MONTICELLO - It didn't take Monticello junior Karlie Klossner long to develop a bond with freshman catcher Marissa Berg in the heat of the moment on the softball field.
Klossner tossed a two-hit shutout to lead the Ponies to a 5-0 win over Darlington in the season opener for both teams Thursday.
"I have a great catcher that keeps me focused and keeps my head in the game all the time," Klossner said. "She brings me up when I'm down. It felt nice to come out with a win at the beginning of the season."
Berg, in her first varsity start, delivered in the clutch going 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
Berg said she was a little scared at the start of the game.
"It's not too much different than eighth-grade softball," she said. "We played pretty intense there too."
There were few down moments for Klossner and the Ponies. She retired the first 11 batters she faced. Darlington's Amber Peters broke up Klossner's no-hit bid with a bloop single to center in the fourth inning. Anna Monson's infield single in the sixth was the Redbirds only other hit. Klossner struck out five, hit one batter and didn't walk anyone.
"She throws a fastball and changeup," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "With her changeup, they (Darlington) were hitting a lot of pop ups. To me that is because they were guessing and they weren't guessing right. When she doesn't walk anybody she's pretty tough. This will be a confidence builder."
Both Klossner and Darlington's Laura Steiner were locked in a pitcher's duel early on. That all changed in the third when Monticello's Tanya Smith, who was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, singled to center. Steiner then rebounded with a strikeout. Monticello senior Taylor Pfeuti reached on an infield single and then stole second. Steiner then walked Claire Geitzel to load the bases. Berg followed by delivering a two-run single to give the Ponies a 2-0 lead.
"I just wanted to get a base hit," Berg said. "I just swung hard and it went there. That's softball."
Geitzel scored on a passed ball and Klossner came through knocking in a run on sacrifice fly to give the Ponies a 4-0 lead.
"Both pitchers pitched well," said first-year Darlington coach Tim Lane. "We played good defense. We just need to execute and build on our hitting."
The Ponies played stellar defense which included turning two double plays.
"I always preach to make the simple play and they did that," Garrison said.
The Ponies also shined making the spectacular play. Monticello junior Desiree Marty had a hand in turning both double plays. In the sixth, she caught a line drive hit by Emily Hastings and then threw to second for an inning ending double play. In the seventh, Darlington's Elle Westerman hit a slow roller that Marty flipped to first and turned into a rare 4-3-5 game-ending double play.
"We just need to work on a couple of key situations a little better," Lane said.
Klossner tossed a two-hit shutout to lead the Ponies to a 5-0 win over Darlington in the season opener for both teams Thursday.
"I have a great catcher that keeps me focused and keeps my head in the game all the time," Klossner said. "She brings me up when I'm down. It felt nice to come out with a win at the beginning of the season."
Berg, in her first varsity start, delivered in the clutch going 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
Berg said she was a little scared at the start of the game.
"It's not too much different than eighth-grade softball," she said. "We played pretty intense there too."
There were few down moments for Klossner and the Ponies. She retired the first 11 batters she faced. Darlington's Amber Peters broke up Klossner's no-hit bid with a bloop single to center in the fourth inning. Anna Monson's infield single in the sixth was the Redbirds only other hit. Klossner struck out five, hit one batter and didn't walk anyone.
"She throws a fastball and changeup," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "With her changeup, they (Darlington) were hitting a lot of pop ups. To me that is because they were guessing and they weren't guessing right. When she doesn't walk anybody she's pretty tough. This will be a confidence builder."
Both Klossner and Darlington's Laura Steiner were locked in a pitcher's duel early on. That all changed in the third when Monticello's Tanya Smith, who was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, singled to center. Steiner then rebounded with a strikeout. Monticello senior Taylor Pfeuti reached on an infield single and then stole second. Steiner then walked Claire Geitzel to load the bases. Berg followed by delivering a two-run single to give the Ponies a 2-0 lead.
"I just wanted to get a base hit," Berg said. "I just swung hard and it went there. That's softball."
Geitzel scored on a passed ball and Klossner came through knocking in a run on sacrifice fly to give the Ponies a 4-0 lead.
"Both pitchers pitched well," said first-year Darlington coach Tim Lane. "We played good defense. We just need to execute and build on our hitting."
The Ponies played stellar defense which included turning two double plays.
"I always preach to make the simple play and they did that," Garrison said.
The Ponies also shined making the spectacular play. Monticello junior Desiree Marty had a hand in turning both double plays. In the sixth, she caught a line drive hit by Emily Hastings and then threw to second for an inning ending double play. In the seventh, Darlington's Elle Westerman hit a slow roller that Marty flipped to first and turned into a rare 4-3-5 game-ending double play.
"We just need to work on a couple of key situations a little better," Lane said.
