ALBANY - An inning before actual lightning put Monticello's game against Juda/Albany in a rain delay, Monticello's Courtney Leuzinger struck like lightning at the plate, hitting a grand slam that put the Ponies on top for good in their 11-3 victory over the Panthers.
Going into the top of third, the host Panthers led 3-2. A few mistakes in the field cost the Panthers dearly, though, as they set up Leuzinger's bases-clearing blast.
"We had a couple of errors on a couple balls in the infield we couldn't quite get to," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said of the third inning. "There was a walk in there to load it up, and Leuzinger hit the home run. She swung at a good pitch. It wasn't like it was right down the middle. It was up at her neck, and she got ahold of it."
Play was delayed for a half hour during the fourth inning.
Monticello added a run in both the fifth and sixth, and two in the seventh to bring their total to 11. Juda-Albany was unable to get back on the board after the delay.
The grand slam was one of Leuzinger's four hits on the day. She finished 4-for-4, including a second home run and two doubles.
"She was going with the pitch. We'd throw outside and she'd hit it to right field," Davis said. "She got some confidence. She started off with a double, and when you get some hits like that you get some confidence. Sometimes (the softball) looks like a beach ball, and she was in that zone tonight."
Other leading hitters for Monticello included Alyssah Kubly and Sam Devoe, each of whom recorded a double. Tabatha Davis and Jessica Crull each had a double for Juda-Albany.
Tabatha Davis took the loss for the Panthers. She threw all seven innings, giving up 11 runs, nine hits, and two walks, while striking out five. Claire Bruns picked up the win for the Ponies. She also threw a complete game, giving up three runs, five hits, and one walk, while striking out three.
The Panthers committed four errors in the game, which Davis said his team couldn't afford against a quality opponent like Monticello.
"We knew going into the game that they have a good team," he said. "We knew that in order to play with them we'd have to play a pretty clean game. We hit the ball hard a few times, but when we hit line drives, they were right there."
Monticello returns to action tomorrow with a Six Rivers East conference game with Argyle. Juda-Albany also has another conference game tomorrow against Pecatonica. Davis said that he's not too worried about his team.
"We need to keep the errors down," he said. "But if we go out and hit the ball the way we have been, we're gonna get good results."
Brodhead 9, Orangeville 7
BRODHEAD - A 45-minute lightning delay gave the Brodhead softball team a chance to reevaluate their approach at the plate, and it paid off for the Cardinals as they scored 5 runs after the break to pull off a 9-7 comeback win over Orangeville.
Brodhead scored three runs in the first inning, but Orangeville responded with three of their own in the top of the second. Orangeville took a 6-4 lead before the lightning struck in the fourth inning. The Cards scored three in the bottom half of the fourth and two more in the fifth to give them the lead. Brodhead coach BJ Bockhop said he talked to his team about being more aggressive at the plate during the delay.
"Our first time through the inning we were sitting back, waiting for two strikes before getting aggressive ... The delay is where we made our adjustments," he said. "I think it kind of gave us a chance to reevaluate our gameplan. After that, we decided to go after the first two pitches. That changed a lot for us."
The Cardinals racked up 11 hits as a team. Erin Kloepping went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Taylor Douglas and Payton Wright also added two hits apiece for the Cards.
Starting pitcher Amanda Pickel went the distance for Brodhead, giving up 7 earned runs and 8 hits. Bockhop liked the way she battled.
"She's just a warrior," he said. "She battled hard. She hasn't quite gotten into a groove yet as far as hitting spots, but she's battling. She's finding ways to get outs. The defense is playing well behind her. I think she's starting to trust the defense behind her."
Brodhead improved to 2-3 with the win and begins conference play Wednesday against East Troy. The Cardinals have played a tough non-conference schedule. All three of the Cardinals' losses have come to Monroe and Stevens Point, two of the top programs in the state. Bockhop said that he is hopeful that playing such tough competition will pay off for his team in conference play.
