MONROE - The Monroe softball team's season opener against Brodhead wasn't picture perfect but despite a cold blustery day, the Cheesemakers found a way and came back to knock off the Cardinals 10-6 Friday at Twining Park.
"I thought the weather conditions were very iffy to start with," Monroe coach Joe O'Leksy said. "They played very good with the weather conditions. When faced with adversity and being down 3-1, and being able to come back to tie it, I thought it showed a lot of composure from our team. With the conditions like they were, nothing will be perfect. It's like I told them on a day like today a win is a win."
Monroe battled back from a 3-1 deficit. Monroe sophomore Grace Tostrud knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. Monroe junior Erica Snider came through with a two-out RBI single to right to tie the game at 3.
The Cheesemakers broke the game open with a five-run fifth. Brodhead senior pitcher Azzy Steiner struck out Monroe junior Hailey Betthauser. However, Betthauser reached first base on a passed ball on a dropped third strike. Freshman teammate Alyse Maurer then singled and that set the table for the Cheesemakers. Fellow freshman Sydney Updike reached on an error which allowed Betthauser and Maurer to score to make it 5-3 Monroe. Freshman Katie Hayes then lined an RBI single to right and senior Madison Katzenberger followed by crushing a RBI triple to left to give the Cheesemakers a 7-3 lead. Tostrud then drove in her second run of the game on a sacrifice fly to make it 8-3.
"I think it really boosted our hitting," Katzenberger said of her RBI triple. "I think it gave us the extra energy we needed because it was so cold. I feel like when it was 3-1 we really needed to kick it in gear. We were ready to hit her pitches because they were right there. She's a really accurate pitcher and it was a little better to hit the ball because we were seeing her more often and she's really consistent."
Katzenberger looks forward to a strong season as a senior starting shortstop.
"I think every game is important to win because every game matters," she said. "Being my senior year, I really want to make it to state as a team like we did in basketball. I know with this team we can. I think we have the bats and we can to do it this year. We made it far last year, but I think we can make it even farther this year."
Updike went 2-for-3 with an RBI, stolen base and three runs scored in her debut. Monroe junior Olivia Bobak was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Maurer finished 2-for-4 with a steal and two runs scored. The Cheesemakers finished with nine hits.
"I was just a little nervous at first, but then you get used to the pace of the game," Updike said. "I'm just so excited to see how the season goes."
Early on, the season opener had the makings of a pitcher's duel. Bobak struck out the first four batters. She pitched three shutout innings before the Cardinals would strike. Bobak walked Brodhead's McKenna Bump and Steiner to start the fourth. Brodhead's Hannah Myhre then delivered a two-run single to right to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. Leslie Pryce then came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to center to make it 3-1.
Bobak pitched a complete game and gave up three earned runs on six hits, four walks and 11 strikeouts.
"Bobak was pretty good today," O'Leksy said. "Her hands got cold. We couldn't throw all of her pitches because she couldn't spin it."
In the sixth, Snider, Monroe's right fielder, threw Bump out at third base for her second assist of the game.
The Cardinals wouldn't go quietly and responded by loading the bases and scoring a run as Bobak walked Pryce with the bases loaded. Brodhead sophomore Brooke Teubert then delivered a two-run single to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 8-6. Bobak got out of the jam with a strikeout.
"This was our first game," Brodhead coach Tommy Meier said. "We haven't had much time outside. Last year when we got behind we didn't come back. That was definitely great to come back. We have to be more aggressive. We were a little sluggish early on. We have to be aggressive right away, especially against a good team like Monroe."
Steiner pitched a complete game and gave up five earned runs on nine hits. She struck out five and walked three.
"She pitched well and threw strikes," Meier said.
Bobak and Updike each had RBI singles in the sixth to give the Cheesemakers two insurance runs.
"Anyone who made an error or mistake came through later in the game," O'Leksy said. "Everyone came through. Erica did a great job. Good ol' Grace (Tostrud) comes through. I don't know how she does it. She just gets RBIs from the eighth spot. We don't always have to score with a base hit. We can score with sac flies and Tostrud did that both times."
