MONTICELLO - After pitching the Orioles to a doubleheader sweep over Monticello Thursday Argyle junior Kelsey Bartels has mixed emotions about being a Barneveld cheerleader tonight.
Argyle beat Monticello, 5-0, and, 2-1, in the night cap of the twin bill to remain three games behind Juda (10-3, 8-0 Six Rivers East) in the race for a conference title. Juda will host Barneveld (10-6, 6-2) tonight and the Panthers are at Argyle Monday.
"We will have to cheer for our enemy," Bartels said of Barneveld. "Our goal was to be conference champions. As we know, Argyle always comes back in the regional."
Argyle coach Heidi Ganshert understands that to make the game against Juda on Monday matter, they had to take care of business despite heavy wind gusts Thursday at Monticello.
"Whatever happens, happens," Ganshert said. "I try to take it one game at a time. We had to take care of today to even have a shot at conference."
Bartels tossed a three-hit shutout in the first game and pitched all seven innnings in the second game. Argyle (12-5, 8-3) took advantage of six Monticello errors in the first game and the Ponies had three runners thrown out at home in the twin bill including two in the second game.
The Orioles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1 by scoring two unearned runs off Monticello sophomore Karlie Klossner.
Argyle senior Jeannie Dammen, who was 2-for-3 with two walks, walked leading off the first. Kim Fischer struck out, but reached on a passed ball on the third strike. Argyle's Jodi Fischer then drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly. After sophomore Danielle Treuthardt flew out to right field, Kim Fischer scored when the throw to Klossner sailed over her head to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead.
"It feels good to beat Monticello," Jeannie Dammen said. "We have always been close with Monticello. We are pretty even. They always give us a good game."
Klossner pitched out of several jams in the first game. She pitched out of a two-on, no-out jam in the third by getting Argyle freshman Kayla Ostby, senior Jackie Dammen and Bartels to each pop out. She also pitched out of a two-on, one-out jams in the fifth and sixth. The Orioles left 11 runners on base in the first game.
"We left way too many runners on base," Ganshert said. "You are always concerned when you are playing a team like Monticello. Two runs is never enough."
The Orioles capitalized on the Ponies' struggles fielding bunts in the seventh. The Ponies (7-8, 3-7) committed three of their six errors in the seventh with two coming on bunts, which led to three insurance runs for the Orioles.
"We just hurry too much," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "Just get it and throw it. It's been like that all year on bunts. It's frustrating."
Ostby was on base three of the four times she batted (1-for-2 with two walks and two stolen bases) for the Orioles. Monticello junior Taylor Pfeuti went 2-for-3 in Game 1 to lead the Ponies.
"We are just not hitting the ball with any authority," Garrison said. "It's frustrating. We hit, hit and hit in practice."
Game 2
The second game of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel. The Orioles again jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first.
Argyle's Kim Fischer struck out, but reached first base on a dropped third strike. Jodi Fischer then crushed a double to left. Treuthardt bunted for a single to load the bases. Ostby then knocked in a run when she grounded a ball to Monticello senior second baseman Mersadi Hilliard who tagged out Treuthardt running to second, but Ostby beat the throw at first. Ostby took second on a throw home and when she went to second, the Orioles scored their second run on the play.
Klossner did everything she could pitching retiring 14 straight after the two runs scored in the first.
"If we can't score for her, she has to keep us in the game," Garrison said of Klossner. "She pitched her best two games of the year. She kept us in the game. Her change-up was finally working for her. She had the snap on her fastball."
The Ponies rallied in the sixth off Bartels. Pfeuti singled to right. She went from first to third on Hilliard's sacrifice bunt. Klossner then helped her own cause delivering an RBI single to right to cut the Orioles' lead to 2-1. That's as close as the Ponies would get. Monticello freshman Jordyn Kubly, who went 2-for-3, singled just over second base to shallow center and Argyle's Jeannie Dammen threw out Monticello freshman Taylor Gafner at home, which would have been the game-tying run.
Garrison said he sent Gafner on the steal attempt because three things had to be perfect for the Orioles to get her out: fielding the ball, the throw on line and a tag by Argyle catcher Jodi Fischer.
