MONROE - The Cheesemaker softball team finished second place in the Monroe Invitational tournament as they battled through some dry spells on offense Saturday, April 20.
Eventual tournament champion Kenosha Tremper knocked off Monroe 6-0. The Cheesemakers rebounded to defeat Orfordville Parkview 10-3 and Freeport 3-1. Monroe (7-1, 3-0 Badger South) and Waterford each finished the tournament 2-1 and tied for second place.
The Cheesemakers went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base against Kenosha Tremper.
"Sometimes it's timely hits and we didn't have it," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "On our part sometimes we had poor pitch selection. We were a little eager and out in front trying to pull the pitches. We have to get more consistent on offense."
Monroe junior Ellie Grossen went 2-for-2 with two walks. The No. 3 and No. 4 hitters for Kenosha Tremper went a combined 6-for-8. Kenosha's Courtney Reeves a two-run home run off Monroe senior Becca Armstrong in the third inning to give Tremper a 3-0 lead. Reeves went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs and Marisa Steinmetz was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Armstrong pitched six innings and gave up five runs on 10 hits. She struck out eight and walked one.
"Their (Kenosha Tremper's) No. 3 and No. 4 hitters are monsters," Buvid said. "Becca did a nice job. She would like to have some of those pitches back."
Parkview's Rachel Heffel retired nine straight Cheesemaker hitters as she sailed through the first three innings with the Vikings leading 1-0. That changed in a hurry as Grossen and junior Chandra McGuire led off the fourth with back-to-back bunt singles. Junior Kayla Updike then poked a game-tying RBI single to left to tie the game at 1. Junior Taylor O'Leksy walked. That set the stages for junior Kirsten Vetterli who crushed a three-run double to center to give the Cheesemakers a 4-1 lead.
"It felt really good," said Vetterli who had four RBIs. "I was getting down on myself because I was hitting the ball, but I wasn't getting hits. After I hit that with the bases loaded, it was contagious and we all started hitting."
The Cheesemaerks tacked on four runs in the fifth. Grossen led off with a double. McGuire came through with an RBI single. The big blow of the inning came from senior Elicia Frie who had a two-run single to right to give the Cheesemakers an insurmountable 8-3 lead.
Grossen went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. McGuire went 2-for-3 with one RBI and Samantha Hose was 2-for-2 with two RBIs.
"We all knew we started out slow in the first game," Grossen said. "We knew we had to get hits and score runs. We just needed to get the timely hits. You have to have confidence at the plate. Luckily, I have been hitting. My team was hitting me in. It's just a matter of time."
Monroe senior Samantha Solberg pitched six innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits. She struck out two and walked one. Armstrong pitched a shutout seventh to preserve the win.
"We have a lot of faith in her (Solberg)," Buvid said. "Samantha has worked hard in the offseason. She mixes her pitches well. Whenever you go into a tournament like this you have to have two quality pitchers. You just can't have your No. 1 out there all the time and wear out her arm."
In the game against Freeport, the Cheesemakers scored two runs in the first. Updike doubled and O'Leksy walked. That set the stage for senior Heather Barta who hit a two-run triple to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead.
Armstrong pitched seven innings and gave up one run on two hits. She struck out 11 and walked three.
"Becca pitched very well," Buvid said.
In the sixth, Armstrong walked. Senior Briana Katzenberger reached on an error. Grossen reached on an infield single. Senior Breawn Ambrose, who was pitch running for Armstrong, scored on a wild pitch.
Eventual tournament champion Kenosha Tremper knocked off Monroe 6-0. The Cheesemakers rebounded to defeat Orfordville Parkview 10-3 and Freeport 3-1. Monroe (7-1, 3-0 Badger South) and Waterford each finished the tournament 2-1 and tied for second place.
The Cheesemakers went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base against Kenosha Tremper.
"Sometimes it's timely hits and we didn't have it," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "On our part sometimes we had poor pitch selection. We were a little eager and out in front trying to pull the pitches. We have to get more consistent on offense."
Monroe junior Ellie Grossen went 2-for-2 with two walks. The No. 3 and No. 4 hitters for Kenosha Tremper went a combined 6-for-8. Kenosha's Courtney Reeves a two-run home run off Monroe senior Becca Armstrong in the third inning to give Tremper a 3-0 lead. Reeves went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs and Marisa Steinmetz was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Armstrong pitched six innings and gave up five runs on 10 hits. She struck out eight and walked one.
"Their (Kenosha Tremper's) No. 3 and No. 4 hitters are monsters," Buvid said. "Becca did a nice job. She would like to have some of those pitches back."
Parkview's Rachel Heffel retired nine straight Cheesemaker hitters as she sailed through the first three innings with the Vikings leading 1-0. That changed in a hurry as Grossen and junior Chandra McGuire led off the fourth with back-to-back bunt singles. Junior Kayla Updike then poked a game-tying RBI single to left to tie the game at 1. Junior Taylor O'Leksy walked. That set the stages for junior Kirsten Vetterli who crushed a three-run double to center to give the Cheesemakers a 4-1 lead.
"It felt really good," said Vetterli who had four RBIs. "I was getting down on myself because I was hitting the ball, but I wasn't getting hits. After I hit that with the bases loaded, it was contagious and we all started hitting."
The Cheesemaerks tacked on four runs in the fifth. Grossen led off with a double. McGuire came through with an RBI single. The big blow of the inning came from senior Elicia Frie who had a two-run single to right to give the Cheesemakers an insurmountable 8-3 lead.
Grossen went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. McGuire went 2-for-3 with one RBI and Samantha Hose was 2-for-2 with two RBIs.
"We all knew we started out slow in the first game," Grossen said. "We knew we had to get hits and score runs. We just needed to get the timely hits. You have to have confidence at the plate. Luckily, I have been hitting. My team was hitting me in. It's just a matter of time."
Monroe senior Samantha Solberg pitched six innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits. She struck out two and walked one. Armstrong pitched a shutout seventh to preserve the win.
"We have a lot of faith in her (Solberg)," Buvid said. "Samantha has worked hard in the offseason. She mixes her pitches well. Whenever you go into a tournament like this you have to have two quality pitchers. You just can't have your No. 1 out there all the time and wear out her arm."
In the game against Freeport, the Cheesemakers scored two runs in the first. Updike doubled and O'Leksy walked. That set the stage for senior Heather Barta who hit a two-run triple to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead.
Armstrong pitched seven innings and gave up one run on two hits. She struck out 11 and walked three.
"Becca pitched very well," Buvid said.
In the sixth, Armstrong walked. Senior Briana Katzenberger reached on an error. Grossen reached on an infield single. Senior Breawn Ambrose, who was pitch running for Armstrong, scored on a wild pitch.
