MONTICELLO - Duane Garrison said Monticello softball pitching ace Karlie Klossner has added some serious heat to her fastball since last season.
The added speed certainly hasn't hurt her control.
The senior fired a complete-game six-hitter on Tuesday to spark the Ponies to a 7-1 victory against Belleville in the season opener for both teams.
Klossner, who is pushing the mid-50s with her pitches this spring, threw 85 pitches and finished with eight strikeouts and just a single walk.
"She did a lot during the off-season," Garrison said of Klossner, who went 15-7 for the Ponies in 2011. "She's probably gained about 10 mph on her fastball, and it sets up her change even better. She was around the plate all night."
Sophomore Marissa Berg and freshman Courtney Luchsinger each had two of Monticello's 11 hits, and Klossner drove in a team-high three runs - two on a double in the sixth inning when the Ponies scored three runs to push their lead to the final six-run margin.
As happy as Garrison was with Klossner's work, he might've been even more excited with the way the Ponies played defense. Monticello's middle infielders - second baseman Jordan Garrison and shortstop Alyssa Kubly - are both freshmen.
"Belleville hit some shots and my girls stayed in front of them," Garrison said. "To have no errors the first night out, I'm extremely happy. Every ball they hit, we made a play on."
PARKVIEW 2, JUDA-ALBANY 1
ORFORDVILLE - Juda-Albany senior pitcher Amber Ramos recorded 16 strikeouts and issued one intentional walk in a nine-inning, season-opening loss to Parkview. Parkview scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a hit and an error. Both teams scored in the first inning, then went scoreless until the ninth.
"I thought we played well and we figured it would come down to whoever makes the biggest mistake, and it just so happened we did," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said.
Davis said Ramos, one of the top hurlers returning in the area, "got ahead in the count and made them hit her pitchers" in limiting Parkview to three hits over nine innings.
Senior C.J. Dunwiddie and junior Carlie Peters each had singles to account for Juda-Albany's hits.
The added speed certainly hasn't hurt her control.
The senior fired a complete-game six-hitter on Tuesday to spark the Ponies to a 7-1 victory against Belleville in the season opener for both teams.
Klossner, who is pushing the mid-50s with her pitches this spring, threw 85 pitches and finished with eight strikeouts and just a single walk.
"She did a lot during the off-season," Garrison said of Klossner, who went 15-7 for the Ponies in 2011. "She's probably gained about 10 mph on her fastball, and it sets up her change even better. She was around the plate all night."
Sophomore Marissa Berg and freshman Courtney Luchsinger each had two of Monticello's 11 hits, and Klossner drove in a team-high three runs - two on a double in the sixth inning when the Ponies scored three runs to push their lead to the final six-run margin.
As happy as Garrison was with Klossner's work, he might've been even more excited with the way the Ponies played defense. Monticello's middle infielders - second baseman Jordan Garrison and shortstop Alyssa Kubly - are both freshmen.
"Belleville hit some shots and my girls stayed in front of them," Garrison said. "To have no errors the first night out, I'm extremely happy. Every ball they hit, we made a play on."
PARKVIEW 2, JUDA-ALBANY 1
ORFORDVILLE - Juda-Albany senior pitcher Amber Ramos recorded 16 strikeouts and issued one intentional walk in a nine-inning, season-opening loss to Parkview. Parkview scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a hit and an error. Both teams scored in the first inning, then went scoreless until the ninth.
"I thought we played well and we figured it would come down to whoever makes the biggest mistake, and it just so happened we did," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said.
Davis said Ramos, one of the top hurlers returning in the area, "got ahead in the count and made them hit her pitchers" in limiting Parkview to three hits over nine innings.
Senior C.J. Dunwiddie and junior Carlie Peters each had singles to account for Juda-Albany's hits.
