MONROE — The Cheesemakers improved to 3-1 on the young season with a doubleheader sweep of Waunakee May 1, which came two days after a rare 10-run mercy rule defeat at the hands of Monona Grove.

“Monona Grove beat Milton on Tuesday 6-5, and Milton was supposed to be one of the strongest teams in the league,” Monroe coach Joe O’Leksy said.

In the 11-1 April 29 loss to the Silver Eagles, the emotions from the pregame festivities may have played a larger factor than anticipated. The team raised a banner for the outfield wall honoring 2019 graduate Hailey Betthauser, who died in 2020 from complications of a stroke. Betthauser graduated as the program’s all-time single season and career home runs leader despite being undersized. Her defense in centerfield was even more eye-popping than her skills at the plate.

“Hailey was a great kid, a great teammate and an awesome softball player, and one of the best smile’s you’ve ever seen,” O’Leksy said. “The last time Hailey patrolled centerfield was at Goodman Diamond in the state championship game in 2019. I also had the privilege of coaching her and Olivia Bobak at Wisconsin Dells a few weeks later at the Division 2 senior all-star games. Both girls had a great day playing with the best of the best."

O’Leksy, tearing up, told the crowd that the team decided to create the banner as a memorial “to remind Hailey that we are always thinking of you and we all miss you.” Hailey’s mother, Nicky, sister Hannah, niece Ella and nephew Lucas were on hand to help place the banner.

In the 15 minutes before dedicating the banner, a lone storm blew through, bringing heavy rain droplets and gale-force winds across Twining Park. In less than 10 minutes, the sun was out and a thick, bright double rainbow appeared through the trees to the east of home plate.

As O’Leksy dedicated the banner, players, coaches, fans and Betthauser’s family teared up.

As the game got underway, it took a moment for Monroe to refocus.

Monona Grove scored two runs in the first off Cheesemaker starter Emma Wild on two hits and two walks. Monroe scratched one back in the bottom half of the inning, but the Eagles kept charging. In the second, MG plated five runs. The scorecard for the first four batters read: BB, 1B, E6, 1B. Alyse Maurer then took over for Wild, walking the first battle she faced and hitting another. A 2-out single brought home two more runner, putting Monroe behind 7-1.

“We were definitely stale to start with. I don’t know if it was from the memorial before or what it was. But we were a step off defensively, we were taking good pitches and swinging at bad pitches,” O’Leksy said. “It was one of those nights where everything seemed to be off.”

MG scored four more runs in the top of the fifth thanks to two walks, a single, a double and an error. The Cheesemakers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to end the game.

Maurer, Sloane Ambrose and Sydney Updike all had hits for the Cheesemakers, with Updike’s RBI single in the first plating Karis Paulson for the game’s only run. Maurer and Wild combined to allow six earned runs and strike out four while walking six and giving up eight hits. 

It was just the third time in 10 years the Cheesemakers were ousted via the 10-run mercy rule.

“It’s not something we are accustomed to — a 10-run rule game. But if you lose by one or you lose by 10, it doesn’t make a difference — it’s one loss. I have all the confidence we’ll be back and better on Saturday (against Waunakee),” O’Leksy accurately predicted.

Monroe dominated the Warriors 12-2 and 20-2 in the doubleheader at Waunakee High School.

In the 20-2 win, Monroe scored four runs in the first, one in the second, eight in the third and seven in the fifth. Waunakee scratched both of its runs across in the bottom of the third. The Warriors committed six errors, allowing 14 unearned runs to cross the plate. 

Wild threw two scoreless innings from the pitcher’s circle for Monroe, allowing a hit and striking out one. Payton Johnson took over in the third, allowing both runs to come across unearned. Johnson tossed three innings, striking out four and allowing two hits and two walks.

At the plate, it was a 3-hit game with a double each for four seniors: Maurer, Updike, Katie Hayes and Maddie Leck. Paulson also had a pair of hits. Updike doubled twice and drove in four runs.

In the 12-2 win, Monroe scored one in the second and six in the third inning. A four-run fourth made it 11-0, but Waunakee scratched two across the board in the top of the fifth. Monroe answered with another run in the bottom half of the inning to win via mercy rule.

Ambrose tossed all five innings for the Cheesemakers, allowing three hits and a walk with a strikeout. Both runs were earned on a 2-run home run by Lauryn Paul. 

Ambrose, Hayes and Lizzie Snider all had three hits at the dish, with Snider driving in three runs. Hayes doubled twice. Maurer walked twice, was hit by a pitch and scored two runs.

The Cheesemakers were set to return to action May 4 at home against Stoughton, and then play at Oregon May 7.