WIAA Division 2 state softball championship
After Monroe plays Luxemburg-Casco for the state championship, there will be a welcome home celebration for the Cheesemakers at 6 or 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the high school gym, depending on what time the game ends.
The team bus will be met north of town by the fire department and will be escorted through town to the MHS Gym.
MADISON - Somehow the Cheesemaker softball team just finds ways to win games.
"That seems to be our M.O. this year," Monroe head coach Dale Buvid said. "We just seem to score later on in the game."
Down 1-0 in the fifth, the Cheesemakers scored two runs on three scorching hits and defeated Port Washington, 2-1, in the WIAA Division 2 state semifinal Friday. They earned their way for a chance at the gold ball today at 3 p.m. against Luxemburg-Casco, which defeated Altoona 3-1 later Friday.
"It feels really great," senior pitcher Meghan Roberts said of the state title game berth. "Before the season, not a lot of people were giving me or this team a chance."
Roberts allowed three two-out hits and a run in the top of the first inning, but escaped the frame without any further damage.
"Credit to Meghan and our defense. (Port Washington) had some great swings early. We were a little fortunate to be down only 1-0," Buvid said.
Roberts admitted jitters may have played a small role in the opening inning.
"I missed my spots by just a little bit, and they put their hits together. After that inning I learned what I could and could not throw," Roberts said. After allowing a two-out double in the second, Roberts mowed down the final 16 hitters she faced.
Monroe's offense took a while to get going, despite having opportunities to score early.
Maggie Schuttler tripled to left in the first inning with one out, but the Cheesemakers failed to drive in their center fielder. Senior Emily Rufenacht, who had only three strikeouts in 93 season at-bats coming into the game, struck out looking. Senior second baseman Brandi Trewartha grounded out to second to end the inning.
The strikeout was one of three for Rufenacht, doubling her season total.
"Most coaches would try to bunt in the run there with one out that early in the game. But I thought, 'Well, Emily has only three strikeouts this year, she's going to put it in play and bring in the run. That didn't happen," Buvid said. "It was just one of those days for her. But credit to her, she played outstanding on defense. I'm expecting she'll be back hitting again (today)."
Port Washington's senior pitcher, Emily Bichler, dominated the Cheesemakers through the first three innings outside of Schuttler's lone hit. Bichler, who had 218 strikeouts in 147 innings prior to Friday's game, had six against Monroe.
In the fourth inning with two outs, Trewartha lined a single up the middle. Moments later, right fielder Kelsey Erickson dribbled another single up the middle and advanced to second when Trewartha darted safely to third. The threat ended with Kendra Clark grounding out, but the momentum shift had begun.
Junior Gwen Sutter kept her playoff bat hot in the fifth, sending a hard liner to center with one out. Coree Lee advanced pinch runner Kaylee Craigo to second with a groundout, and with two outs junior Paisley Bennett scorched a triple down the right-field line.
"As soon as I hit it, I knew Kaylee was going to score," Bennett said. Bennett's triple was heard around the world. Her father is serving with the National Guard in Iraq and listened to the game on the radio
"On the phone after the game, he said he was proud of me. He also said that he woke up the entire camp from their sleep because he screamed so loud when I got that hit," Bennett said.
Schuttler then hit a grounder back up the middle. The ball bounced off Bichler's glove, and shortstop Molly Erlandson couldn't handle the play, and Bennett scored to give Monroe a 2-1 lead.
"Everyone did their job on defense and offense. It was my turn," Roberts said.
"I just looked at Meghan. It was over," Schuttler said. "The only reason I hit the ball was because I was just trying to make contact to bring in the run."
Monroe's defense had been outstanding all game. To end the first inning, Rufenacht picked up a ball that bounced off third baseman Kristin McArdle's glove and made an off-balance throw to first. In the second, Erickson rid the Pirates of a base hit by rifling a throw to first to get a force out of Ashley Bley. Trewartha made multiple running catches in both fair and foul territory, and Rufenacht robbed two batters of base hits, snatching line drives out of the air in the fifth and sixth innings.
"We played so great on defense. Even after they scored their run, I still knew we could do it," Trewartha said.
With just one game left this season, the time is now or never for the Cheesemakers.
"I wanted this so bad. No one believed we could make it this far," Trewartha said. "In those last few innings, I screamed so loud that I though I was going to lose a lunch out there. There are no words to describe it."
