PORTAGE - If everything keeps going as planned, Monroe junior ace pitcher Becca Armstrong may be able to get her wish and get the puppy she has wanted.
"Becca wants a puppy," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "Her parents kind of promised her a puppy if she can help us get to the state championship game. It's kind of been a running joke on the team. The mission of the team is to get Becca a puppy."
Armstrong tossed a four-hit shutout, and the Cheesemakers got some timely hits and took advantage of a Richland Center error to knock off the Hornets 3-0 in a WIAA Division 2 Portage sectional championship game Thursday. With the win, Monroe (21-7) advances to the state tournament for the second straight year and sixth time in the last 10 years.
This year's tournament will be held June 14-16 at Goodman Diamond in Madison. Monroe will play Plymouth in a Division 2 state semifinal at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 14. If the Cheesemakers beat Plymouth, they would play in the championship game against either Baldwin-Woodville or West De Pere on Saturday, June 16 at 3 p.m.
The state tournament is not new territory for Buvid's Cheesemakers, but he said he always enjoys seeing young players step up and make a postseason run.
"It (state) is the ultimate in high school athletics," he said. "It never gets old. Not all kids get a chance to experience that. I'm really happy for the kids who have never been there before."
On Thursday, the Cheesemakers broke the game open by scoring three runs with two outs in the second inning off Richland Center's Rochelle Goplen.
Monroe freshman Kari Jordan led off the second with a single to right field. Kasey Gutzmer walked and Alyssa Montgomery, who went 2-for-3, bunted for a single to load the bases. Heather Barta then knocked in a run on a grounder, and the Cheesemakers scored a second run on the play when Richland Center shortstop Hailey Simpson made a wild throw to first. Ellie Grossen followed that up by beating out an RBI infield single to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
The three-run lead proved to be enough, as Armstrong went to work in the circle for the remainder of the game.
"At that time it usually takes more than three runs to win," Montgomery said. "We were playing great defense and Becca was pitching outstanding. We had our heads in it, we pulled together as a team and it worked out for the best.
"It's amazing. The state tournament last year was just surreal. I'm just so excited to be going back. I'm excited to be back and have that feeling again."
Montgomery has been hitting over .400 in the tournament, which she attributes to working hard on her hitting in practice and going with her father to take extra batting practice.
"I have been doing just everything I can to contribute to the team," she said.
Armstrong struck out three and walked three. She pitched out of a two on, two-out jam in the third by getting Richland Center No. 3 hitter Rebecca Luxton to pop out to catcher Chandra McGuire to end the threat.
In the sixth, the Hornets had another golden scoring opportunity after Sydney Meeker singled to left and Brooklyn Ewing singled to right. Armstrong induced Rachel Gunderson to ground out to Jordan at third, and then Rena Duell popped out to Grossen at shortstop to end the threat.
"When I get in jams I just try to focus on hitting my spots so they don't get any good contact on the ball," Armstrong said. "Kari and Ellie made great plays to help us get out of trouble. Our defense played outstanding today. I knew our defense would make the plays. They stepped up."
Sophomore Taylor O'Leksy also went 2-for-3 for the Cheesemakers, and Gutzmer had a couple of key running catches in center field.
"She has a history of coming through in the tournament," Buvid said of Gutzmer. "She comes up in big times and in big games. She did that again. We played our outfielders a little bit deeper. In a tight game, you don't want to give up an extra base hit. She's a good defender. She read the ball off the bat. You can just tell when she has the ball measured."
Even with the shutout, Buvid said Armstrong left a few pitches up against the Hornets, but he's confident with his ace going into the state tournament.
"Her poise and composure were very good," Buvid said. "I think we will see her better at the Goodman Diamond. When you see a shutout she had to be doing something right."
"Becca wants a puppy," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "Her parents kind of promised her a puppy if she can help us get to the state championship game. It's kind of been a running joke on the team. The mission of the team is to get Becca a puppy."
Armstrong tossed a four-hit shutout, and the Cheesemakers got some timely hits and took advantage of a Richland Center error to knock off the Hornets 3-0 in a WIAA Division 2 Portage sectional championship game Thursday. With the win, Monroe (21-7) advances to the state tournament for the second straight year and sixth time in the last 10 years.
This year's tournament will be held June 14-16 at Goodman Diamond in Madison. Monroe will play Plymouth in a Division 2 state semifinal at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 14. If the Cheesemakers beat Plymouth, they would play in the championship game against either Baldwin-Woodville or West De Pere on Saturday, June 16 at 3 p.m.
The state tournament is not new territory for Buvid's Cheesemakers, but he said he always enjoys seeing young players step up and make a postseason run.
"It (state) is the ultimate in high school athletics," he said. "It never gets old. Not all kids get a chance to experience that. I'm really happy for the kids who have never been there before."
On Thursday, the Cheesemakers broke the game open by scoring three runs with two outs in the second inning off Richland Center's Rochelle Goplen.
Monroe freshman Kari Jordan led off the second with a single to right field. Kasey Gutzmer walked and Alyssa Montgomery, who went 2-for-3, bunted for a single to load the bases. Heather Barta then knocked in a run on a grounder, and the Cheesemakers scored a second run on the play when Richland Center shortstop Hailey Simpson made a wild throw to first. Ellie Grossen followed that up by beating out an RBI infield single to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
The three-run lead proved to be enough, as Armstrong went to work in the circle for the remainder of the game.
"At that time it usually takes more than three runs to win," Montgomery said. "We were playing great defense and Becca was pitching outstanding. We had our heads in it, we pulled together as a team and it worked out for the best.
"It's amazing. The state tournament last year was just surreal. I'm just so excited to be going back. I'm excited to be back and have that feeling again."
Montgomery has been hitting over .400 in the tournament, which she attributes to working hard on her hitting in practice and going with her father to take extra batting practice.
"I have been doing just everything I can to contribute to the team," she said.
Armstrong struck out three and walked three. She pitched out of a two on, two-out jam in the third by getting Richland Center No. 3 hitter Rebecca Luxton to pop out to catcher Chandra McGuire to end the threat.
In the sixth, the Hornets had another golden scoring opportunity after Sydney Meeker singled to left and Brooklyn Ewing singled to right. Armstrong induced Rachel Gunderson to ground out to Jordan at third, and then Rena Duell popped out to Grossen at shortstop to end the threat.
"When I get in jams I just try to focus on hitting my spots so they don't get any good contact on the ball," Armstrong said. "Kari and Ellie made great plays to help us get out of trouble. Our defense played outstanding today. I knew our defense would make the plays. They stepped up."
Sophomore Taylor O'Leksy also went 2-for-3 for the Cheesemakers, and Gutzmer had a couple of key running catches in center field.
"She has a history of coming through in the tournament," Buvid said of Gutzmer. "She comes up in big times and in big games. She did that again. We played our outfielders a little bit deeper. In a tight game, you don't want to give up an extra base hit. She's a good defender. She read the ball off the bat. You can just tell when she has the ball measured."
Even with the shutout, Buvid said Armstrong left a few pitches up against the Hornets, but he's confident with his ace going into the state tournament.
"Her poise and composure were very good," Buvid said. "I think we will see her better at the Goodman Diamond. When you see a shutout she had to be doing something right."
