MADISON - Lion has been added to the list of forbidden four-letter words in Cheesemaker country.
Much the way New Berlin Eisenhower beat Monroe at its own game when the Cheesemaker boys fell, 53-49, in the WIAA state basketball tournament in May, those copycat Lions were at it again on Saturday.
Dale Buvid and Co. weren't shy this season about showcasing what they felt was one of the state's finest 1-2 pitching combinations. Saturday, it was the Lions' doppelganger that came out ferociously.
Flame-throwing Lauren Beres, whose pitches were clocked at more than 60 mph, started for Ike, but Kayla Schlegel spelled her in the first, second, fifth and seventh innings.
Nine of the 16 outs Beres recorded were via strikeout and the junior also went 2-for-2, a la the hard-throwing, slugging Monroe ace Renee Schuttler.
"She's probably the best pitcher we've seen all season," senior third baseman Katie Lenz said.
Schlegel also had a hit and drove in a run. And aside from a smacked single by Chelsea Metcalf, the on-call righty was as menacing as Beres as she spelled four of her five outs with capital K's.
The only time Schlegel got into trouble was when she lost Schuttler and Kylie Kaiser to walks in the second. With Ike boasting a 3-0 lead, Beres came to the rescue, retiring three of the next four and refusing to allow a run to cross.
Ego isn't an issue for the duo that has gotten used to tossing the ball back and forth.
"Most people would think that it's not as fun as it is, but we really work together," Beres said. "We've been pitching together since we were so young, and it's only right to share a championship."
Their captain and catcher has also benefited from years of getting used to the dynamic duo.
"I have to adjust the signs that I'm calling," Lions catcher Chelsea Schwabe said. "It's really a mental game is what it is. It's not about one or the other. It's about having both of them - a 1-2 punch."
Beres never asserted that things came easily Saturday. She knew entering that while her team boasted the edge in speed on the basepaths, Monroe could hit up and down the lineup card.
"It's very nerve-racking, but a lineup like Monroe's keeps us on edge," Beres said.
Buvid admitted that the Lions' mid-inning pitching substitutions were anything but unexpected. But it was the missed opportunities that left him weary, whereas the Lions were quick to pounce on any missteps.
"Good execution by your opponent has a way of making you look bad," Buvid said. "When we made a mistake, they capitalized."
But there isn't a whole lot that's surprised him during his 24 years as Monroe skipper.
"I've been through this enough that I've learned how to handle this sort of thing," Buvid said. "In a strange way, this is easier than a 2-1 ballgame."
Much the way New Berlin Eisenhower beat Monroe at its own game when the Cheesemaker boys fell, 53-49, in the WIAA state basketball tournament in May, those copycat Lions were at it again on Saturday.
Dale Buvid and Co. weren't shy this season about showcasing what they felt was one of the state's finest 1-2 pitching combinations. Saturday, it was the Lions' doppelganger that came out ferociously.
Flame-throwing Lauren Beres, whose pitches were clocked at more than 60 mph, started for Ike, but Kayla Schlegel spelled her in the first, second, fifth and seventh innings.
Nine of the 16 outs Beres recorded were via strikeout and the junior also went 2-for-2, a la the hard-throwing, slugging Monroe ace Renee Schuttler.
"She's probably the best pitcher we've seen all season," senior third baseman Katie Lenz said.
Schlegel also had a hit and drove in a run. And aside from a smacked single by Chelsea Metcalf, the on-call righty was as menacing as Beres as she spelled four of her five outs with capital K's.
The only time Schlegel got into trouble was when she lost Schuttler and Kylie Kaiser to walks in the second. With Ike boasting a 3-0 lead, Beres came to the rescue, retiring three of the next four and refusing to allow a run to cross.
Ego isn't an issue for the duo that has gotten used to tossing the ball back and forth.
"Most people would think that it's not as fun as it is, but we really work together," Beres said. "We've been pitching together since we were so young, and it's only right to share a championship."
Their captain and catcher has also benefited from years of getting used to the dynamic duo.
"I have to adjust the signs that I'm calling," Lions catcher Chelsea Schwabe said. "It's really a mental game is what it is. It's not about one or the other. It's about having both of them - a 1-2 punch."
Beres never asserted that things came easily Saturday. She knew entering that while her team boasted the edge in speed on the basepaths, Monroe could hit up and down the lineup card.
"It's very nerve-racking, but a lineup like Monroe's keeps us on edge," Beres said.
Buvid admitted that the Lions' mid-inning pitching substitutions were anything but unexpected. But it was the missed opportunities that left him weary, whereas the Lions were quick to pounce on any missteps.
"Good execution by your opponent has a way of making you look bad," Buvid said. "When we made a mistake, they capitalized."
But there isn't a whole lot that's surprised him during his 24 years as Monroe skipper.
"I've been through this enough that I've learned how to handle this sort of thing," Buvid said. "In a strange way, this is easier than a 2-1 ballgame."
