MONTICELLO - The Monticello softball team picked up the outright conference title on Thursday with a 14-3 victory over the visiting Vikings. After tying for the conference crown with Barneveld last year, the Ponies (17-2, 9-1) find themselves alone at the top of the Six Rivers East Conference.
"It's pretty exciting," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "I told my assistant that this game is perhaps the best we've hit all year. We laid down some nice bunts, and we hit the ball very well."
Despite picking up runs in the first, third and fourth innings, Garrison felt that his team wasn't up to game speed.
"We seemed kind of dead at first, but I got into them a little bit and sure enough, they responded."
The Ponies, ranked No. 5 in the Division 4 Wisconsin Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, answered accordingly, as they erupted for eight runs in the sixth inning, including a home run blasted by junior Courtney Leuzinger. But despite his team's lead, Garrison knew that their Pecatonica counterparts would not give up easily.
With their bats heating up, Vikings junior Britt Miller blasted a two-run home run to inch her team a bit closer. But Pecatonica's comeback fell short, as Ponies ace Claire Bruns closed the deal. Bruns finished the night with five hits, three runs (two earned), zero walks, and three strikeouts in six innings of work.
"I just told the girls to go out and play and to have fun," Pecatonica coach Chuck Meyer said. "We played OK, until we hit that sixth inning. We made a little comeback at the end, (but) it's hard to recover after a big inning like that."
Miller finished 2-for-2 at the plate, while teammate Clara Moen finished 2-for-3 to lead Pecatonica.
The Ponies had six players with multiple hits, led by Leuzinger and Jordan Garrison who each finished 3-for-5. Junior Alyssah Kubly batted 2-for-4 with two doubles.
Barneveld 3,
Argyle 0
BARNEVELD - Before the game on Thursday night, Argyle needed a win and some help to share a conference championship with Monticello.
Instead, Barneveld beat Argyle 3-0 in the final conference game and the Orioles finished second in the Six Rivers East.
Barneveld's Kristen Udelhofen pitched a complete game five-hit shutout. She struck out six and walked one. Argyle seniors Jessica Treuthardt and Alysha Monahan both finished 2-for-3.
Treuthardt pitched six innings and gave up one earned run on four hits. She struck out three and walked one. The Orioles were plagued by three errors.
Brodhead 11, Whitewater 4
WHITEWATER - Brodhead's Karina Rosheisen, Payton Wright and Erin Kloepping combined for nine hits to lead the Cardinals to an 11-4 win over Whitewater.
Rosheisen went 3-for-3 to lead the Cardinals who broke the game open with a five-run second. Wright went 3-for-5 and Kloepping was 3-for-6.
Brodhead had 14 hits. Taylor Gerlach and Cassie McGuire were each 2-for-3.
Brodhead junior pitcher Brooke Boegli pitched a complete game and gave up three earned runs on 13 hits. She struck out six and didn't issue a walk.
Waterloo 10,
New Glarus 0
Waterloo 12,
New Glarus 0
WATERLOO - The New Glarus softball team combined for one hit in their doubleheader against Waterloo, the sixth-ranked team in Division 3, on Thursday. In the second game of their doubleheader, the Knights were no-hit by Waterloo in a 12-0 shutout loss.
"It's pretty exciting," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "I told my assistant that this game is perhaps the best we've hit all year. We laid down some nice bunts, and we hit the ball very well."
Despite picking up runs in the first, third and fourth innings, Garrison felt that his team wasn't up to game speed.
"We seemed kind of dead at first, but I got into them a little bit and sure enough, they responded."
The Ponies, ranked No. 5 in the Division 4 Wisconsin Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, answered accordingly, as they erupted for eight runs in the sixth inning, including a home run blasted by junior Courtney Leuzinger. But despite his team's lead, Garrison knew that their Pecatonica counterparts would not give up easily.
With their bats heating up, Vikings junior Britt Miller blasted a two-run home run to inch her team a bit closer. But Pecatonica's comeback fell short, as Ponies ace Claire Bruns closed the deal. Bruns finished the night with five hits, three runs (two earned), zero walks, and three strikeouts in six innings of work.
"I just told the girls to go out and play and to have fun," Pecatonica coach Chuck Meyer said. "We played OK, until we hit that sixth inning. We made a little comeback at the end, (but) it's hard to recover after a big inning like that."
Miller finished 2-for-2 at the plate, while teammate Clara Moen finished 2-for-3 to lead Pecatonica.
The Ponies had six players with multiple hits, led by Leuzinger and Jordan Garrison who each finished 3-for-5. Junior Alyssah Kubly batted 2-for-4 with two doubles.
Barneveld 3,
Argyle 0
BARNEVELD - Before the game on Thursday night, Argyle needed a win and some help to share a conference championship with Monticello.
Instead, Barneveld beat Argyle 3-0 in the final conference game and the Orioles finished second in the Six Rivers East.
Barneveld's Kristen Udelhofen pitched a complete game five-hit shutout. She struck out six and walked one. Argyle seniors Jessica Treuthardt and Alysha Monahan both finished 2-for-3.
Treuthardt pitched six innings and gave up one earned run on four hits. She struck out three and walked one. The Orioles were plagued by three errors.
Brodhead 11, Whitewater 4
WHITEWATER - Brodhead's Karina Rosheisen, Payton Wright and Erin Kloepping combined for nine hits to lead the Cardinals to an 11-4 win over Whitewater.
Rosheisen went 3-for-3 to lead the Cardinals who broke the game open with a five-run second. Wright went 3-for-5 and Kloepping was 3-for-6.
Brodhead had 14 hits. Taylor Gerlach and Cassie McGuire were each 2-for-3.
Brodhead junior pitcher Brooke Boegli pitched a complete game and gave up three earned runs on 13 hits. She struck out six and didn't issue a walk.
Waterloo 10,
New Glarus 0
Waterloo 12,
New Glarus 0
WATERLOO - The New Glarus softball team combined for one hit in their doubleheader against Waterloo, the sixth-ranked team in Division 3, on Thursday. In the second game of their doubleheader, the Knights were no-hit by Waterloo in a 12-0 shutout loss.
