WHITEWATER - About the last thing anyone unexpected was a home run. Especially from a player who had never hit one and who had struck out twice earlier in the game.
But one picture-perfect swing from senior centerfielder Kasey Gutzmer stopped Marshall's momentum and gave Monroe a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals Monday in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal. The Cheesemakers (20-7), now on a 13-game winning streak, play Richland Center on Thursday in Portage for a chance to reach the state tournament for the sixth time in the last 10 years.
"I was shaking, nervous that I was going to strike out," said Gutzmer, almost at a loss for words and still incredulous that she had hit her first-ever home run. "I kept my head in there. It was amazing."
Gutzmer almost didn't get a chance to swing away as she led off the bottom of the sixth inning of a 3-3 tie.
"She had struck out twice and didn't look good doing it," said Monroe coach Dale Buvid. "I was going to have her bunt."
Buvid said the Monroe coaches saw Gutzmer's power potential in practice.
"When the ball is middle, we've been trying to get her to turn on it," he said. "She's done that in practice.
"The wind was blowing out, but not that much," he said. "She certainly picked a good time. Last year she made some great defensive plays to help us get to state. This year she did it with the bat."
Whitewater officials estimated the distance to the 8-foot high fence in center field at about 200 feet. One official noted that in close to 15 years he had witnessed just two home runs at the field, and none to dead center. Gutzmer, a left-handed hitter, hit a near moon shot which seemed to hang in the air before finally clearing the fence.
Marshall had tied the game at 3-all in the top of the sixth when sophomore second baseman Billie Nolan drilled a two-out, two-strike, two-run double off Monroe junior righthander Becca Armstrong to deep left center.
"Marshall hit good pitches," said Buvid. "I can't fault Becca when she's battling and just trying to throw good pitches."
After Gutzmer's homer, Armstrong retired the Cardinals in order in the seventh, striking out the final two hitters.
Armstrong was called on several occasions for throwing an illegal pitch for "leaping" (when the pitcher's foot leaves the pitching rubber). But she didn't let it bother her.
"After a while you just have to stay tough out there and block it out the best I could," Armstrong said of the illegal pitch calls. "It was just a matter of keeping the batters off balance."
"Great job by Becca to show some toughness and finish it through," Buvid said.
Monroe took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a leadoff double by Ellie Grossen, a sacrifice, and a single by Kayla Updike. The Cheesemakers upped their lead to 2-0 in the second inning on a walk to Kari Jordan and a double by Alyssa Montgomery.
Marshall scored a run in the fourth inning on a double by Amanda Dominguez.
"They brought the pressure on," said Grossen, who also doubled in the fifth inning and scored on a single by Chandra McGuire. "It was great to get those two hits for her (Armstrong) because she was pitching great."
Armstrong finished with 11 strikeouts.
"We weren't as sharp as we've sometimes been but give a lot of credit to them (Marshall)," said Buvid. "In the tournament you're always going to have a game like this. On a day when we weren't quite there, we could've been beat. We kept our poise and toughness and found a way to win."
Next is Richland Center. Monroe beat the Hornets 10-0 on May 19 in a non-conference game when Richland Center was playing without two starters, including its catcher.
"We're coming around at the perfect time," said Armstrong.
But one picture-perfect swing from senior centerfielder Kasey Gutzmer stopped Marshall's momentum and gave Monroe a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals Monday in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal. The Cheesemakers (20-7), now on a 13-game winning streak, play Richland Center on Thursday in Portage for a chance to reach the state tournament for the sixth time in the last 10 years.
"I was shaking, nervous that I was going to strike out," said Gutzmer, almost at a loss for words and still incredulous that she had hit her first-ever home run. "I kept my head in there. It was amazing."
Gutzmer almost didn't get a chance to swing away as she led off the bottom of the sixth inning of a 3-3 tie.
"She had struck out twice and didn't look good doing it," said Monroe coach Dale Buvid. "I was going to have her bunt."
Buvid said the Monroe coaches saw Gutzmer's power potential in practice.
"When the ball is middle, we've been trying to get her to turn on it," he said. "She's done that in practice.
"The wind was blowing out, but not that much," he said. "She certainly picked a good time. Last year she made some great defensive plays to help us get to state. This year she did it with the bat."
Whitewater officials estimated the distance to the 8-foot high fence in center field at about 200 feet. One official noted that in close to 15 years he had witnessed just two home runs at the field, and none to dead center. Gutzmer, a left-handed hitter, hit a near moon shot which seemed to hang in the air before finally clearing the fence.
Marshall had tied the game at 3-all in the top of the sixth when sophomore second baseman Billie Nolan drilled a two-out, two-strike, two-run double off Monroe junior righthander Becca Armstrong to deep left center.
"Marshall hit good pitches," said Buvid. "I can't fault Becca when she's battling and just trying to throw good pitches."
After Gutzmer's homer, Armstrong retired the Cardinals in order in the seventh, striking out the final two hitters.
Armstrong was called on several occasions for throwing an illegal pitch for "leaping" (when the pitcher's foot leaves the pitching rubber). But she didn't let it bother her.
"After a while you just have to stay tough out there and block it out the best I could," Armstrong said of the illegal pitch calls. "It was just a matter of keeping the batters off balance."
"Great job by Becca to show some toughness and finish it through," Buvid said.
Monroe took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a leadoff double by Ellie Grossen, a sacrifice, and a single by Kayla Updike. The Cheesemakers upped their lead to 2-0 in the second inning on a walk to Kari Jordan and a double by Alyssa Montgomery.
Marshall scored a run in the fourth inning on a double by Amanda Dominguez.
"They brought the pressure on," said Grossen, who also doubled in the fifth inning and scored on a single by Chandra McGuire. "It was great to get those two hits for her (Armstrong) because she was pitching great."
Armstrong finished with 11 strikeouts.
"We weren't as sharp as we've sometimes been but give a lot of credit to them (Marshall)," said Buvid. "In the tournament you're always going to have a game like this. On a day when we weren't quite there, we could've been beat. We kept our poise and toughness and found a way to win."
Next is Richland Center. Monroe beat the Hornets 10-0 on May 19 in a non-conference game when Richland Center was playing without two starters, including its catcher.
"We're coming around at the perfect time," said Armstrong.
