MONTICELLO - As the daughter of a softball coach, there wasn't any hesitation in Jordan Garrison's sprint towards second base in the third inning.
Garrison hit a sharp grounder to Argyle shortstop Kayla Butler-Paulson. Butler-Paulson made a pinpoint throw home to catcher Alysha Monahan, but Monticello senior Claire Bruns was able to slide in under the tag. As Monahan turned to challenge the home plate umpire's call, Garrison darted to second. Monahan's throw to second sailed into center and Garrison raced in to score to propel the Ponies to a 3-0 win over Argyle Tuesday. Without hitting the ball out of the infield against Argyle senior pitcher Jessica Treuthardt, the Ponies led 2-0.
"I just saw Alysha turn to the ump and I just took off," said Garrison who went 2-for-3. "We are a really aggressive base-running team.
"With my dad as the coach, if I didn't go to second, I probably would have been yelled at. With him being my dad, he's a lot harder on me than some of the other girls."
Monticello coach Duane Garrison didn't want the Ponies to alter their game. With the win, Monticello improves to 7-0, 3-0 Six Rivers East.
"Mentally, you have to be alert," he said. "I tell my girls we will always be aggressive on the basepaths. Monahan is a good catcher and she has a good arm. We didn't want to take away from our running game. We didn't want to change our game."
Argyle coach Heidi Ganshert said the heads-up base-running play by Garrison that scored two runs in the third wasn't the tough break that decided the game.
"If we take away a couple of our errors it may have been a different score," said Ganshert, whose Orioles dropped to 6-2, 2-1. "It was good base running to keep on going. Monticello played really well. I don't want to take anything away from them."
That was all the run support Bruns would need as she pitched a four-hit shutout. The best scoring opportunity for the Orioles came in the seventh when Hannah Saalsaa doubled down the right field line and Amber Dammen singled to left with two outs. Bruns then got Butler-Paulson to pop out to right to end the threat and game.
"I wasn't too worried," Bruns said. "I knew if I kept throwing strikes, my girls behind me on defense would get the job done. They (Argyle) are a strong team. It's always good to knock them down."
Bruns struck out nine and didn't issue a walk. Duane Garrison was impressed with Bruns' composure throughout the game.
"Every time we play Argyle, it's always close," he said. "It (defense) gives her a lot of confidence where she can make a mistake. She had good control all night. When she is throwing strikes and we are playing great defense, we are a pretty decent team."
Monticello junior Courtney Leuzinger went 1-for-2 with a double and one walk and Bruns was 1-for-2 with a double. The Ponies had a golden scoring opportunity early on after senior Clare Geitzel and Jordan Garrison each singled in the first. Treuthardt then struck out Leuzinger, Monticello senior Marissa Berg flew out to center, and Geitzel was thrown out at third for an inning-ending double play.
"I screwed up in the first inning," Duane Garrison said. "I probably should have bunted with my No. 3 hitter (Leuzinger) with two on and no outs. I hate bunting with my No. 3 hitter, but sometimes you have to play the odds."
Ganshert understands there is still a long way to go in the conference race and the Orioles will see Bruns and the Ponies again.
"We just need to make better contact," she said. "We need to have better pitch selection. You can't go down looking when you have two strikes."
Monticello will play Belmont at 5 p.m. Thursday. Belmont defeated Monticello 4-3 last year in the sectional semifinals on a three-run home run in the seventh inning.
"It will be a good test, especially since they knocked us out last year," Duane Garrison said. "Our girls want to face them again. I'm hoping the outcome is a little bit different and we can get some confidence. Confidence can be a scary thing with young women."
Garrison hit a sharp grounder to Argyle shortstop Kayla Butler-Paulson. Butler-Paulson made a pinpoint throw home to catcher Alysha Monahan, but Monticello senior Claire Bruns was able to slide in under the tag. As Monahan turned to challenge the home plate umpire's call, Garrison darted to second. Monahan's throw to second sailed into center and Garrison raced in to score to propel the Ponies to a 3-0 win over Argyle Tuesday. Without hitting the ball out of the infield against Argyle senior pitcher Jessica Treuthardt, the Ponies led 2-0.
"I just saw Alysha turn to the ump and I just took off," said Garrison who went 2-for-3. "We are a really aggressive base-running team.
"With my dad as the coach, if I didn't go to second, I probably would have been yelled at. With him being my dad, he's a lot harder on me than some of the other girls."
Monticello coach Duane Garrison didn't want the Ponies to alter their game. With the win, Monticello improves to 7-0, 3-0 Six Rivers East.
"Mentally, you have to be alert," he said. "I tell my girls we will always be aggressive on the basepaths. Monahan is a good catcher and she has a good arm. We didn't want to take away from our running game. We didn't want to change our game."
Argyle coach Heidi Ganshert said the heads-up base-running play by Garrison that scored two runs in the third wasn't the tough break that decided the game.
"If we take away a couple of our errors it may have been a different score," said Ganshert, whose Orioles dropped to 6-2, 2-1. "It was good base running to keep on going. Monticello played really well. I don't want to take anything away from them."
That was all the run support Bruns would need as she pitched a four-hit shutout. The best scoring opportunity for the Orioles came in the seventh when Hannah Saalsaa doubled down the right field line and Amber Dammen singled to left with two outs. Bruns then got Butler-Paulson to pop out to right to end the threat and game.
"I wasn't too worried," Bruns said. "I knew if I kept throwing strikes, my girls behind me on defense would get the job done. They (Argyle) are a strong team. It's always good to knock them down."
Bruns struck out nine and didn't issue a walk. Duane Garrison was impressed with Bruns' composure throughout the game.
"Every time we play Argyle, it's always close," he said. "It (defense) gives her a lot of confidence where she can make a mistake. She had good control all night. When she is throwing strikes and we are playing great defense, we are a pretty decent team."
Monticello junior Courtney Leuzinger went 1-for-2 with a double and one walk and Bruns was 1-for-2 with a double. The Ponies had a golden scoring opportunity early on after senior Clare Geitzel and Jordan Garrison each singled in the first. Treuthardt then struck out Leuzinger, Monticello senior Marissa Berg flew out to center, and Geitzel was thrown out at third for an inning-ending double play.
"I screwed up in the first inning," Duane Garrison said. "I probably should have bunted with my No. 3 hitter (Leuzinger) with two on and no outs. I hate bunting with my No. 3 hitter, but sometimes you have to play the odds."
Ganshert understands there is still a long way to go in the conference race and the Orioles will see Bruns and the Ponies again.
"We just need to make better contact," she said. "We need to have better pitch selection. You can't go down looking when you have two strikes."
Monticello will play Belmont at 5 p.m. Thursday. Belmont defeated Monticello 4-3 last year in the sectional semifinals on a three-run home run in the seventh inning.
"It will be a good test, especially since they knocked us out last year," Duane Garrison said. "Our girls want to face them again. I'm hoping the outcome is a little bit different and we can get some confidence. Confidence can be a scary thing with young women."