"They did all three," Garrison said. "It (the throw) was right on line. Their catcher (Fischer) is probably one of the two best in the conference. They made plays they had to to win and we didn't."
Argyle beat Monticello, 5-0, and, 2-1, in the night cap of the twin bill to remain three games behind Juda (10-3, 8-0 Six Rivers East) in the race for a conference title. Juda will host Barneveld (10-6, 6-2) tonight and the Panthers are at Argyle Monday.
"We will have to cheer for our enemy," Bartels said of Barneveld. "Our goal was to be conference champions. As we know, Argyle always comes back in the regional."
Argyle coach Heidi Ganshert understands that to make the game against Juda on Monday matter, they had to take care of business despite heavy wind gusts Thursday at Monticello.
"Whatever happens, happens," Ganshert said. "I try to take it one game at a time. We had to take care of today to even have a shot at conference."
Bartels tossed a three-hit shutout in the first game and pitched all seven innnings in the second game. Argyle (12-5, 8-3) took advantage of six Monticello errors in the first game and the Ponies had three runners thrown out at home in the twin bill including two in the second game.
The Orioles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1 by scoring two unearned runs off Monticello sophomore Karlie Klossner.
Argyle senior Jeannie Dammen, who was 2-for-3 with two walks, walked leading off the first. Kim Fischer struck out, but reached on a passed ball on the third strike. Argyle's Jodi Fischer then drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly. After sophomore Danielle Treuthardt flew out to right field, Kim Fischer scored when the throw to Klossner sailed over her head to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead.
"It feels good to beat Monticello," Jeannie Dammen said. "We have always been close with Monticello. We are pretty even. They always give us a good game."
Klossner pitched out of several jams in the first game. She pitched out of a two-on, no-out jam in the third by getting Argyle freshman Kayla Ostby, senior Jackie Dammen and Bartels to each pop out. She also pitched out of a two-on, one-out jams in the fifth and sixth. The Orioles left 11 runners on base in the first game.
"We left way too many runners on base," Ganshert said. "You are always concerned when you are playing a team like Monticello. Two runs is never enough."
The Orioles capitalized on the Ponies' struggles fielding bunts in the seventh. The Ponies (7-8, 3-7) committed three of their six errors in the seventh with two coming on bunts, which led to three insurance runs for the Orioles.
"We just hurry too much," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "Just get it and throw it. It's been like that all year on bunts. It's frustrating."
Ostby was on base three of the four times she batted (1-for-2 with two walks and two stolen bases) for the Orioles. Monticello junior Taylor Pfeuti went 2-for-3 in Game 1 to lead the Ponies.
"We are just not hitting the ball with any authority," Garrison said. "It's frustrating. We hit, hit and hit in practice."
Game 2
The second game of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel. The Orioles again jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first.
Argyle's Kim Fischer struck out, but reached first base on a dropped third strike. Jodi Fischer then crushed a double to left. Treuthardt bunted for a single to load the bases. Ostby then knocked in a run when she grounded a ball to Monticello senior second baseman Mersadi Hilliard who tagged out Treuthardt running to second, but Ostby beat the throw at first. Ostby took second on a throw home and when she went to second, the Orioles scored their second run on the play.
Klossner did everything she could pitching retiring 14 straight after the two runs scored in the first.
"If we can't score for her, she has to keep us in the game," Garrison said of Klossner. "She pitched her best two games of the year. She kept us in the game. Her change-up was finally working for her. She had the snap on her fastball."
The Ponies rallied in the sixth off Bartels. Pfeuti singled to right. She went from first to third on Hilliard's sacrifice bunt. Klossner then helped her own cause delivering an RBI single to right to cut the Orioles' lead to 2-1. That's as close as the Ponies would get. Monticello freshman Jordyn Kubly, who went 2-for-3, singled just over second base to shallow center and Argyle's Jeannie Dammen threw out Monticello freshman Taylor Gafner at home, which would have been the game-tying run.
Garrison said he sent Gafner on the steal attempt because three things had to be perfect for the Orioles to get her out: fielding the ball, the throw on line and a tag by Argyle catcher Jodi Fischer.
"They did all three," Garrison said. "It (the throw) was right on line. Their catcher (Fischer) is probably one of the two best in the conference. They made plays they had to to win and we didn't."
