FORT ATKINSON — The Cheesemakers opened the 201 season April 27 with a rousing 7-5 extra-inning win on the road.
Tied at five in the eighth inning, Sydney Updike walked with one out and went to third on a two-out double by Sloane Ambrose. After Lizzie Snider walked to load the bases, Maddie Leck sent a single to left, plating Updike and Ambrose. In the bottom half of the inning, Emma Wild shut down the Blackhawks in three hitters to end the game. The final two outs came on a double play.
Wild threw and efficient 98 pitches over eight innings of work, striking out three and allowing nine hits and four walks. Fort Atkinson’s Brynn Torrenga and Alexis Jacobson combined to throw 168 pitches in eight innings.
Ambrose, who went 2-for-4 with a walk, had Monroe’s loan extra base hit — a double. Katie Hayes was 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs in the cleanup spot for the Cheesemakers. Updike had 3 walks and 2 runs, and Karis Paulson finished with a hit, a walk and 2 runs in the leadoff spot. Sarah Prien added a hit and two walks.
Kiarra Kostroski was 3-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run for Fort Atkinson.
Monroe opened the game with a 2-run first inning as Hayes knocked in Paulson and Updike with a single to left. Fort Atkinson tied it at 2 in the bottom of the third, but the Cheesemakers put up a 3-spot in the top of the fourth, with Alyse Maurer, Updike and Ambrose each walking in a run with bases loaded. The Cheesemakers finished the night with 7 hits and 10 walks.
Fort tied the score at 5 in the bottom of the sixth.
Argyle 5, Palmyra-Eagle 1
PALMYRA — Grace Ganshert dazzled in the pitcher’s circle for the Orioles April 27. The junior ace hurled 7 innings, allowing one unearned run on just one hit and two walks in 91 pitches.
Argyle jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and made it 3-0 in the third. Palmyra-Eagle’s lone run came in the bottom of the seventh on the Panther’s only hit of the night — a single to right with a runner already aboard at second because of an error.
Olivia Isely, Hannah Gierhardt and Megan Larson all had two hits for Argyle. Isley scored two runs and Gierhardt added 2 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. Maggie Godgrey also had 2 steals. Isley and Larson each doubled.
Jefferson 6, Brodhead 0
JEFFERSON — The Cardinals were 1-hit April 27.
Taetum Hoesly doubled to left with one out in the seventh to break up the no-hit bid by Jefferson’s Claire Beck. Beck finished the night with 18 strikeouts and two walks on 105 pitches over 7 innings. Beck also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and a home run.
McKenna Young, who drew both of Brodhead’s walks, threw 5 1/3 innings in the pitcher’s circle, striking out 8 and allowing 5 hits and 4 walks. Sophia Leitzen pitched the final 2/3 of the bottom of the sixth, giving up a two-run home run to Aidyn Messman on the second pitch she threw.
Jefferson scored a run in the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the fifth, the Eagles added two more runs before the 3-run sixth, which effectively ended the pitcher’s dual that entertained most of the game.
Belleville 12, Monticello-New Glarus 7
MONTICELLO — The new co-op had combined for just one win last season (2019). After a 5-run fifth inning, it looked like that number could possibly be matched in the 2021 season opener April 27.
Instead, Belleville scored three runs in the top of both the sixth and seventh innings to pull away from the Ponies.
The Wildcats opened the game with a 5-0 lead through the first two innings. MNG scored twice in the third to keep it close, but Belleville added another run in the top of the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, Alivia Palmer opened with a single, but the next two hitters struck out swinging. McKenna Pfeuti and Alexis Siegenthaler then walked back-to-back, with Palmer scoring on a double steal. Harley Disch then singled to load the bases, only for Pfeuti and Siegenthaler to score during Chloe Kramer’s at-bat. Kramer then singled to center to score Disch, then promptly stole second. On the very next pitch, Riley Keehn singled to center to score Kramer.
Belleville then hit five singles in the top of the sixth to regain the lead, and aggressive baserunner led to another 3-run inning in the next frame.
Disch pitched all 7 innings for MNG, allowing 17 hits and 3 walks. All 12 runs were recorded as earned. She also struck out 3 batters.
At the plate, Kramer and Keehn both had two hits, with freshman leadoff hitter Jaden Zuber getting a hit, scoring a run and walking. Disch finished the night with 2 steals, as did Pfeuti. Palmer had 3 stolen bases. MNG finished with 11 steals in the game. Keehn added a double and Katelyn Eyler tripled.
Iowa-Grant 10, Darlington 0, 5 innings
LIVINGSTON — The Redbirds scuffled in only two innings, but it was enough to make the difference in the season opener April 27.
Iowa-Grant batted around the order in the second inning, scoring seven runs in the process thanks to three errors. Two innings later, Iowa-Grant plated three more runners on another error.
Darlington finished the night with four hits, including two by leadoff hitter Greta Volkening. Josie Thomas pitched for Darlington, giving up 6 earned runs on 8 hits and 4 walks. She struck out a batter and threw 3 wild pitches.
