MONROE - Senior Carly Upmann made sure the Monroe High School softball team stayed in the hunt for a Badger South Conference championship by helping to lead the Cheesemakers to a 6-1 win over Milton on Wednesday at Twining Park.
Monroe (12-4, 6-2 Badger South) pounded out 15 hits in a game originally scheduled for April 27 but postponed by rain.
The Cheesemakers are tied for second with Oregon (5-2) in a jumbled race for the conference title. Both the Cheesemakers and Panthers are one game behind conference leader Fort Atkinson (6-1). Monona Grove (5-3) trails the Blackhawks by 11/2 games.
"It feels great," said Upmann, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. "Every single game in the conference matters. We are a little bit behind now, but we just have to keep on going."
The Cheesemakers scored three runs in the second inning off Milton pitcher Maddie Jacobs. Monroe sophomore Olivia Bobak led off with a single to left. Senior Megan Baumgartner then lined a single to left. Upmann crushed a two-run double to left center to stake the Cheesemakers to a 2-0 lead. Freshman Grace Tostrud then ripped an RBI double to left to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 3-0. Tostrud went 2-for-2 with two RBI.
"Coach (Joe) O'Leksy always tells us to track the pitches and hit our pitch," Tostrud said. "We were just trying to do that."
The Cheesemakers had runners on base every inning and had the lead-off runner on base in three of the six innings they batted.
Tostrud said getting the lead-off hitter on put pressure on the Red Hawks' pitcher.
It's the second straight game Tostrud has had two or more hits.
"Grace has been on a roll as of late," Monroe coach Joe O'Leksy said. "It's good to have a No. 9 hitter who is hitting .360."
It was far from a two-player offensive performance for the Cheesemakers. Bobak went 3-for-4 and sophomore Hailey Betthauser was 2-for-3. Junior Madison Katzenberger also went 2-for-4.
Upmann was excited to contribute to the offensive attack.
"I haven't been hitting much lately," she said. "I just want to keep it up."
Upmann agreed with Tostrud that the team's approach at the plate and the success of getting the lead-off hitter on base makes a big difference.
"Getting the lead-off hitter on makes everyone excited," she said. "It sets the tone."
The three runs in the second were all Bobak would need on the mound. Bobak pitched a complete game to get the win. She gave up one unearned run on two hits. That comes just one day after she combined with Upmann to throw a five-inning no-hitter against Baraboo. Bobak struck out nine and walked one against Milton. The Red Hawks had just five base runners and only three reached second in the game.
"Her movement pitches were really going well," O'Leksy said.
The Cheesemakers added to their lead in the fourth after Upmann lined a single to center and Tostrud reached on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Meredith Hose knocked Upmann in on a fielder's choice to give the Cheesemakers a 4-0 lead.
In the fifth, Katzenberger singled to left. Upmann reached on an error. Tostrud then came through with an RBI single to score Katzenberger. Upmann later scored when Betthauser reached on an error to give the Cheesemakers a 6-0 lead.
Monroe had other opportunities with well-hit balls that didn't pan out. With the bases loaded in the third, junior Alysha Witt lined out to second and it turned into an inning-ending double play with a throw to first.
Then in the fifth, Bobak hit a line drive that hit Betthauser on the foot as she was running for third and she was called out since the ball hit her.
"We probably could have scored some more runs," O'Leksy said. "We had the bases loaded twice and they made a good play once, and Olivia hit a rock and it just hit (Betthauser) on the toe."
Betthauser, who was playing right field, turned in the defensive play of the game when she threw out Milton's Gia Digennaro at first to end the game in the seventh inning.
"It's not often you see a right fielder throw someone out at first base," O'Leksy said of Betthauser. "It's because she was charging the ball as soon as it was hit. She really has a cannon for an arm."
Monroe is at Oregon on Friday.
Monroe (12-4, 6-2 Badger South) pounded out 15 hits in a game originally scheduled for April 27 but postponed by rain.
The Cheesemakers are tied for second with Oregon (5-2) in a jumbled race for the conference title. Both the Cheesemakers and Panthers are one game behind conference leader Fort Atkinson (6-1). Monona Grove (5-3) trails the Blackhawks by 11/2 games.
"It feels great," said Upmann, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. "Every single game in the conference matters. We are a little bit behind now, but we just have to keep on going."
The Cheesemakers scored three runs in the second inning off Milton pitcher Maddie Jacobs. Monroe sophomore Olivia Bobak led off with a single to left. Senior Megan Baumgartner then lined a single to left. Upmann crushed a two-run double to left center to stake the Cheesemakers to a 2-0 lead. Freshman Grace Tostrud then ripped an RBI double to left to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 3-0. Tostrud went 2-for-2 with two RBI.
"Coach (Joe) O'Leksy always tells us to track the pitches and hit our pitch," Tostrud said. "We were just trying to do that."
The Cheesemakers had runners on base every inning and had the lead-off runner on base in three of the six innings they batted.
Tostrud said getting the lead-off hitter on put pressure on the Red Hawks' pitcher.
It's the second straight game Tostrud has had two or more hits.
"Grace has been on a roll as of late," Monroe coach Joe O'Leksy said. "It's good to have a No. 9 hitter who is hitting .360."
It was far from a two-player offensive performance for the Cheesemakers. Bobak went 3-for-4 and sophomore Hailey Betthauser was 2-for-3. Junior Madison Katzenberger also went 2-for-4.
Upmann was excited to contribute to the offensive attack.
"I haven't been hitting much lately," she said. "I just want to keep it up."
Upmann agreed with Tostrud that the team's approach at the plate and the success of getting the lead-off hitter on base makes a big difference.
"Getting the lead-off hitter on makes everyone excited," she said. "It sets the tone."
The three runs in the second were all Bobak would need on the mound. Bobak pitched a complete game to get the win. She gave up one unearned run on two hits. That comes just one day after she combined with Upmann to throw a five-inning no-hitter against Baraboo. Bobak struck out nine and walked one against Milton. The Red Hawks had just five base runners and only three reached second in the game.
"Her movement pitches were really going well," O'Leksy said.
The Cheesemakers added to their lead in the fourth after Upmann lined a single to center and Tostrud reached on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Meredith Hose knocked Upmann in on a fielder's choice to give the Cheesemakers a 4-0 lead.
In the fifth, Katzenberger singled to left. Upmann reached on an error. Tostrud then came through with an RBI single to score Katzenberger. Upmann later scored when Betthauser reached on an error to give the Cheesemakers a 6-0 lead.
Monroe had other opportunities with well-hit balls that didn't pan out. With the bases loaded in the third, junior Alysha Witt lined out to second and it turned into an inning-ending double play with a throw to first.
Then in the fifth, Bobak hit a line drive that hit Betthauser on the foot as she was running for third and she was called out since the ball hit her.
"We probably could have scored some more runs," O'Leksy said. "We had the bases loaded twice and they made a good play once, and Olivia hit a rock and it just hit (Betthauser) on the toe."
Betthauser, who was playing right field, turned in the defensive play of the game when she threw out Milton's Gia Digennaro at first to end the game in the seventh inning.
"It's not often you see a right fielder throw someone out at first base," O'Leksy said of Betthauser. "It's because she was charging the ball as soon as it was hit. She really has a cannon for an arm."
Monroe is at Oregon on Friday.
