By Times staff
MONROE - The Monroe softball team received a solid start from Samantha Solberg and just enough timely hitting to extend its winning streak Friday in a 4-2 victory against Reedsburg.
"Solid win," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "Reedsburg is a team that has been at the bottom of the softball totem pole for a long time, but they've put it together this year.
"It's our seventh win in a row and it came against a quality team."
Solberg dominated through four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. The junior allowed two earned runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings.
"Sam was cruising until the fifth," Buvid said of Monroe's No. 2 starter. "She allowed one hit through four (innings) and faced three (batters) over the minimum - a walk, a hit batsman and a single. Sam was quite effective through four innings, but she got the ball up a little bit in the fifth and they found some holes."
With Monroe (14-7) leading 4-0 to start the fifth, Reedsburg (5-14) collected three straight hits, had a fielder's choice and got another hit to chase Solberg. Cheesemakers junior ace Becca Armstrong relieved Solberg with two runs in and runners on second and third and struck out the Beavers' Nos. 2 and 3 hitters to end the threat.
"Those were a couple of big strikeouts with the tying runs on base," Buvid said.
Monroe opened the scoring in the second inning on sophomore Katie Holmes' two-run single to center. It could've been a bigger inning, as the Cheesemakers left the bases loaded in the inning.
Monroe pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third when senior Alyssa Montgomery got a two-out single, stole second base and scored when the catcher's throw sailed into right-center field.
"Alyssa is pretty quick and runs well," Buvid said. "We just kind of rolled the dice with our (Nos.) 8 and 9 hitters coming up."
Sophomore Kayla Updike gave Monroe a 4-0 lead with a run-scoring double in the fourth inning. She finished the game 2-for-3 to lead a seven-hit attack.
Monroe closes the regular season today by hosting Richland Center in a doubleheader, with the first pitch scheduled for 10 a.m.
The Cheesemakers earned the No. 2 seed in their Division 2 regional and will host No. 7-seeded Clinton on Thursday at 5 p.m.
MONROE - The Monroe softball team received a solid start from Samantha Solberg and just enough timely hitting to extend its winning streak Friday in a 4-2 victory against Reedsburg.
"Solid win," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "Reedsburg is a team that has been at the bottom of the softball totem pole for a long time, but they've put it together this year.
"It's our seventh win in a row and it came against a quality team."
Solberg dominated through four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. The junior allowed two earned runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings.
"Sam was cruising until the fifth," Buvid said of Monroe's No. 2 starter. "She allowed one hit through four (innings) and faced three (batters) over the minimum - a walk, a hit batsman and a single. Sam was quite effective through four innings, but she got the ball up a little bit in the fifth and they found some holes."
With Monroe (14-7) leading 4-0 to start the fifth, Reedsburg (5-14) collected three straight hits, had a fielder's choice and got another hit to chase Solberg. Cheesemakers junior ace Becca Armstrong relieved Solberg with two runs in and runners on second and third and struck out the Beavers' Nos. 2 and 3 hitters to end the threat.
"Those were a couple of big strikeouts with the tying runs on base," Buvid said.
Monroe opened the scoring in the second inning on sophomore Katie Holmes' two-run single to center. It could've been a bigger inning, as the Cheesemakers left the bases loaded in the inning.
Monroe pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third when senior Alyssa Montgomery got a two-out single, stole second base and scored when the catcher's throw sailed into right-center field.
"Alyssa is pretty quick and runs well," Buvid said. "We just kind of rolled the dice with our (Nos.) 8 and 9 hitters coming up."
Sophomore Kayla Updike gave Monroe a 4-0 lead with a run-scoring double in the fourth inning. She finished the game 2-for-3 to lead a seven-hit attack.
Monroe closes the regular season today by hosting Richland Center in a doubleheader, with the first pitch scheduled for 10 a.m.
The Cheesemakers earned the No. 2 seed in their Division 2 regional and will host No. 7-seeded Clinton on Thursday at 5 p.m.
