LOVES PARK, ILL. - The Monroe Lightning 18U traveling softball team won the 11-team 2013 USSSA Firecracker Frenzy 18U Open Tournament in Loves Park, Ill. Sunday, June 30.
The Lightning is made up of girls from Monroe and surrounding communities. Monroe defeated the Stateline Fury 2-1 in the championship game at Thunder Park.
The tournament was originally supposed to start on Friday but rain interfered with the schedule for the next two days. The entire tournament was pushed back to Sunday. Monroe started off the tournament with a loss to the SYA Fury Elite (IL) 6-2. After that, the Lightning got things rolling with a 7-0 win over the Greenfield Ignitors (WI). Chandra McGuire led Monroe going 3-for-3 with a double, Taylor O'Leksy and Sam Hose were each 2-for-2, while Tayshia Taylor hit a grand slam in the third inning. Kristen Udelhofen hit a three-run triple in the fifth. Monroe then took on CPC Fire (Ill.) and McGurie got the team on the board first when she lined a solo opposite field home run over the right center field fence. Monroe would tack on three more runs and hold on for a 4-3 win.
Next up was the Wisconsin Twisters, and this was a pitcher's duel until the final inning. In the last inning, Monroe went up 3-0 after Rachel DeJongh's RBI single and Hose's RBI walk. Udelhofen came in to relieve DeJongh on the mound in the bottom of the inning with the score 3-2, no outs and the bases loaded. After going 3-0 with the first batter, Udelhofen came back to strike her out. She then induced a pop out to Ellyn Grossen and a ground out to O'Leksy to win the game 3-2.
Monroe then took on the Fury Elite team. Monroe jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a RBI sacrifice bunt by O'Leksy and an RBI single by Taylor. Monroe gave up the lead in the third but came back in the top of the final inning to take a 5-3 advantage when McGuire and Kayla Updike scored.
In the championship game, Monroe took on the Stateline Fury. After giving up a run in the bottom of the first, Tayshia Taylor hit a home run over the center field fence to tie the game at 1-1 for Monroe in the top of the second. The game stayed that way until the top of the sixth when Grossen led off with a single, and then scored on a two-out single to left by O'Leksy. The Fury got two runners on with a single and a walk in the seventh. However, DeJongh would eventually get the final out on a grounder to O'Leksy at second, stranding the tying and winning runs at second and third to win 2-1.
Monroe's pitchers combined to hold the Fury to one run on six hits, while walking only one and striking out eight. The Monroe Lighting is currently 9-3 this summer and will travel to Rockford this weekend for the USSSA Northern Illinois 18U State Championship.
The Lightning is made up of girls from Monroe and surrounding communities. Monroe defeated the Stateline Fury 2-1 in the championship game at Thunder Park.
The tournament was originally supposed to start on Friday but rain interfered with the schedule for the next two days. The entire tournament was pushed back to Sunday. Monroe started off the tournament with a loss to the SYA Fury Elite (IL) 6-2. After that, the Lightning got things rolling with a 7-0 win over the Greenfield Ignitors (WI). Chandra McGuire led Monroe going 3-for-3 with a double, Taylor O'Leksy and Sam Hose were each 2-for-2, while Tayshia Taylor hit a grand slam in the third inning. Kristen Udelhofen hit a three-run triple in the fifth. Monroe then took on CPC Fire (Ill.) and McGurie got the team on the board first when she lined a solo opposite field home run over the right center field fence. Monroe would tack on three more runs and hold on for a 4-3 win.
Next up was the Wisconsin Twisters, and this was a pitcher's duel until the final inning. In the last inning, Monroe went up 3-0 after Rachel DeJongh's RBI single and Hose's RBI walk. Udelhofen came in to relieve DeJongh on the mound in the bottom of the inning with the score 3-2, no outs and the bases loaded. After going 3-0 with the first batter, Udelhofen came back to strike her out. She then induced a pop out to Ellyn Grossen and a ground out to O'Leksy to win the game 3-2.
Monroe then took on the Fury Elite team. Monroe jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a RBI sacrifice bunt by O'Leksy and an RBI single by Taylor. Monroe gave up the lead in the third but came back in the top of the final inning to take a 5-3 advantage when McGuire and Kayla Updike scored.
In the championship game, Monroe took on the Stateline Fury. After giving up a run in the bottom of the first, Tayshia Taylor hit a home run over the center field fence to tie the game at 1-1 for Monroe in the top of the second. The game stayed that way until the top of the sixth when Grossen led off with a single, and then scored on a two-out single to left by O'Leksy. The Fury got two runners on with a single and a walk in the seventh. However, DeJongh would eventually get the final out on a grounder to O'Leksy at second, stranding the tying and winning runs at second and third to win 2-1.
Monroe's pitchers combined to hold the Fury to one run on six hits, while walking only one and striking out eight. The Monroe Lighting is currently 9-3 this summer and will travel to Rockford this weekend for the USSSA Northern Illinois 18U State Championship.
