MONROE - Hitting in softball at times can be contagious, and Monroe junior Hailey Betthauser didn't mind catching the bug Thursday.
Betthauser and senior Meredith Hose, the Cheesemakers' top two hitters in their lineup, were a thorn in the side of Monona Grove by contributing a combined six hits and five runs to lead the Cheesemakers a to a 10-5 win over the Silver Eagles at Twining Park.
Betthauser went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs scored, and Hose was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Monroe pounded out 15 hits and had a four-run first inning against Monona Grove pitcher Alyssa Guerten. As the game went on, Guerten got the Cheesemakers swinging out front on a few changeups.
"I think when she (Hose) gets a hit, I feel like it's my turn now and I have to get her in," Betthauser said. "I think we did a pretty good job of adjusting to the pitcher and her speed. I just think we have to lay off the changeup and wait for our pitch."
Monroe (7-0, 2-0 Badger South) scored four runs in the first inning off Guerten. Hose led off with a single, and Betthauser followed with an RBI single to right to score Hose. Betthuaser later scored on a wild pitch to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead. Freshman Alyse Maurer walked, and junior teammate Olivia Bobak reached on an error to load the bases. Freshman Sydney Updike knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly to score Bobak, extending the lead to 3-0. Freshman Katie Hayes then delivered with an RBI infield single to bring the Cheesemakers to 4-0.
Each of the Cheesemakers' three freshmen starters - Maurer, Updike and Hayes - had two hits. Maurer went 2-for-3, and Hayes was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Updike, who was leading the team in hitting entering the game (.471), finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
"It feels really good to finally get a couple of decent hits," Hayes said. "I couldn't have done it without my team. I was just waiting for my pitch. I knew it was coming. She (Guenten) was a good pitcher and she executed really well. I just had to wait for the pitch."
Monroe coach Joe O'Leksy likes the way his trio of freshmen have come along early in the season.
"We have a lot of confidence in our freshmen," O'Leksy said. "It's a lot of pressure coming up as a freshman. They have had their growing pains, but they are all contributing."
Bobak pitched a complete game and gave up two earned runs on six hits. She struck out 12 and walked none.
"Olivia pitched really well," O'Leksy said. "Her fastball and riseball were very good. Her changeup was excellent."
The Silver Eagles battled back from a four-run deficit in the third inning. Monona Grove's Peyton Blang, who went 2-for-3, singled to center. Brooklyn Miller then crushed a two-run home run to left center to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 4-2.
The Cheesemakers answered with Hayes driving in a run on a groundout in the bottom of the third and Bobak knocking in a run on a groundout in the fourth to give Monroe a 6-2 lead. The Silver Eagles wouldn't go away quietly.
Monona Grove rallied from a four-run deficit for the second time in the game in the sixth. Blang bunted for a single and Jordan Dahlhauser singled to center. The Silver Eagles scored three unearned runs in the sixth on two errors by Monroe to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 6-5.
It didn't take the Cheesemakers long to answer as they batted around the order in a four-run bottom of the sixth. Hose and Betthauser both started the inning with singles. Maurer bunted for a single to load the bases. Bobak lined an RBI single to right to score Hose. Updike bounced a single to right, but Maurer was called out because the ball hit her as she ran to second base. Senior teammate Alysha Witt came through with an RBI single. When a throw to the plate got away from the catcher, another run was scored on the error to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 9-5.
"We had a breakdown defensively in the sixth," O'Leksy said. "To rebound, come back and respond right away showed a lot of composure as a team. We have to keep pace with Watertown and Fort Atkinson. It's all a process. We have been looking at better pitches. Today was a learning experience. We should be taking the changeup on the first strike."
Betthauser and senior Meredith Hose, the Cheesemakers' top two hitters in their lineup, were a thorn in the side of Monona Grove by contributing a combined six hits and five runs to lead the Cheesemakers a to a 10-5 win over the Silver Eagles at Twining Park.
Betthauser went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs scored, and Hose was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Monroe pounded out 15 hits and had a four-run first inning against Monona Grove pitcher Alyssa Guerten. As the game went on, Guerten got the Cheesemakers swinging out front on a few changeups.
"I think when she (Hose) gets a hit, I feel like it's my turn now and I have to get her in," Betthauser said. "I think we did a pretty good job of adjusting to the pitcher and her speed. I just think we have to lay off the changeup and wait for our pitch."
Monroe (7-0, 2-0 Badger South) scored four runs in the first inning off Guerten. Hose led off with a single, and Betthauser followed with an RBI single to right to score Hose. Betthuaser later scored on a wild pitch to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead. Freshman Alyse Maurer walked, and junior teammate Olivia Bobak reached on an error to load the bases. Freshman Sydney Updike knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly to score Bobak, extending the lead to 3-0. Freshman Katie Hayes then delivered with an RBI infield single to bring the Cheesemakers to 4-0.
Each of the Cheesemakers' three freshmen starters - Maurer, Updike and Hayes - had two hits. Maurer went 2-for-3, and Hayes was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Updike, who was leading the team in hitting entering the game (.471), finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
"It feels really good to finally get a couple of decent hits," Hayes said. "I couldn't have done it without my team. I was just waiting for my pitch. I knew it was coming. She (Guenten) was a good pitcher and she executed really well. I just had to wait for the pitch."
Monroe coach Joe O'Leksy likes the way his trio of freshmen have come along early in the season.
"We have a lot of confidence in our freshmen," O'Leksy said. "It's a lot of pressure coming up as a freshman. They have had their growing pains, but they are all contributing."
Bobak pitched a complete game and gave up two earned runs on six hits. She struck out 12 and walked none.
"Olivia pitched really well," O'Leksy said. "Her fastball and riseball were very good. Her changeup was excellent."
The Silver Eagles battled back from a four-run deficit in the third inning. Monona Grove's Peyton Blang, who went 2-for-3, singled to center. Brooklyn Miller then crushed a two-run home run to left center to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 4-2.
The Cheesemakers answered with Hayes driving in a run on a groundout in the bottom of the third and Bobak knocking in a run on a groundout in the fourth to give Monroe a 6-2 lead. The Silver Eagles wouldn't go away quietly.
Monona Grove rallied from a four-run deficit for the second time in the game in the sixth. Blang bunted for a single and Jordan Dahlhauser singled to center. The Silver Eagles scored three unearned runs in the sixth on two errors by Monroe to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 6-5.
It didn't take the Cheesemakers long to answer as they batted around the order in a four-run bottom of the sixth. Hose and Betthauser both started the inning with singles. Maurer bunted for a single to load the bases. Bobak lined an RBI single to right to score Hose. Updike bounced a single to right, but Maurer was called out because the ball hit her as she ran to second base. Senior teammate Alysha Witt came through with an RBI single. When a throw to the plate got away from the catcher, another run was scored on the error to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 9-5.
"We had a breakdown defensively in the sixth," O'Leksy said. "To rebound, come back and respond right away showed a lot of composure as a team. We have to keep pace with Watertown and Fort Atkinson. It's all a process. We have been looking at better pitches. Today was a learning experience. We should be taking the changeup on the first strike."
