BRODHEAD — The Cheesemakers came into the April 1 Opening Day with high expectations for the end of the season (reaching state). An 8-run first inning and 19-3 win over Brodhead in Game 1 shows things are already headed in the right direction.

“We struck the ball really well,” Monroe head coach Joe O’Leksy said. “I’m happy of the fact that we were in double digits (in hits) and we hit a few for extra bases — a few triples, the home run. We were able to play everyone, which is awesome.”

Olivia Bobak pitched three shutout innings for Monroe, striking out six and allowing two base runners — one hit and one hit batter. At the dish, Bobak was 3 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs before getting pulled.

“I feel so good — I’ve been waiting for this all winter,” Bobak said of getting back out onto the diamond. “I’m glad we came out looking super strong. We hit really well today and our defense was looking good. If we keep doing what we’re doing, it should be a pretty good season.”

Bobak wasn’t the only highlight for the Cheesemakers — four batters had multiple hits, with Sydney Updike and Alyse Maurer each collecting three hits, two RBIs and a triple. Updike finished a home run short of the cycle. First baseman Grace Tostrud walked in the first inning and blasted a 3-run home run to center in the second.

“Hitting is really contagious,” Tostrud said. “I thought we had really good energy in the dugout. Hopefully we can carry it on into the conference season.”

Brodhead sophomore Nataley Bump saw limited time on the mound a year ago with former ace Azzy Steiner on the hill. Against Monroe, Bump was hit hard, allowing 15 hits, a walk and two hit batters with three strikeouts in four innings. Ten of the 19 runs against her were earned.

“I told them that this was probably the best team they will face all year aside from maybe (Beloit) Turner,” Brodhead coach Tommy Meier said. “The fact that she’s only got a few innings of varsity experience under her belt, there’s going to be some growing pains.”

In the top of the first, Bump got leadoff batter Maurer to line out to Bailey Matthys in center field. The rest of the inning didn’t go as well.

The next batter, Hailey Betthauser, singled up the middle, and then Updike and Bobak hit back-to-back RBI triples. Katie Hayes then reached on an error, and Tostrud followed with a walk. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, and Sloane Ambrose brought home Hayes on a groundout to third. Lizzy Snider made it 5-0 on an infield single that brought home Tostrud. Karis Paulson then reached on a bunt single, and Maurer ripped off her own triple down the right field line to score two. Maurer then scored on a passed ball before Betthauser grounded out to end the frame.

“I thought we tracked the ball really well, as far as hitting,” O’Leksy said. “I thought we ran the bases well and were selective in going after the right pitch. We drove them where it was pitched. Alyse hit the triple down the line because it was an outside changeup, and that’s what you do with an outside changeup — you hit it where it is pitched.”

If there was any doubt which team had momentum, Bobak made sure to shore up the loose end in the bottom of the first. She sat down the Cardinals 1-2-3 on two strikeouts and a groundout in 11 pitches.

“It’s nice having that run support, it helps me relax,” Bobak said of throwing on the mound with an 8-0 lead in the first inning.

In the second inning, with Bobak and Hayes on with one out, Tostrud launched a 1-1 fastball over the fence in center field and was crowded by her teammates at home plate to celebrate the first longball of the season.

Monroe added four runs in the top of the third, with Bobak singling home Betthauser, Hayes doubling in Updike and Bobak and Tostrud driving in Hayes. In the fourth, Betthauser tripled to center to score Paulson and Maurer, while Updike and pinch hitter Triniti Elmer each had RBI singles.

Maurer took over on the mound for the fourth and fifth innings for the Cheesemakers, allowing three unearned runs on three hits and a walk. She also struck out a batter.

“(Bobak) pitched really well. She gave up a hit on a changeup and hit a girl on a changeup. We were trying some things, and the only two changeups she threw ended up with base runners, but that’s OK,” O’Leksy said. “I thought Maurer was pretty good, too. We booted a few balls. It could have been a shutout.”

Madisyn Kail pitched a scoreless fifth for Brodhead, allowing a walk and a hit on 13 pitches.

“I was proud that we found a way to scratch and claw and score three runs on them. We didn’t roll over,” Meier said.

Brodhead had four errors in the game to Monroe’s three. Meier said that with many of his young players playing a new position this year, mistakes will happen.

“We’ve got a lot of girls in a lot of positions they have never played before. Our shortstop has never played shortstop in her life; our center fielder has never been in center field; our right fielder, our second baseman — we’ve got a lot of kids in a lot of new spots,” Meier said. “We’re just trying to get that taken care of with limited practice time — learning on the fly.”

Brodhead 21, Edgerton 19

BRODHEAD — For the second straight day the Cardinals allowed 19 runs — only this time they had built up a large enough lead to sustain a win.

Brodhead led the Tide 4-2 after the first inning, and then scored six runs in the second and third to take a 16-9 advantage. A 10-spot by Edgerton in the top of the fifth brought the Cardinals’ lead down to just a run at 18-17, but Brodhead scored two runs in the bottom of the frame and another insurance run in the sixth to snag the team’s first win of the year.

Katie Goecks was 4 for 5 at the plate with two triples, four RBIs and three runs. Matthys was 3 for 3 with three walks, four runs, two RBIs and three steals in the leadoff role. Hannah Myhre had three hits, three RBIs and three runs, while Morgan Heinle was 2 for 4 with a walk. Sadie Erb had three hits, three RBIs, two runs and a double, and Bump was 2 for 3 with two walks and three runs scored in the 9-hole. 

Bump got the win on the mound, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing 15 runs (13 earned) on 13 hits and three walks. Kail pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk to earn the save.