MONROE - Senior ace pitcher Natalie Dillon turned in two dazzling pitching performances to help the Monroe softball team win three games to capture the championship of the Monroe tournament Saturday at Twining Park.
Dillon tossed two complete games to lead the Cheesemakers to 2-1 wins over Spencer and Pearl City to clinch the championship. In the 15 innings Dillon combined to pitch in two games, she struck out 19 and walked just one.
"Natalie seems like she has taken another step and become more competitive and confident," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "Kudos to her. She has worked really hard to be successful. She has worked hard to be successful. She has shown some toughness. She has been able to get her second, third and fourth pitches over and that has allowed her to get the better hitters out."
With the wins, Monroe (5-1, 1-0 Badger South) extended its winning streak to four straight games. With three badger South Conference games coming up against title contenders Stoughton, Fort Atkinson and Monona Grove, Buvid liked the way the Cheesemakers responded to three tests on Saturday.
"These types of games help gauge where you are," Buvid said. "I think this will help. We have three big conference games coming up. Stoughton is one of the conference favorites. Natalie will be tested."
Monroe 2, Spencer 1
In the first game of the tournament, the Cheesemakers clipped Spencer in an eight-inning game. With the game in extra-innings, international tie-breaker rules were used with a runner starting on second base to start the eighth inning. Dillon struck out two hitters and got Spencer's No. 2 hitter to pop out in the top of the eighth. The Cheesemakers started with senior Hannah Vetterli on second base in the bottom of the eighth. Senior Kylea Ambrose came through with a sacrifice bunt. Junior teammate Lexi Hilliard then laid down a squeeze bunt. Spencer's catcher threw the ball to first, but the first baseman dropped the wild throw and Vetterli scored the game-winning run for a walk-off 2-1 win.
"The key is we got them out in the top of the inning," Buvid said. "We were going to play the bunt the whole way. It was good execution on our part from Kylea and Lexi. We forced them to make a couple of plays."
Dillon pitched a complete game to get the win. She struck out 10 and gave up one earned run on four hits. Dillon went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI triple. Monroe senior Brooke Adams also went 2-for-4.
Monroe 12, Highland Park 1 (5)
Monroe junior Carly Upmann had a breakout performance in the Cheesemakers' 12-1 five-inning win over Highland Park (Ill.).
Upmann went 2-for-3 with three RBI. She pitched a complete game and gave up just one unearned run on three hits. She struck out four and didn't issue a walk.
"Carly is a very capable pitcher," Buvid said. "You just don't want to wear Natalie out. She (Carly) threw some good offspeed pitches and we scored some runs for her."
The Cheesemakers had a four-run second inning. Monroe senior Cassidy Pivonka led off the second with a single to right field. Monroe sophomore Alysha Witt walked. Senior Kaya Teasdale followed with an RBI single. Hilliard delivered a two-run single to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead. Upmann added an RBI single.
The Cheesemakers broke the game open with a seven-run third. Pivonka doubled and Witt walked. Teasdale came through with a single to load the bases. Hilliard then had an RBI single and Dillon knocked in a run on a fielder's choice. The big blow in the third came on Upmann's three-run triple to give the Cheesemakers an 11-0 lead.
Hilliard went 2-for-2 with three RBI. Witt was on base all four times she batted going 2-for-2 with two walks. Teasdale went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Pivonka was 2-for-3.
Monroe 2, Pearl City 1
Upmann delivered what proved to be the game-winning hit for the Cheesemakers in the 2-1 win over Pearl City.
In the third inning, Adams lined a single to left. Upmann in the clutch hit a double to left center to give the Cheesemakers a 2-1 lead.
Dillon made sure the slim lead would stand. She tossed a complete game and gave up just one unearned run on four hits. Dillon struck out nine and didn't issue a walk.
Monroe took an early lead in the top of the second. Ambrose reached on an error. Pivonka singled to center and Hilliard reached on an infield single. Bennett delivered an RBI single that would give the Cheesemakers a 1-0 lead.
