McFARLAND — Thanks to a first-inning offensive spark from Katie Witt, clutch hitting from Katrina Sathoff and shutdown defense from Kaegann Paulson, Monroe defeated McFarland 5-3 in the WIAA Regional Final on Thursday, May 25.

“They’ve been battling all year,” Monroe head coach Joe O’Leksy said. “We’ve won games, gone into extra innings and always battled. We beat a really good team today.”

The Cheesemakers scored their first run thanks to a Spartan error. Sathoff led off the inning with a single to right. Brinley Roidt then reached on a two-out error by left fielder Olivia Platt. Katie Witt made the mistake hurt by crushing a two-run home run over the center field fence to give Monroe a 3-0 lead.

“We knew she [Brynne Bieri] was a decent pitcher, and she threw strikes — didn’t walk many. If it was there, you’re swinging and you’re swinging hard,” senior Witt said. “It definitely helped in the first inning getting off to a good start and getting the lead right away.”

McFarland responded in the bottom of the first, though, cutting Monroe’s deficit to just one run. Riley Bercier doubled down the line, and Brooke Punzel singled. Bieri then grounded out to pitcher Paulson, but Bercier scored, as Paulson failed to look her back at third.

“She should have looked the girl back at third then thrown to first, but it didn’t bother her,” O’Leksy said. “She knew she made a mistake, and she learned from it. She came back and battled.” 

Paulson then struck out Bailee Judd, and Kate Kundert threw out Avery Feek attempting to steal second.

In the next three half innings, the minimum number of batters came to the plate. In fact, Bieri struck out the side in the top of the third. 

The Spartans tied the game in the fourth on a two-base error. Feek advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder from Ella Wepking.

Monroe responded immediately in the top of the fifth, as Paulson reached on a two-out error by third baseman Feek. She then stole second and third, setting the stage for Sathoff. Down to her last strike, Sathoff lined an RBI single to right.

“Their two best players are their pitcher and catcher. Their catcher has a gun. We said the only people who are going to steal are [Kaegann] Paulson and [Katrina] Sathoff,” O’Leksy said. “We were trying to make them make a mistake. We had to force the issue.”

McFarland gained momentum in the sixth, as Paulson gave up her only walk of the game to Judd on six pitches. With two outs, Wepking lined a ball to the right side that may have scored Judd, but it hit her in the leg, ending the inning.

Luck, and more timely hitting, continued for Monroe in the top of the seventh. Kundert popped up to pitcher Bieri, who dropped the ball allowing Kundert to reach. Paulson then singled to the right side, and Sathoff followed with an RBI-single right for an insurance run.

“Especially with Brynne being a faster pitcher, I just made sure to stay calm and thought about what pitch was going to come next,” Sathoff said. “She’s probably going to come with a rise or a change. Just being ready for that and hold off if it’s not going to be a strike.”

The Spartans didn’t go down easily, though, as Ellie Richardson led off the bottom of the inning with a single. Brookelyn Robbins then reached on an error by Sathoff, and Richardson advanced to third on the same play with an error by center fielder Chesney Slotten.

“Being up two, we knew that even if one did score, it was fine,” Sathoff said. “We just made sure that we stayed calm and everyone had each others’ backs.”

Paulson beared down and got the last two outs via pop up and strikeout. She ended the game with six strikeouts and just one walk. In the last two games, her strikeout to walk ratio is 13:1. 

At the plate, Sathoff went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Witt also drove in two runs with her home run in the first.

Monroe advances to the sectional semifinal where they play No. 1 seeded-Beloit Turner. The Trojans, ranked No. 7 in Division 2, defeated Evansville 14-0 in five innings.