MONROE - It happened again.
Only this time, the gale that pounded Twining Park occurred during a contest that didn't quite have as much weight as last year's WIAA Division 2 regional finals matchup that Monroe took over visiting McFarland.
As a result, Monroe's season-opener was cut short as the Cheesemakers led 9-2 entering their half of the fourth inning when all parties decided to suspend the game until Monroe travels to McFarland Tuesday, April 29.
Monroe's bats woke up after an anxious first inning and senior ace Renee Schuttler survived a shower of rain as well as some tricklers off the Spartans' bats that that allowed them to score two runs in the second.
"She kept the ball down and obviously as the game went on it got harder to do that," head coach Dale Buvid said. "The hits they had weren't rockets, they just found some holes."
Monroe burrowed its own holes offensively in the second and third innings with seven hits in the span. The cleanup-hitting Schuttler led off the second with a six-pitch walk and took second on a wild pitch by junior Allisa Heinz before Kylie Kaiser drilled an RBI-single to center. Two batters later and with the rain intensifying, a hot shot by Gwen Sutter to second base found Jenna Blazer, who shorthopped her catcher as Schuttler scampered home.
Then Hannah Grossen reignited the rally by crushing a double into the right-center gap. The nimble-footed senior then swiped third before leadoff hitter Kayla Rackow blooped an RBI flare down the right field line.
Heinz held onto the slippery ball for all three innings she worked. She's one of three slingers filling the big shoes of all-state hurler Stephanie Schmikla, who's now at Concordia University.
"We're not facing an all-state pitcher there this time, but we did a nice job of putting the bat on the ball," Buvid said. "The only gripe I had was when we had the bases loaded with no outs and didn't quite finish them off."
That occurred in the third after Monroe brought home five runs before the last third of the lineup stalled.
The Cheesemakers did, however, bat around in the inning after junior centerfielder Maggie Schuttler led off by stroking a single the other way from the her lefthanded side of the batter's box.
She nearly reignited the rally by going the same way at the end of the threat, but Kelsey Schluter hauled in the second fly ball.
But that was after Emily Rufenacht cracked an RBI-double, Schuttler, drove her home and a Katie Lenz flare hit the right field line chalk to plate her pitcher.
Rufenacht also look slick at shorstop in her first varsity action at the position, making a few routine plays and also stabbing a liner that could have scored a run for McFarland in thhe second.
The teams exchanged disappointed pleasantries after Schuttler went 1-2-3 in the fourth inning.
"Being seven ahead will help, even if not playing at home is a bit of a disadvantage," Buvid said. "If I had to start over or take the seven run lead up there, I'll take the seven-run lead."
Only this time, the gale that pounded Twining Park occurred during a contest that didn't quite have as much weight as last year's WIAA Division 2 regional finals matchup that Monroe took over visiting McFarland.
As a result, Monroe's season-opener was cut short as the Cheesemakers led 9-2 entering their half of the fourth inning when all parties decided to suspend the game until Monroe travels to McFarland Tuesday, April 29.
Monroe's bats woke up after an anxious first inning and senior ace Renee Schuttler survived a shower of rain as well as some tricklers off the Spartans' bats that that allowed them to score two runs in the second.
"She kept the ball down and obviously as the game went on it got harder to do that," head coach Dale Buvid said. "The hits they had weren't rockets, they just found some holes."
Monroe burrowed its own holes offensively in the second and third innings with seven hits in the span. The cleanup-hitting Schuttler led off the second with a six-pitch walk and took second on a wild pitch by junior Allisa Heinz before Kylie Kaiser drilled an RBI-single to center. Two batters later and with the rain intensifying, a hot shot by Gwen Sutter to second base found Jenna Blazer, who shorthopped her catcher as Schuttler scampered home.
Then Hannah Grossen reignited the rally by crushing a double into the right-center gap. The nimble-footed senior then swiped third before leadoff hitter Kayla Rackow blooped an RBI flare down the right field line.
Heinz held onto the slippery ball for all three innings she worked. She's one of three slingers filling the big shoes of all-state hurler Stephanie Schmikla, who's now at Concordia University.
"We're not facing an all-state pitcher there this time, but we did a nice job of putting the bat on the ball," Buvid said. "The only gripe I had was when we had the bases loaded with no outs and didn't quite finish them off."
That occurred in the third after Monroe brought home five runs before the last third of the lineup stalled.
The Cheesemakers did, however, bat around in the inning after junior centerfielder Maggie Schuttler led off by stroking a single the other way from the her lefthanded side of the batter's box.
She nearly reignited the rally by going the same way at the end of the threat, but Kelsey Schluter hauled in the second fly ball.
But that was after Emily Rufenacht cracked an RBI-double, Schuttler, drove her home and a Katie Lenz flare hit the right field line chalk to plate her pitcher.
Rufenacht also look slick at shorstop in her first varsity action at the position, making a few routine plays and also stabbing a liner that could have scored a run for McFarland in thhe second.
The teams exchanged disappointed pleasantries after Schuttler went 1-2-3 in the fourth inning.
"Being seven ahead will help, even if not playing at home is a bit of a disadvantage," Buvid said. "If I had to start over or take the seven run lead up there, I'll take the seven-run lead."