"It was a big hit," Buvid said of Bennett's single. "She clearly stepped up for us."
Dillon tossed two complete games to lead the Cheesemakers to 2-1 wins over Spencer and Pearl City to clinch the championship. In the 15 innings Dillon combined to pitch in two games, she struck out 19 and walked just one.
"Natalie seems like she has taken another step and become more competitive and confident," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "Kudos to her. She has worked really hard to be successful. She has worked hard to be successful. She has shown some toughness. She has been able to get her second, third and fourth pitches over and that has allowed her to get the better hitters out."
With the wins, Monroe (5-1, 1-0 Badger South) extended its winning streak to four straight games. With three badger South Conference games coming up against title contenders Stoughton, Fort Atkinson and Monona Grove, Buvid liked the way the Cheesemakers responded to three tests on Saturday.
"These types of games help gauge where you are," Buvid said. "I think this will help. We have three big conference games coming up. Stoughton is one of the conference favorites. Natalie will be tested."
Monroe 2, Spencer 1
In the first game of the tournament, the Cheesemakers clipped Spencer in an eight-inning game. With the game in extra-innings, international tie-breaker rules were used with a runner starting on second base to start the eighth inning. Dillon struck out two hitters and got Spencer's No. 2 hitter to pop out in the top of the eighth. The Cheesemakers started with senior Hannah Vetterli on second base in the bottom of the eighth. Senior Kylea Ambrose came through with a sacrifice bunt. Junior teammate Lexi Hilliard then laid down a squeeze bunt. Spencer's catcher threw the ball to first, but the first baseman dropped the wild throw and Vetterli scored the game-winning run for a walk-off 2-1 win.
"The key is we got them out in the top of the inning," Buvid said. "We were going to play the bunt the whole way. It was good execution on our part from Kylea and Lexi. We forced them to make a couple of plays."
Dillon pitched a complete game to get the win. She struck out 10 and gave up one earned run on four hits. Dillon went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI triple. Monroe senior Brooke Adams also went 2-for-4.
Monroe 12, Highland Park 1 (5)
Monroe junior Carly Upmann had a breakout performance in the Cheesemakers' 12-1 five-inning win over Highland Park (Ill.).
Upmann went 2-for-3 with three RBI. She pitched a complete game and gave up just one unearned run on three hits. She struck out four and didn't issue a walk.
"Carly is a very capable pitcher," Buvid said. "You just don't want to wear Natalie out. She (Carly) threw some good offspeed pitches and we scored some runs for her."
The Cheesemakers had a four-run second inning. Monroe senior Cassidy Pivonka led off the second with a single to right field. Monroe sophomore Alysha Witt walked. Senior Kaya Teasdale followed with an RBI single. Hilliard delivered a two-run single to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead. Upmann added an RBI single.
The Cheesemakers broke the game open with a seven-run third. Pivonka doubled and Witt walked. Teasdale came through with a single to load the bases. Hilliard then had an RBI single and Dillon knocked in a run on a fielder's choice. The big blow in the third came on Upmann's three-run triple to give the Cheesemakers an 11-0 lead.
Hilliard went 2-for-2 with three RBI. Witt was on base all four times she batted going 2-for-2 with two walks. Teasdale went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Pivonka was 2-for-3.
Monroe 2, Pearl City 1
Upmann delivered what proved to be the game-winning hit for the Cheesemakers in the 2-1 win over Pearl City.
In the third inning, Adams lined a single to left. Upmann in the clutch hit a double to left center to give the Cheesemakers a 2-1 lead.
Dillon made sure the slim lead would stand. She tossed a complete game and gave up just one unearned run on four hits. Dillon struck out nine and didn't issue a walk.
Monroe took an early lead in the top of the second. Ambrose reached on an error. Pivonka singled to center and Hilliard reached on an infield single. Bennett delivered an RBI single that would give the Cheesemakers a 1-0 lead.
"It was a big hit," Buvid said of Bennett's single. "She clearly stepped up for us."
