BRODHEAD - The Monroe softball team showed no ill-effects from being kept inside for practice before its long-awaited season opener Saturday, April 6.
The Cheesemakers won two games at the Brodhead tournament, knocking off Beloit Memorial 9-4 and edging Brodhead 4-1.
Weather is to blame for the extended schedule of indoor practices.
"I have been doing this for a long time," said Monroe coach Dale Buvid, now in his 30th year coaching. "There have been some bad springs. (But) I don't ever remember having 20 practices before the first game.
Still, "it's not a bad start. Brodhead is a quality team and Beloit Memorial is a young and solid team. It was nice to get some at-bats and get out on the mound before the conference games."
Each team at the Brodhead tournament played two games. Brodhead and Monticello each finished 1-1 in the tournament and Juda-Albany went 0-2.
Monroe junior Taylor O'Leksy went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs against Beloit Memorial. Junior Ellie Grossen went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple and junior Katie Holmes was 2-for-2. The Cheesemakers pounded out 12 hits and had eight different players collect at least one hit.
"That was a pretty good offensive start for us," Buvid said.
Monroe senior Becca Armstrong pitched four innings and gave up two earned runs. She struck out six and walked one. Senior Samantha Solberg pitched three innings in relief and gave up two runs. She struck out two and walked one.
"Becca has been sick and a little run-down," Buvid said. "Sam came in and the end of both games and pitched great. She's a quality No. 2 pitcher. We could win a lot of games behind her."
In the game against Brodhead, Monroe junior Chandra McGuire hit a two-run home run off Amanda Pickel to propel the Cheesemakers to the win. Pickel pitched six innings and gave up four runs on two hits. She struck out six and walked three. The only other hit for the Cheesemakers was a lead-off single by O'Leksy in the second.
"We got a chance to see where we were at against a high caliber team like Monroe," Brodhead coach B.J. Bockhopp said. "We have seen a lot of pitching from the pitching machine. We wanted to get outside and see some live pitching."
Bockhopp said Pickel's pitching was fantastic for her first game.
"We are still getting the feel for playing outside," Bockhopp said. "I thought our defense was solid all day. I think our hitting will come."
Brodhead freshman Kylie Moe, freshman Amber Pickel and sophomore Taylor Gerlach each had doubles. Armstrong pitched 5 1/3 innings to get the win for the Cheesemakers. Solberg pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief.
Brodhead shut out Belleville 10-0 in the first game. Brodhead sophomore Brooke Boegli threw a four-hit shutout. She struck out seven and walked one. Brodhead senior Taurie Burns went 2-for-4 and had two triples. Boegli went 2-for-3 and sophomore Erin Kloepping was 2-for-4.
Monticello split two games at the tournament losing to River Valley 9-1 and then beating Parkview 5-3 in eight innings. River Valley scored eight runs in the second to break the game open. The Ponies had three errors.
"We knew River Valley would be a test," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "We played them pretty even after that. They have a great program. They are a good hitting team."
Monticello sophomore Courtney Leuzinger pitched three innings against the Blackhawks and gave up eight runs on nine hits. She struck out three and walked three. Monticello's Claire Bruns tossed two innings in relief and gave up one run on two hits.
The Ponies battled back to beat Parkview in eight innings. With international rules, Leuzinger started the eighth inning on second base. Monticello sophomore Alyssah Kubly bunted for a hit and Sam DeVoe knocked in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Jordyn Kubly then came through with a clutch RBI single.
Alyssah Kubly went 3-for-4 and Jordyn Kubly was 2-for-3 against the Vikings. Bruns pitched a complete game against the Vikings. She gave up three runs on six hits. She struck out seven and walked two.
Juda-Albany and River Valley were locked in a tie at 1 in the seventh inning. The Blackhawks scored five runs in the seventh to knock off the Panthers 6-1. Juda-Albany also lost to Parkview 10-7.
"They had the top of their order up and manufactured some runs," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said of the seventh against River Valley.
The Panthers were plagued by seven errors against Parkview.
"I'm not going to make excuses, but it's early in the season," Davis said. "We need to limit the big innings to one or two runs and not four or five runs. Hopefully, we can get those bugs out early."
Juda junior Tabatha Davis pitched seven innings against River Valley and gave up four earned runs. She struck out three and walked one.
Juda-Albany's Katlynn Rhyner went 2-for-2 to lead the Panthers against the Vikings. Davis pitched six innings against Parkview and gave up three earned runs. She struck out four and walked four.
"In an early season tournament I don't pay a whole lot of attention to wins and losses," Davis said. "We just want to get out there to see what we got. Don't get me wrong. We are still playing to win."