"I would think that playing teams like Monroe and Stevens Point, the way they put the ball in play, I would hope it's gonna help us play smart and be prepared for anything that comes at us," he said.
Going into the top of third, the host Panthers led 3-2. A few mistakes in the field cost the Panthers dearly, though, as they set up Leuzinger's bases-clearing blast.
"We had a couple of errors on a couple balls in the infield we couldn't quite get to," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said of the third inning. "There was a walk in there to load it up, and Leuzinger hit the home run. She swung at a good pitch. It wasn't like it was right down the middle. It was up at her neck, and she got ahold of it."
Play was delayed for a half hour during the fourth inning.
Monticello added a run in both the fifth and sixth, and two in the seventh to bring their total to 11. Juda-Albany was unable to get back on the board after the delay.
The grand slam was one of Leuzinger's four hits on the day. She finished 4-for-4, including a second home run and two doubles.
"She was going with the pitch. We'd throw outside and she'd hit it to right field," Davis said. "She got some confidence. She started off with a double, and when you get some hits like that you get some confidence. Sometimes (the softball) looks like a beach ball, and she was in that zone tonight."
Other leading hitters for Monticello included Alyssah Kubly and Sam Devoe, each of whom recorded a double. Tabatha Davis and Jessica Crull each had a double for Juda-Albany.
Tabatha Davis took the loss for the Panthers. She threw all seven innings, giving up 11 runs, nine hits, and two walks, while striking out five. Claire Bruns picked up the win for the Ponies. She also threw a complete game, giving up three runs, five hits, and one walk, while striking out three.
The Panthers committed four errors in the game, which Davis said his team couldn't afford against a quality opponent like Monticello.
"We knew going into the game that they have a good team," he said. "We knew that in order to play with them we'd have to play a pretty clean game. We hit the ball hard a few times, but when we hit line drives, they were right there."
Monticello returns to action tomorrow with a Six Rivers East conference game with Argyle. Juda-Albany also has another conference game tomorrow against Pecatonica. Davis said that he's not too worried about his team.
"We need to keep the errors down," he said. "But if we go out and hit the ball the way we have been, we're gonna get good results."
Brodhead 9, Orangeville 7
BRODHEAD - A 45-minute lightning delay gave the Brodhead softball team a chance to reevaluate their approach at the plate, and it paid off for the Cardinals as they scored 5 runs after the break to pull off a 9-7 comeback win over Orangeville.
Brodhead scored three runs in the first inning, but Orangeville responded with three of their own in the top of the second. Orangeville took a 6-4 lead before the lightning struck in the fourth inning. The Cards scored three in the bottom half of the fourth and two more in the fifth to give them the lead. Brodhead coach BJ Bockhop said he talked to his team about being more aggressive at the plate during the delay.
"Our first time through the inning we were sitting back, waiting for two strikes before getting aggressive ... The delay is where we made our adjustments," he said. "I think it kind of gave us a chance to reevaluate our gameplan. After that, we decided to go after the first two pitches. That changed a lot for us."
The Cardinals racked up 11 hits as a team. Erin Kloepping went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Taylor Douglas and Payton Wright also added two hits apiece for the Cards.
Starting pitcher Amanda Pickel went the distance for Brodhead, giving up 7 earned runs and 8 hits. Bockhop liked the way she battled.
"She's just a warrior," he said. "She battled hard. She hasn't quite gotten into a groove yet as far as hitting spots, but she's battling. She's finding ways to get outs. The defense is playing well behind her. I think she's starting to trust the defense behind her."
Brodhead improved to 2-3 with the win and begins conference play Wednesday against East Troy. The Cardinals have played a tough non-conference schedule. All three of the Cardinals' losses have come to Monroe and Stevens Point, two of the top programs in the state. Bockhop said that he is hopeful that playing such tough competition will pay off for his team in conference play.
"I would think that playing teams like Monroe and Stevens Point, the way they put the ball in play, I would hope it's gonna help us play smart and be prepared for anything that comes at us," he said.
