MONROE — Trailing 2-1 going into the sixth inning, Monroe rallied for four runs en route to a 5-2 win over Edgewood in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal May 21. The Cheesemakers and Crusaders may have had some flashbacks, as the two teams faced off last season in the same portion of the tournament, where Monroe won 4-1.

“We’ve seen this pitcher for three years, and we’ve played them in the Badger,” Monroe junior Olivia Feller said of the former-Badger Conference opponent. “We are familiar with what they have and that we can hit it.”

But the Cheesemaker bats were cold in the first inning. Leadoff batter Kaegann Paulson got jammed and grounded out to pitcher Kerri Morland. Katrina Sathoff chased a high strikeout pitch, and Brinley Roidt watched a ball outside for strike three.

Sophie Golembiewski provided a spark in the second inning, roping a double that one-hopped the left-center fence.

“Before I went up to bat, Herbie (assistant coach Noel Herbst) told me, ‘I’ll see you on first,’” Golembiewski said. “I said, ‘No, I’m going to two.’ That gave me some confidence when I got up to bat.”

Feller moved her up 60 feet with a sacrifice bunt. Chesney Slotten attempted safety squeezes, but went down in the count 1-2 with two foul balls. She managed to put the ball in play, and third baseman Grace Healy dove for it. She missed, and the ball squirted away far enough that Golembiewski was able to score.

With just one out and a runner on second, Monroe was poised to score again. The Cheesemakers ran themselves out of the inning, as Emma Tran hit into a 6-3 groundout, and Slotten was thrown out trying to advance on the throw.

The next six batters of the game — three for Monroe and three for Edgewood — were retired in order as momentum hung in the air waiting for a team to grab it.

Healy led off the top of the fourth with a line-drive hit that just glanced off Feller’s glove and stole second. Paulson struck out the next batter, but Grace Baer came up clutch with an RBI single down the third baseline. 

Monroe was able to escape the inning, allowing just the one run. Feller made a catch in foul territory, and Kate Kundert held on to a tipped strikeout pitch from Paulson.

The Cheesemakers didn’t help themselves at the plate, going down on nine pitches.

Edgewood kept the momentum rolling, as Addyson Sipe singled over Feller’s head. She stole second, sliding under Kundert’s throw down. Paulson struck out No. 9 batter Emilie Breitnauer, bringing up the top of the order in Lexie Koch. The senior gave her team a 2-1 lead with a single up the middle.

Morland shut down the Cheesemakers in the bottom of the fifth with the help of a diving play from Koch at short.

The Crusaders were poised to rally again in the sixth, as Kendall Ritchie led off with a single over Sathoff’s head. Baer then grounded into a double play, and Pauslon induced another ground out to end the inning.

“Our double play really pumped us up and got the ball rolling,” Feller, who was part of the double play, said. “They were just going to ride their momentum, so we had to kill it first and get it back to our side.”

Monroe’s own No. 9 batter came to the plate in Alexis Herbst. She fouled off two pitches before leading off with a single to right. The hit turned it over to the top of the order to do some damage.

“We were in a perfect position to score some runs or at least tie up the game,” Monroe head coach Joe O’Leksy said. “Alexis just has to get the head of the bat out there and stay off the high pitches. She battled and fouled off some pitches and put one into play.”

Leadoff batter Paulson singled to left, and Sathoff loaded the bases with a bunt single. Roidt knotted the game at two with an opposite-field hit, and Golembiewski have her team the lead with a two-RBI single to left. Feller loaded the bases once more with a bunt placed in no-man’s land up the first baseline.

“A lot of our bunting is for the team. It’s not about me,” Feller said. “I’m just trying to do what is best for the team to secure the win.”

Slotten drove in the fifth run of the game on a fielder’s choice, as Edgewood got Feller out at second. Designated hitter Tran popped out to second, and two Crusaders collided to make the catch. Seeing the awkward play, O’Leksy sent Golembiewski from third, but she was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. 

But the damage was done, as Monroe sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs to take a 5-2 lead. 

Paulson made quick work of the Crusaders in the seventh, securing the win. She pitched the complete game, giving up two earned runs on five hits. She didn’t give a free pass and struck out six, notching her 300th career strikeout in the process. 

Offensively, Golembiewski led the team, going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Slotten drove in two runs, and Feller had two hits. 

With the victory, 3-seed Monroe advanced to its second straight regional final against 2-seed Lake Mills.

“If we played like we did the last couple innings — if we play like that the whole game — I like our chances against anybody,” O’Leksy said.