ARGYLE - Monticello senior Claire Bruns moved one step closer to leading the Ponies to a second straight Six Rivers East Conference championship.
Bruns pitched a three-hit shutout and the Ponies received a break in the fourth inning to pull out a thrilling 1-0 win over Argyle in a Six Rivers East Conference clash on Thursday. With the win, Monticello (11-2, 7-1 Six Rivers East) takes a one-game lead in the conference over Argyle (13-3, 6-2) with two games left.
"You always feel like you need to score more than one run," Bruns said. "It means everything to have my defense back me up. It's an amazing feeling, but we can't forget about Juda and Pecatonica."
Monticello junior Courtney Leuzinger, who went 2-for-3, set up the Ponies' lone run, with a single up the middle to center in the fourth inning. Senior Marissa Berg laid down a sacrifice bunt to move courtesy runner Megan Lehr into scoring position. Junior Samantha DeVoe hit a comebacker to Argyle senior pitcher Jessica Treuthardt. Treuthardt threw wild to third and Lehr came in to score to give the Ponies' a 1-0 lead.
"We always plan for a one-run game against Argyle," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "It's been like that the last four or five years against them. Both teams hate to lose. Today, they just made one more mistake. Usually the team that makes less mistakes wins."
Leuzinger was excited to jump-start the Ponies in the fourth.
"It was a pitchers' duel," Leuzinger said. "It was very important to come in and get the win. We wanted to get the bats going early on. The one run gave us momentum and confidence."
Monticello's Brooke Bidlingmaier went 2-for-3 and helped lead an eight-hit attack. The Ponies lead the Orioles by one game and Juda-Albany by two games in the conference.
"It's a huge win for us," Garrison said. "We are in the driver's seat a little bit. The top four teams keep beating each other up, which makes it an interesting race."
The Orioles had several golden scoring opportunities. Argyle's Jessica Geissbuhler hit a gapper to left field, and DeVoe tracked the ball down and appeared to make a catch as she collided with centerfielder Clare Gietzel. The umpire ruled the ball came out before she hit the ground and Geissbuhler raced to third. Bruns then hit Treuthardt with a pitch and she stole second. The Orioles had runners on second and third with one out. Bruns worked out of the jam striking out cleanup hitter Alysha Monahan and she got Hannah Saalsaa to ground out.
The Orioles looked to be on the brink of a big inning in the sixth. Argyle's Katrina Carter beat out an infield single. Geissbuhler was hit by a pitch and Treuthardt singled to load the bases. With the bases loaded and just one out, Argyle coach Heidi Ganshert elected not to bunt. Instead, Argyle's Amber Dammen lined out to Monticello junior shortstop Alyssah Kubly and Kayla Butler-Paulson flew out to right.
Ganshert said her original plan was to have Monahan bunt, but she had a change of heart.
"I didn't get it down," Ganshert said of the bunt sign. "I told her to hit away because that is what she has been doing all year. I knew who we had coming up and I knew we could continue hitting the ball."
The Orioles finished 1-for-7 hitting with runners in scoring position and left four runners on base.
"She (Bruns) pitched a gem of a game," Garrison said. "We have two good pitchers. That is why she is No. 1. She and our team have been in pressure situations before and she usually gets out of them."
Ganshert understands one error ended up making the difference. She's confident Argyle could see Monticello for a third time this season.
"You don't want to give them one run," Ganshert said. "You just never know if you will get it back. We will see them again in regionals."
Bruns pitched a three-hit shutout and the Ponies received a break in the fourth inning to pull out a thrilling 1-0 win over Argyle in a Six Rivers East Conference clash on Thursday. With the win, Monticello (11-2, 7-1 Six Rivers East) takes a one-game lead in the conference over Argyle (13-3, 6-2) with two games left.
"You always feel like you need to score more than one run," Bruns said. "It means everything to have my defense back me up. It's an amazing feeling, but we can't forget about Juda and Pecatonica."
Monticello junior Courtney Leuzinger, who went 2-for-3, set up the Ponies' lone run, with a single up the middle to center in the fourth inning. Senior Marissa Berg laid down a sacrifice bunt to move courtesy runner Megan Lehr into scoring position. Junior Samantha DeVoe hit a comebacker to Argyle senior pitcher Jessica Treuthardt. Treuthardt threw wild to third and Lehr came in to score to give the Ponies' a 1-0 lead.
"We always plan for a one-run game against Argyle," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "It's been like that the last four or five years against them. Both teams hate to lose. Today, they just made one more mistake. Usually the team that makes less mistakes wins."
Leuzinger was excited to jump-start the Ponies in the fourth.
"It was a pitchers' duel," Leuzinger said. "It was very important to come in and get the win. We wanted to get the bats going early on. The one run gave us momentum and confidence."
Monticello's Brooke Bidlingmaier went 2-for-3 and helped lead an eight-hit attack. The Ponies lead the Orioles by one game and Juda-Albany by two games in the conference.
"It's a huge win for us," Garrison said. "We are in the driver's seat a little bit. The top four teams keep beating each other up, which makes it an interesting race."
The Orioles had several golden scoring opportunities. Argyle's Jessica Geissbuhler hit a gapper to left field, and DeVoe tracked the ball down and appeared to make a catch as she collided with centerfielder Clare Gietzel. The umpire ruled the ball came out before she hit the ground and Geissbuhler raced to third. Bruns then hit Treuthardt with a pitch and she stole second. The Orioles had runners on second and third with one out. Bruns worked out of the jam striking out cleanup hitter Alysha Monahan and she got Hannah Saalsaa to ground out.
The Orioles looked to be on the brink of a big inning in the sixth. Argyle's Katrina Carter beat out an infield single. Geissbuhler was hit by a pitch and Treuthardt singled to load the bases. With the bases loaded and just one out, Argyle coach Heidi Ganshert elected not to bunt. Instead, Argyle's Amber Dammen lined out to Monticello junior shortstop Alyssah Kubly and Kayla Butler-Paulson flew out to right.
Ganshert said her original plan was to have Monahan bunt, but she had a change of heart.
"I didn't get it down," Ganshert said of the bunt sign. "I told her to hit away because that is what she has been doing all year. I knew who we had coming up and I knew we could continue hitting the ball."
The Orioles finished 1-for-7 hitting with runners in scoring position and left four runners on base.
"She (Bruns) pitched a gem of a game," Garrison said. "We have two good pitchers. That is why she is No. 1. She and our team have been in pressure situations before and she usually gets out of them."
Ganshert understands one error ended up making the difference. She's confident Argyle could see Monticello for a third time this season.
"You don't want to give them one run," Ganshert said. "You just never know if you will get it back. We will see them again in regionals."