Win or lose today, a welcome home celebration after today's game will be held at the high school starting between 6 and 6:30 p.m., depending on what time the game ends. The team will be met at the north end of town and will be escorted though Monroe by the fire department.
"That seems to be our M.O. this year," Monroe head coach Dale Buvid said. "We just seem to score later on in the game."
Down 1-0 in the fifth, the Cheesemakers scored two runs on three scorching hits and defeated Port Washington, 2-1, in the WIAA Division 2 state semifinal Friday. They earned their way for a chance at the gold ball today at 3 p.m. against Luxemburg-Casco, which defeated Altoona 3-1 later Friday.
"It feels really great," senior pitcher Meghan Roberts said of the state title game berth. "Before the season, not a lot of people were giving me or this team a chance."
Roberts allowed three two-out hits and a run in the top of the first inning, but escaped the frame without any further damage.
"Credit to Meghan and our defense. (Port Washington) had some great swings early. We were a little fortunate to be down only 1-0," Buvid said.
Roberts admitted jitters may have played a small role in the opening inning.
"I missed my spots by just a little bit, and they put their hits together. After that inning I learned what I could and could not throw," Roberts said. After allowing a two-out double in the second, Roberts mowed down the final 16 hitters she faced.
Monroe's offense took a while to get going, despite having opportunities to score early.
Maggie Schuttler tripled to left in the first inning with one out, but the Cheesemakers failed to drive in their center fielder. Senior Emily Rufenacht, who had only three strikeouts in 93 season at-bats coming into the game, struck out looking. Senior second baseman Brandi Trewartha grounded out to second to end the inning.
The strikeout was one of three for Rufenacht, doubling her season total.
"Most coaches would try to bunt in the run there with one out that early in the game. But I thought, 'Well, Emily has only three strikeouts this year, she's going to put it in play and bring in the run. That didn't happen," Buvid said. "It was just one of those days for her. But credit to her, she played outstanding on defense. I'm expecting she'll be back hitting again (today)."
Port Washington's senior pitcher, Emily Bichler, dominated the Cheesemakers through the first three innings outside of Schuttler's lone hit. Bichler, who had 218 strikeouts in 147 innings prior to Friday's game, had six against Monroe.
In the fourth inning with two outs, Trewartha lined a single up the middle. Moments later, right fielder Kelsey Erickson dribbled another single up the middle and advanced to second when Trewartha darted safely to third. The threat ended with Kendra Clark grounding out, but the momentum shift had begun.
Junior Gwen Sutter kept her playoff bat hot in the fifth, sending a hard liner to center with one out. Coree Lee advanced pinch runner Kaylee Craigo to second with a groundout, and with two outs junior Paisley Bennett scorched a triple down the right-field line.
"As soon as I hit it, I knew Kaylee was going to score," Bennett said. Bennett's triple was heard around the world. Her father is serving with the National Guard in Iraq and listened to the game on the radio
"On the phone after the game, he said he was proud of me. He also said that he woke up the entire camp from their sleep because he screamed so loud when I got that hit," Bennett said.
Schuttler then hit a grounder back up the middle. The ball bounced off Bichler's glove, and shortstop Molly Erlandson couldn't handle the play, and Bennett scored to give Monroe a 2-1 lead.
"Everyone did their job on defense and offense. It was my turn," Roberts said.
"I just looked at Meghan. It was over," Schuttler said. "The only reason I hit the ball was because I was just trying to make contact to bring in the run."
Monroe's defense had been outstanding all game. To end the first inning, Rufenacht picked up a ball that bounced off third baseman Kristin McArdle's glove and made an off-balance throw to first. In the second, Erickson rid the Pirates of a base hit by rifling a throw to first to get a force out of Ashley Bley. Trewartha made multiple running catches in both fair and foul territory, and Rufenacht robbed two batters of base hits, snatching line drives out of the air in the fifth and sixth innings.
"We played so great on defense. Even after they scored their run, I still knew we could do it," Trewartha said.
With just one game left this season, the time is now or never for the Cheesemakers.
"I wanted this so bad. No one believed we could make it this far," Trewartha said. "In those last few innings, I screamed so loud that I though I was going to lose a lunch out there. There are no words to describe it."
Win or lose today, a welcome home celebration after today's game will be held at the high school starting between 6 and 6:30 p.m., depending on what time the game ends. The team will be met at the north end of town and will be escorted though Monroe by the fire department.
