MONROE - It's been a long time coming for Monroe senior Becca Armstrong and the Cheesemakers when it comes to winning a Badger South Conference championship.
Armstrong turned in a dazzling pitching performance, tossing a four-hit shutout to lead the Cheesemakers to a 3-0 win over Fort Atkinson Monday, May 13. Monroe (21-2, 11-0 Badger South) snapped Fort Atkinson's three-year streak as conference champions and clinched the Badger South Conference title outright. It's the first conference title for the Cheesemakers since 2009.
"It's been three years," Armstrong said. "We knew Fort was not going to just hand it to us. We knew we had to come out and take it. We put in the effort and it paid off."
No one could complain about Armstrong's effort early on, as she retired the first eight batters and struck out seven consecutive batters. She finished with 11 strikeouts. Fort Atkinson's Megan Lanza broke up the no-hit bid with a roller past Armstrong for an infield single. The Blackhawks only had one runner reach second base and had two hits in the seventh inning before Armstrong got Bree Brandl to hit into a double play to shortstop Ellie Grossen.
"I knew Fort was a really good hitting team," Armstrong said. "Coach Buvid has been wanting me to throw harder. I just focused on that. I knew I had to keep the ball down to minimize their hits."
Monroe coach Dale Buvid was impressed by Armstrong's pitching performance.
"Outstanding," he said. "I think she pitched even better than she did there. She was just a little more explosive."
Monroe junior Taylor O'Leksy went 3-for-3 with one RBI to lead the Cheesemakers.
"It's great to feel like we accomplished something and made our goal," said O'Leksy who has nine hits in her last three games. "I feel like we got one of our goals and hopefully we can go farther. I have been working on my swing and it is starting to pay off."
It didn't take the Cheesemakers long to get on the board. O'Leksy doubled to center leading off the second. Monroe senior Heather Barta laid down a bunt and reached on a throwing error that allowed O'Leksy to score to give the Cheesemakers a 1-0 lead.
Monroe senior Lauren Hendrickson reached on an infield single in the third. Grossen then bunted for a single and junior Chandra McGuire knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead. O'Leksy delivered a two-out RBI double in the fifth to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
"(O'Leksy) is on a nice little roll," Buvid said. "It's good when your cleanup hitter is getting things done. She had some good games early in the season, but she was inconsistent. Hopefully, she can carry this into the tournament for us."
The Cheesemakers left five runners on base including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth.
"The one thing is we left some runners out there on base with less than two outs," Buvid said. "Kaitlyn (Hollman) is pretty tough. We have to put the ball in play there."
The Cheesemakers had two bunt hits, two sacrifice bunts and reached on an error on a bunt.
"The key to all of those plays is getting the leadoff runner on board," Buvid said. "To go to the short game you need that first runner on. We have some athletes and quickness. It's not always easy to lay a bunt down against as tough of a pitcher as she is. One of the things you know in these games is there are not going to be a lot of runs scored."
Armstrong turned in a dazzling pitching performance, tossing a four-hit shutout to lead the Cheesemakers to a 3-0 win over Fort Atkinson Monday, May 13. Monroe (21-2, 11-0 Badger South) snapped Fort Atkinson's three-year streak as conference champions and clinched the Badger South Conference title outright. It's the first conference title for the Cheesemakers since 2009.
"It's been three years," Armstrong said. "We knew Fort was not going to just hand it to us. We knew we had to come out and take it. We put in the effort and it paid off."
No one could complain about Armstrong's effort early on, as she retired the first eight batters and struck out seven consecutive batters. She finished with 11 strikeouts. Fort Atkinson's Megan Lanza broke up the no-hit bid with a roller past Armstrong for an infield single. The Blackhawks only had one runner reach second base and had two hits in the seventh inning before Armstrong got Bree Brandl to hit into a double play to shortstop Ellie Grossen.
"I knew Fort was a really good hitting team," Armstrong said. "Coach Buvid has been wanting me to throw harder. I just focused on that. I knew I had to keep the ball down to minimize their hits."
Monroe coach Dale Buvid was impressed by Armstrong's pitching performance.
"Outstanding," he said. "I think she pitched even better than she did there. She was just a little more explosive."
Monroe junior Taylor O'Leksy went 3-for-3 with one RBI to lead the Cheesemakers.
"It's great to feel like we accomplished something and made our goal," said O'Leksy who has nine hits in her last three games. "I feel like we got one of our goals and hopefully we can go farther. I have been working on my swing and it is starting to pay off."
It didn't take the Cheesemakers long to get on the board. O'Leksy doubled to center leading off the second. Monroe senior Heather Barta laid down a bunt and reached on a throwing error that allowed O'Leksy to score to give the Cheesemakers a 1-0 lead.
Monroe senior Lauren Hendrickson reached on an infield single in the third. Grossen then bunted for a single and junior Chandra McGuire knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead. O'Leksy delivered a two-out RBI double in the fifth to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
"(O'Leksy) is on a nice little roll," Buvid said. "It's good when your cleanup hitter is getting things done. She had some good games early in the season, but she was inconsistent. Hopefully, she can carry this into the tournament for us."
The Cheesemakers left five runners on base including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth.
"The one thing is we left some runners out there on base with less than two outs," Buvid said. "Kaitlyn (Hollman) is pretty tough. We have to put the ball in play there."
The Cheesemakers had two bunt hits, two sacrifice bunts and reached on an error on a bunt.
"The key to all of those plays is getting the leadoff runner on board," Buvid said. "To go to the short game you need that first runner on. We have some athletes and quickness. It's not always easy to lay a bunt down against as tough of a pitcher as she is. One of the things you know in these games is there are not going to be a lot of runs scored."
