atkinson (4-3, 3-1 Badger South) took a leg up on the Cheesemakers (7-3, 4-2) in the race to win the Badger South Conference. Oregon (4-0) is unbeaten atop the conference now.
Monroe sophomore pitcher Olivia Bobak pitched a complete game and gave up seven earned runs on 10 hits. She walked a season-high 11 and struck out 11.
"I think the big thing is our defense and pitching failed us," O'Leksy said. "We lost our composure on the mound and in the infield. We had the game in hand. We allowed them to come back. We made some mistakes and Fort Atkinson took advantage of them. Sometimes you have to have a game like this to get better and remember how hard it is to win games. It's a learning lesson."
The Cheesemakers pounded out six hits that led to six runs in the first off Fort Atkinson sophomore starting pitcher Kat Brandl. Junior Meredith Hose, who went 2-for-5 with two RBI, lined a double to left to lead off the inning. Sophomore Hailey Betthauser bunted for a single. Junior Alysha Witt then lined an RBI single to right. Brandl walked Bobak, and Hilliard delivered an RBI single to give the Cheesemakers a 2-1 lead. Senior Carly Upmann walked with the bases loaded to extend the lead to 3-1. Senior Megan Baumgartner lined a two-run single to center to give the Cheesemakers a 5-1 lead. Freshman Grace Tostrud singled and Betthauser was later hit by a pitch to give the Cheesemakers a 6-1 lead.
The Cheesemakers kept the pressure on the Blackhawks in the second. Bobak singled to lead off and Hilliard doubled to center. Upmann, who had three RBI, drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to give the Cheesemakers a 7-2 lead. Brandl then walked two straight batters to load the bases. Hose came through with a two-run single to right to give the Cheesemakers a 9-2 lead. Witt also went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
That's when Fort Atkinson brought in sophomore lefty Mackenzie Kramer to pitch. Kramer dazzled, pitching five innings and giving up just one run on three hits to get the win. She limited the Cheesemakers to just one hit in the first four innings she pitched and didn't give up a run until Upmann's RBI single in the seventh.
"She was a little slower," Hilliard said of Kramer's pitching. "Sometimes we get a little ahead of ourselves, and we are a little too quick."
The Blackhawks completed their comeback in the sixth. Bobak walked three straight batters to load the bases. Brandl, the Blackhawks' lead-off hitter who went 4-for-4 with four RBI, had the big blow - a two-run double that gave the Blackhawks a 10-9 lead. Autumn Congdon followed with an RBI single to left to extend the Blackhawks' lead to 11-9.
"She struggled a little bit," O'Leksy said of Bobak in the circle. "I know she will bounce back, and this will make her stronger next time."
The Blackhawks scored two unearned runs in the seventh after Bobak walked two to start the inning. One scored on a throwing error at first base.
"A couple of errors got us down, and we can't let that happen," Hilliard said.
Fort Atkinson senior Morgan Dunkleberger was also a thorn in the side of the Cheesemakers going 2-for-4 with four RBI.
"We will bounce back," O'Leksy said.
