MONROE - With a four -run lead, Monroe junior pitcher Natalie Dillon bore down and talked her way through a pitching jam in the seventh inning.
Stoughton rallied with four straight singles off Dillon, including Samantha Tepp's RBI single. Dillon wiggled out of the jam by getting Bailey Vance to ground out to Monroe junior second baseman Kaya Teasdale to put the finishing touches on a 4-2 win over the Vikings Friday at Twining Park.
Stoughton went 3-for-12 hitting with runners in scoring position and left 11 stranded on base. Dillon pitched out of bases loaded one-out jams in both the first and third innings.
"Not to degrade them, but I knew getting down in the lineup I just told myself to throw strikes," Dillon said. "You have a defense behind you and we will get the out."
With the win, Monroe improves to 6-2, 5-0 Badger South.
"Coming into the season we knew we would have a younger team and we could take some lumps in conference," Dillon said. "To come out and be undefeated in conference is amazing."
Early on, it was a pitcher's duel between Dillon and Stoughton's Sarah Seaton. Dillon, who went 2-for-4 with one RBI, singled to right field in the third. She stole second to get into scoring position. Monroe junior Kylea Ambrose came through with a two-out RBI single to center to stake the Cheesemakers to a 1-0 lead.
"I had a bad game last night," Ambrose said. "It felt really good. I was really happy with it. It made up for last night."
The Cheesemakers led 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth where they tacked on three runs. Monroe junior Hannah Vetterli singled to right to lead off the sixth. Sophomore Carly Upmann followed by crushing an RBI triple to right center. Junior Cassidy Pivonka had an RBI groundout to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 3-0. Dillon then delivered an RBI single to give the Cheesemakers a 4-0 lead. Monroe junior Brooke Adams went 2-for-4.
"We pulled together and hit the ball hard," Ambrose said. "We knew coming in that they (Stoughton) were a good team. I knew one run wasn't going to be enough."
The Vikings finished with seven hits. Stoughton's No. 2-4 hitters went a combined 7-for-10. Stoughton's Lexie Fitzsimmons went 3-for-4 and both Seaton and Morgan Neuenfeld were 2-for-3.
"They are tough to deal with," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said of the Vikings. "Hats off to Stoughton. Their top of the order is very good."
Dillon struck out five and walked four. Seaton pitched a complete game and gave up four earned runs on nine hits. She struck out one and walked three.
"Sarah is a good pitcher," Buvid said. "She's outstanding. They are a good team and will win a lot of games."
The conference season is just reaching the midway point and the Cheesemakers are unbeaten in the Badger South.
"At one time, I thought 9-3 would win it," Buvid said. "I think it's possible that 9-3 can still win the conference. You hope the other teams beat each other up. If it takes 10 or 11 wins we still have a lot of work to do."
Stoughton rallied with four straight singles off Dillon, including Samantha Tepp's RBI single. Dillon wiggled out of the jam by getting Bailey Vance to ground out to Monroe junior second baseman Kaya Teasdale to put the finishing touches on a 4-2 win over the Vikings Friday at Twining Park.
Stoughton went 3-for-12 hitting with runners in scoring position and left 11 stranded on base. Dillon pitched out of bases loaded one-out jams in both the first and third innings.
"Not to degrade them, but I knew getting down in the lineup I just told myself to throw strikes," Dillon said. "You have a defense behind you and we will get the out."
With the win, Monroe improves to 6-2, 5-0 Badger South.
"Coming into the season we knew we would have a younger team and we could take some lumps in conference," Dillon said. "To come out and be undefeated in conference is amazing."
Early on, it was a pitcher's duel between Dillon and Stoughton's Sarah Seaton. Dillon, who went 2-for-4 with one RBI, singled to right field in the third. She stole second to get into scoring position. Monroe junior Kylea Ambrose came through with a two-out RBI single to center to stake the Cheesemakers to a 1-0 lead.
"I had a bad game last night," Ambrose said. "It felt really good. I was really happy with it. It made up for last night."
The Cheesemakers led 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth where they tacked on three runs. Monroe junior Hannah Vetterli singled to right to lead off the sixth. Sophomore Carly Upmann followed by crushing an RBI triple to right center. Junior Cassidy Pivonka had an RBI groundout to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 3-0. Dillon then delivered an RBI single to give the Cheesemakers a 4-0 lead. Monroe junior Brooke Adams went 2-for-4.
"We pulled together and hit the ball hard," Ambrose said. "We knew coming in that they (Stoughton) were a good team. I knew one run wasn't going to be enough."
The Vikings finished with seven hits. Stoughton's No. 2-4 hitters went a combined 7-for-10. Stoughton's Lexie Fitzsimmons went 3-for-4 and both Seaton and Morgan Neuenfeld were 2-for-3.
"They are tough to deal with," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said of the Vikings. "Hats off to Stoughton. Their top of the order is very good."
Dillon struck out five and walked four. Seaton pitched a complete game and gave up four earned runs on nine hits. She struck out one and walked three.
"Sarah is a good pitcher," Buvid said. "She's outstanding. They are a good team and will win a lot of games."
The conference season is just reaching the midway point and the Cheesemakers are unbeaten in the Badger South.
"At one time, I thought 9-3 would win it," Buvid said. "I think it's possible that 9-3 can still win the conference. You hope the other teams beat each other up. If it takes 10 or 11 wins we still have a lot of work to do."
