MONTICELLO - The Ponies may not have won their own softball tournament Saturday, but they sure made an impact in the community with their "At Bat for Annette Aeberhard" campaign.
"The team wanted to do something for her. She has a big walk coming up in Chicago at the end of June," Monticello head coach Duane Garrison said.
Along with Argyle, Elkhorn and New Glarus, Monticello spent a sunny and breezy day throwing catching and hitting.
"The weather was good," Garrison said. "The wind was blowing in, and that made a difference in probably every game."
Monticello enjoyed its first game of the day, a 13-2 win in five innings over New Glarus. Ponies senior pitcher Mary Hershberger allowed a single to Kelsey Schmidt in the fourth inning for New Glarus' only hit. She finished with 10 strikeouts and no walks. However, three errors allowed New Glarus to plate a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning.
"Hershberger pitched all day like we knew she could pitch - only two walks and 23 Ks," Garrison said.
Hershberger went 2-for-3 in the first game with a double and three RBI. Olivia Doyle also was 2-3 with a double for the Ponies. New Glarus left the tournament after the game concluded.
Argyle went on to face Elkhorn, a Division 2 program, and lost 3-2 in extra innings.
"I really thought we played good ball. We played a D-2 team and lost by only one run," Orioles coach Heidi Ganshert said.
Argyle, which collected just two hits, scored the game's first run in the second inning. Elkhorn scored a run in both the fifth and the sixth inning to take a 2-1 lead. The Orioles kept the game alive with a run in the seventh.
"(Elkhorn) got a good hit at the end. That's all you can ask for," Ganshert said.
Monticello's game against Elkhorn was a stunner, as well. The Elks scored a run in each of the first three innings, and added fourth run in the fifth.
The Ponies, playing as the away team, scored two runs in the top of the first, one in the fourth and another in the fifth. However, Elkhorn plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning and held on to capture the game, and the tournament title.
Hershberger allowed five hits, struck out two and again didn't allow a walk. Hershberger, Taylor Pfeuti and Taylor Klitzke accounted for Monticello's three hits.
"(Elkhorn has) a couple of good pitchers and players. We held with them until we fell apart," Garrison said.
The final game of the afternoon was truly a rubber match between Monticello and Argyle. Hershberger allowed just two hits, walked two and struck out 11, while Sierra Granberg kept the Orioles in the game, pitching six straight scoreless innings, walking three, letting up three hits and striking out six.
Neither team could get a run across the board. In fact, Monticello was caught trying to swipe home after a throwing error, but a perfect strike from left fielder Jeannie Dammen kept the goose egg alive.
"That seems to be our M.O. as of late - getting thrown out at the plate. That's something like six times in the last four games or so," Garrison said.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tanya Smith got a leadoff walk. Soon she was at third base. However, Argyle forced the issue once again. With two outs, Monticello's Des Marty came up clutch, sending the game-winning RBI single up the middle.
"It's about time someone stepped up. We had a lot of girls going down looking today, and that's really frustrating as a coach," Garrison said.
"The girls had a good time. They cooked out, they had a good day," Ganshert said.
After the tournament ended, Aeberhard stepped onto the field for some photo-ops. Aeberhard, who has a daughter on the junior-varsity team and also is Garrison's neighbor, is suffering from breast cancer. Proceeds from the games, including concession stand sales and keepsake T-shirts, were donated to Aeberhard to relieve some of the costs of travel for treatment.
"She's been going through a tough time and we wanted to do this for her. It's her money, she can do whatever she wants with it," Garrison said, choking up. "With her being my neighbor, knowing her for 30 years, her daughter playing on the JV team, it's just a really good thing. It's a good reason to play. It's kind of hard to talk right now."
Asked what he thought his players may take away from the day, Garrison said better awareness and life lessons.
"Being a young girl, you can get (breast cancer) at any time. Hopefully they are always looking to donate time for this cause, because it is a good cause," Garrison said.
"The team wanted to do something for her. She has a big walk coming up in Chicago at the end of June," Monticello head coach Duane Garrison said.
Along with Argyle, Elkhorn and New Glarus, Monticello spent a sunny and breezy day throwing catching and hitting.
"The weather was good," Garrison said. "The wind was blowing in, and that made a difference in probably every game."
Monticello enjoyed its first game of the day, a 13-2 win in five innings over New Glarus. Ponies senior pitcher Mary Hershberger allowed a single to Kelsey Schmidt in the fourth inning for New Glarus' only hit. She finished with 10 strikeouts and no walks. However, three errors allowed New Glarus to plate a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning.
"Hershberger pitched all day like we knew she could pitch - only two walks and 23 Ks," Garrison said.
Hershberger went 2-for-3 in the first game with a double and three RBI. Olivia Doyle also was 2-3 with a double for the Ponies. New Glarus left the tournament after the game concluded.
Argyle went on to face Elkhorn, a Division 2 program, and lost 3-2 in extra innings.
"I really thought we played good ball. We played a D-2 team and lost by only one run," Orioles coach Heidi Ganshert said.
Argyle, which collected just two hits, scored the game's first run in the second inning. Elkhorn scored a run in both the fifth and the sixth inning to take a 2-1 lead. The Orioles kept the game alive with a run in the seventh.
"(Elkhorn) got a good hit at the end. That's all you can ask for," Ganshert said.
Monticello's game against Elkhorn was a stunner, as well. The Elks scored a run in each of the first three innings, and added fourth run in the fifth.
The Ponies, playing as the away team, scored two runs in the top of the first, one in the fourth and another in the fifth. However, Elkhorn plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning and held on to capture the game, and the tournament title.
Hershberger allowed five hits, struck out two and again didn't allow a walk. Hershberger, Taylor Pfeuti and Taylor Klitzke accounted for Monticello's three hits.
"(Elkhorn has) a couple of good pitchers and players. We held with them until we fell apart," Garrison said.
The final game of the afternoon was truly a rubber match between Monticello and Argyle. Hershberger allowed just two hits, walked two and struck out 11, while Sierra Granberg kept the Orioles in the game, pitching six straight scoreless innings, walking three, letting up three hits and striking out six.
Neither team could get a run across the board. In fact, Monticello was caught trying to swipe home after a throwing error, but a perfect strike from left fielder Jeannie Dammen kept the goose egg alive.
"That seems to be our M.O. as of late - getting thrown out at the plate. That's something like six times in the last four games or so," Garrison said.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tanya Smith got a leadoff walk. Soon she was at third base. However, Argyle forced the issue once again. With two outs, Monticello's Des Marty came up clutch, sending the game-winning RBI single up the middle.
"It's about time someone stepped up. We had a lot of girls going down looking today, and that's really frustrating as a coach," Garrison said.
"The girls had a good time. They cooked out, they had a good day," Ganshert said.
After the tournament ended, Aeberhard stepped onto the field for some photo-ops. Aeberhard, who has a daughter on the junior-varsity team and also is Garrison's neighbor, is suffering from breast cancer. Proceeds from the games, including concession stand sales and keepsake T-shirts, were donated to Aeberhard to relieve some of the costs of travel for treatment.
"She's been going through a tough time and we wanted to do this for her. It's her money, she can do whatever she wants with it," Garrison said, choking up. "With her being my neighbor, knowing her for 30 years, her daughter playing on the JV team, it's just a really good thing. It's a good reason to play. It's kind of hard to talk right now."
Asked what he thought his players may take away from the day, Garrison said better awareness and life lessons.
"Being a young girl, you can get (breast cancer) at any time. Hopefully they are always looking to donate time for this cause, because it is a good cause," Garrison said.