"I thought the weather conditions were very iffy to start with," Monroe coach Joe O'Leksy said. "They played very good with the weather conditions. When faced with adversity and being down 3-1, and being able to come back to tie it, I thought it showed a lot of composure from our team. With the conditions like they were, nothing will be perfect. It's like I told them on a day like today a win is a win."
Monroe battled back from a 3-1 deficit. Monroe sophomore Grace Tostrud knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. Monroe junior Erica Snider came through with a two-out RBI single to right to tie the game at 3.
The Cheesemakers broke the game open with a five-run fifth. Brodhead senior pitcher Azzy Steiner struck out Monroe junior Hailey Betthauser. However, Betthauser reached first base on a passed ball on a dropped third strike. Freshman teammate Alyse Maurer then singled and that set the table for the Cheesemakers. Fellow freshman Sydney Updike reached on an error which allowed Betthauser and Maurer to score to make it 5-3 Monroe. Freshman Katie Hayes then lined an RBI single to right and senior Madison Katzenberger followed by crushing a RBI triple to left to give the Cheesemakers a 7-3 lead. Tostrud then drove in her second run of the game on a sacrifice fly to make it 8-3.
"I think it really boosted our hitting," Katzenberger said of her RBI triple. "I think it gave us the extra energy we needed because it was so cold. I feel like when it was 3-1 we really needed to kick it in gear. We were ready to hit her pitches because they were right there. She's a really accurate pitcher and it was a little better to hit the ball because we were seeing her more often and she's really consistent."
Katzenberger looks forward to a strong season as a senior starting shortstop.
"I think every game is important to win because every game matters," she said. "Being my senior year, I really want to make it to state as a team like we did in basketball. I know with this team we can. I think we have the bats and we can to do it this year. We made it far last year, but I think we can make it even farther this year."
Updike went 2-for-3 with an RBI, stolen base and three runs scored in her debut. Monroe junior Olivia Bobak was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Maurer finished 2-for-4 with a steal and two runs scored. The Cheesemakers finished with nine hits.
"I was just a little nervous at first, but then you get used to the pace of the game," Updike said. "I'm just so excited to see how the season goes."
Early on, the season opener had the makings of a pitcher's duel. Bobak struck out the first four batters. She pitched three shutout innings before the Cardinals would strike. Bobak walked Brodhead's McKenna Bump and Steiner to start the fourth. Brodhead's Hannah Myhre then delivered a two-run single to right to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. Leslie Pryce then came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to center to make it 3-1.
Bobak pitched a complete game and gave up three earned runs on six hits, four walks and 11 strikeouts.
"Bobak was pretty good today," O'Leksy said. "Her hands got cold. We couldn't throw all of her pitches because she couldn't spin it."
In the sixth, Snider, Monroe's right fielder, threw Bump out at third base for her second assist of the game.
The Cardinals wouldn't go quietly and responded by loading the bases and scoring a run as Bobak walked Pryce with the bases loaded. Brodhead sophomore Brooke Teubert then delivered a two-run single to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 8-6. Bobak got out of the jam with a strikeout.
"This was our first game," Brodhead coach Tommy Meier said. "We haven't had much time outside. Last year when we got behind we didn't come back. That was definitely great to come back. We have to be more aggressive. We were a little sluggish early on. We have to be aggressive right away, especially against a good team like Monroe."
Steiner pitched a complete game and gave up five earned runs on nine hits. She struck out five and walked three.
"She pitched well and threw strikes," Meier said.
Bobak and Updike each had RBI singles in the sixth to give the Cheesemakers two insurance runs.
"Anyone who made an error or mistake came through later in the game," O'Leksy said. "Everyone came through. Erica did a great job. Good ol' Grace (Tostrud) comes through. I don't know how she does it. She just gets RBIs from the eighth spot. We don't always have to score with a base hit. We can score with sac flies and Tostrud did that both times."
