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Monroe does little things for big win
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Times photo: Christopher Heimerman Monroe senior Kayla Rackow flips to Gwen Sutter at first during the first inning.
MADISON - The Monroe softball team's dream of winning a state championship is still alive.

Monroe hung on to a 3-1 win in a WIAA Division 2 state semifinal Friday night at Goodman Diamond in Madison.

Monroe (22-2), the No. 1-ranked team in the Wisconsin Sports Net Division 2 poll, now advances to play New Berlin Eisenhower (23-1) for a state championship at 3 p.m. today.

"It feels good to beat anyone," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "We feel fortunate to win; I'll take a win against anyone when you get here. You live for one more chance."

The Cheesemakers are gunning for their first state title since 2003.

The game-turning plays that may have been underestimated include:

• Monroe junior Emily Rufenacht getting a running lead and moving up on two straight groundouts so she could score on sophomore Gwen Sutter's RBI single in the fourth inning to give the Cheesemakers a 1-0 lead.

"My first reaction was that I'd finally hit the ball; bringing in the run felt very good," Sutter said. "That's what I wanted to do, that's what I was told to do."

• The Cheesemakers' defense has been solid all season and Friday was a prime example. Sutter made a running catch of a pop out near the Monroe dugout.

• Monroe senior catcher Kylie Kaiser made two twirling catches of pop-ups in the fifth and sixth.

• Monroe junior Maggie Schuttler made a running catch to rob Rice Lake's Sam Walker, who entered the state tournament hitting .486, of an extra-base hit.