ORLANDO, Fla. - The Cheesemakers swept Dallas (Pennsylvania) High School Friday morning in a softball doubleheader at the Disney-ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Monroe won the first game 8-4 and the second game 3-2.
"We're 4-0, and that's a great way to start off the season," Monroe head coach Joe O'Leksy said.
In Game 1, Olivia Bobak shined. The junior all-conference player pitched a complete game, allowing zero earned runs with 9 strikeouts, 5 walks and allowed just a single hit. At the plate Bobak was 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs, 2 runs, a double and a 2-run home run.
"Olivia threw well, though she didn't have her best stuff," O'Leksy said, referring to the 5 walks. "We had some big hits in the game - six extra base hits - and Bobak's homer was really the catalyst in the fifth inning."
Monroe scored once in the top of the first, but Dallas tied it in the bottom of the second. The Cheesemakers then scored two in the third and three in the fifth. Dallas returned the favor, scoring three runs in the bottom half with two outs thanks to some Cheesemaker errors.
"Errors played a part in all four runs. But we bounced back and scored a couple of runs in the seventh and had a clean seventh defensively," O'Leksy said. Monroe had three errors in the game.
Hailey Betthauser was 2-for-3 with two doubles, 2 steals and 4 runs for the Cheesemakers. Monroe's three freshmen also let their skills at the plate show: Alyse Maurer was 3-for-4 with a double, 2 RBIs and 2 runs; Sydney Updike was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs; and Katie Hayes was 2-for-4 with a double.
In Game 2, Maurer made her first-ever varsity start and allowed one earned run and zero walks in the complete game victory. The freshman hurler also allowed four hits and struck out two.
"I'm very happy with her control. She kept batters off balance. It was a very good first varsity start," O'Leksy said.
At the dish, Updike was 2-for-4 again with an RBI, steal and a double. Bobak was 1-for-2 with a two-run double in the fifth.
Updike's double in the third led to Monroe's first run. Dallas, the visiting team in Game 2, tied the score at 1-1 in the fourth and took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth. Bobak's two-run double in the fifth gave Monroe the lead for good.
"We had a solid defensive game," O'Leksy said of Game 2, in which the Cheesemakers had just one error. "We had a lot of infield putouts and made some nice plays at the end of the game."
Most notably, according to O'Leksy, was the effort of left fielder Calli Fiez, who tracked down a hard liner that could have changed the course of the game.
"She made a great running catch on the ball. If she doesn't we are in trouble. It could have been a double or a triple easily," O'Leksy said.
The Cheesemakers play one more game in Florida before coming home.
Monroe won the first game 8-4 and the second game 3-2.
"We're 4-0, and that's a great way to start off the season," Monroe head coach Joe O'Leksy said.
In Game 1, Olivia Bobak shined. The junior all-conference player pitched a complete game, allowing zero earned runs with 9 strikeouts, 5 walks and allowed just a single hit. At the plate Bobak was 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs, 2 runs, a double and a 2-run home run.
"Olivia threw well, though she didn't have her best stuff," O'Leksy said, referring to the 5 walks. "We had some big hits in the game - six extra base hits - and Bobak's homer was really the catalyst in the fifth inning."
Monroe scored once in the top of the first, but Dallas tied it in the bottom of the second. The Cheesemakers then scored two in the third and three in the fifth. Dallas returned the favor, scoring three runs in the bottom half with two outs thanks to some Cheesemaker errors.
"Errors played a part in all four runs. But we bounced back and scored a couple of runs in the seventh and had a clean seventh defensively," O'Leksy said. Monroe had three errors in the game.
Hailey Betthauser was 2-for-3 with two doubles, 2 steals and 4 runs for the Cheesemakers. Monroe's three freshmen also let their skills at the plate show: Alyse Maurer was 3-for-4 with a double, 2 RBIs and 2 runs; Sydney Updike was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs; and Katie Hayes was 2-for-4 with a double.
In Game 2, Maurer made her first-ever varsity start and allowed one earned run and zero walks in the complete game victory. The freshman hurler also allowed four hits and struck out two.
"I'm very happy with her control. She kept batters off balance. It was a very good first varsity start," O'Leksy said.
At the dish, Updike was 2-for-4 again with an RBI, steal and a double. Bobak was 1-for-2 with a two-run double in the fifth.
Updike's double in the third led to Monroe's first run. Dallas, the visiting team in Game 2, tied the score at 1-1 in the fourth and took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth. Bobak's two-run double in the fifth gave Monroe the lead for good.
"We had a solid defensive game," O'Leksy said of Game 2, in which the Cheesemakers had just one error. "We had a lot of infield putouts and made some nice plays at the end of the game."
Most notably, according to O'Leksy, was the effort of left fielder Calli Fiez, who tracked down a hard liner that could have changed the course of the game.
"She made a great running catch on the ball. If she doesn't we are in trouble. It could have been a double or a triple easily," O'Leksy said.
The Cheesemakers play one more game in Florida before coming home.