The Cheesemakers won two games at the Brodhead tournament, knocking off Beloit Memorial 9-4 and edging Brodhead 4-1.
Weather is to blame for the extended schedule of indoor practices.
"I have been doing this for a long time," said Monroe coach Dale Buvid, now in his 30th year coaching. "There have been some bad springs. (But) I don't ever remember having 20 practices before the first game.
Still, "it's not a bad start. Brodhead is a quality team and Beloit Memorial is a young and solid team. It was nice to get some at-bats and get out on the mound before the conference games."
Each team at the Brodhead tournament played two games. Brodhead and Monticello each finished 1-1 in the tournament and Juda-Albany went 0-2.
Monroe junior Taylor O'Leksy went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs against Beloit Memorial. Junior Ellie Grossen went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple and junior Katie Holmes was 2-for-2. The Cheesemakers pounded out 12 hits and had eight different players collect at least one hit.
"That was a pretty good offensive start for us," Buvid said.
Monroe senior Becca Armstrong pitched four innings and gave up two earned runs. She struck out six and walked one. Senior Samantha Solberg pitched three innings in relief and gave up two runs. She struck out two and walked one.
"Becca has been sick and a little run-down," Buvid said. "Sam came in and the end of both games and pitched great. She's a quality No. 2 pitcher. We could win a lot of games behind her."
In the game against Brodhead, Monroe junior Chandra McGuire hit a two-run home run off Amanda Pickel to propel the Cheesemakers to the win. Pickel pitched six innings and gave up four runs on two hits. She struck out six and walked three. The only other hit for the Cheesemakers was a lead-off single by O'Leksy in the second.
"We got a chance to see where we were at against a high caliber team like Monroe," Brodhead coach B.J. Bockhopp said. "We have seen a lot of pitching from the pitching machine. We wanted to get outside and see some live pitching."
Bockhopp said Pickel's pitching was fantastic for her first game.
"We are still getting the feel for playing outside," Bockhopp said. "I thought our defense was solid all day. I think our hitting will come."
Brodhead freshman Kylie Moe, freshman Amber Pickel and sophomore Taylor Gerlach each had doubles. Armstrong pitched 5 1/3 innings to get the win for the Cheesemakers. Solberg pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief.
Brodhead shut out Belleville 10-0 in the first game. Brodhead sophomore Brooke Boegli threw a four-hit shutout. She struck out seven and walked one. Brodhead senior Taurie Burns went 2-for-4 and had two triples. Boegli went 2-for-3 and sophomore Erin Kloepping was 2-for-4.
Monticello split two games at the tournament losing to River Valley 9-1 and then beating Parkview 5-3 in eight innings. River Valley scored eight runs in the second to break the game open. The Ponies had three errors.
"We knew River Valley would be a test," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "We played them pretty even after that. They have a great program. They are a good hitting team."
Monticello sophomore Courtney Leuzinger pitched three innings against the Blackhawks and gave up eight runs on nine hits. She struck out three and walked three. Monticello's Claire Bruns tossed two innings in relief and gave up one run on two hits.
The Ponies battled back to beat Parkview in eight innings. With international rules, Leuzinger started the eighth inning on second base. Monticello sophomore Alyssah Kubly bunted for a hit and Sam DeVoe knocked in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Jordyn Kubly then came through with a clutch RBI single.
Alyssah Kubly went 3-for-4 and Jordyn Kubly was 2-for-3 against the Vikings. Bruns pitched a complete game against the Vikings. She gave up three runs on six hits. She struck out seven and walked two.
Juda-Albany and River Valley were locked in a tie at 1 in the seventh inning. The Blackhawks scored five runs in the seventh to knock off the Panthers 6-1. Juda-Albany also lost to Parkview 10-7.
"They had the top of their order up and manufactured some runs," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said of the seventh against River Valley.
The Panthers were plagued by seven errors against Parkview.
"I'm not going to make excuses, but it's early in the season," Davis said. "We need to limit the big innings to one or two runs and not four or five runs. Hopefully, we can get those bugs out early."
Juda junior Tabatha Davis pitched seven innings against River Valley and gave up four earned runs. She struck out three and walked one.
Juda-Albany's Katlynn Rhyner went 2-for-2 to lead the Panthers against the Vikings. Davis pitched six innings against Parkview and gave up three earned runs. She struck out four and walked four.
"In an early season tournament I don't pay a whole lot of attention to wins and losses," Davis said. "We just want to get out there to see what we got. Don't get me wrong. We are still playing to win."
