MONTICELLO - The Ponies got off to a walking start on their way to a first signature victory at home, 5-4 over Argyle Tuesday evening.
Argyle starter Sierra Granberg couldn't find the strike zone, walking the first three Ponies, before reliever and ace Brittany Flannery walked three of the six she faced to force in three runs after the Orioles got one in the top half.
"Our game plan going in is we weren't going to swing until they threw us a strike," Monticello coach and Argyle alum Duane Garrison said.
The Orioles reclaimed the lead with three runs in the top of the second, but all the free tallies added up to the slimmest of winning margins when Monticello scored two more in the bottom of the third.
Neither club scored the rest of the way and Monticello starter Mary Hershberger retired 15 of 19 batters from the outset of the third inning.
"She just got into a groove and with her changeup she pulled the string four or five times on their big hitters," Garrison said.
The only Oriole who wasn't fooled was Kelli Fischer, who went 4-for-4 by hitting it away from Garrison's every defensive shift.
"She's been a pain in my side for four years now; she's just that good of a hitter," Garrison said.
Flannery fanned a dozen but walked nine while Hershberger fanned six and walked five. The Ponies hope to roll the confidence into Thursday's Six Rivers East matchup at home against Black Hawk.
SIX RIVERS EAST
BARNEVELD 12, JUDA 0 (5 innings)
The Eagles paid a nasty favor forward Tuesday evening.
Kelly Mueller fanned six and walked four in pitching a no-hitter against the fledgling Panthers one night after the Stampfli sisters of Brodhead no-hit the Eagles.
The Eagles hung 11 runs on the board in the first inning, leading to the five-inning romp.
SWAL
Riverdale 10, Darlington 0 (5 innings)
RIVERDALE - The calm eventually yielded to the storm.
Darlington held Riverdale scoreless for three innings before a 10-run surge by the Chieftains in the fourth inning led to an abbreviated SWAL game Tuesday evening.
Three Chieftains had multiple hits while Darlington gave ace Allison Taylor a rare night off on the pitching plate.
ROCK VALLEY
BRODHEAD 9, EDGERTON 6
The Stampfli sisters have come to rely on each other a lot over the past week.
Once freshman Erika ran out of gas, giving up five runs in the sixth inning to the Crimson Tide on the road to tie the game at 6-6, senior Kayla took the ball in the seventh and held down the fort.
That was after Brodhead struck for three in the top half to reclaim its lead, putting Erika back on the hook for the win.
Courtney Mielke led the charge for the Cardinals with three hits.
NON-CONFERENCE
LAKESIDE LUTHERAN 9, NEW GLARUS 3
The Warriors pounced on their opponent upon visiting New Glarus Tuesday evening for a Capitol crossover contest.
The Northern division's Lakeside Lutheran came out playing small bunt, slapping and bunting to get a couple of first-inning errors out of the Knights who will play their third straight game tonight at 3:30 p.m. at home against Wisconsin Heights.
The Glarner Knights left the bases loaded twice Tuesday evening while Lutheran took a 5-1 lead after three innings and refused to look back.
Argyle starter Sierra Granberg couldn't find the strike zone, walking the first three Ponies, before reliever and ace Brittany Flannery walked three of the six she faced to force in three runs after the Orioles got one in the top half.
"Our game plan going in is we weren't going to swing until they threw us a strike," Monticello coach and Argyle alum Duane Garrison said.
The Orioles reclaimed the lead with three runs in the top of the second, but all the free tallies added up to the slimmest of winning margins when Monticello scored two more in the bottom of the third.
Neither club scored the rest of the way and Monticello starter Mary Hershberger retired 15 of 19 batters from the outset of the third inning.
"She just got into a groove and with her changeup she pulled the string four or five times on their big hitters," Garrison said.
The only Oriole who wasn't fooled was Kelli Fischer, who went 4-for-4 by hitting it away from Garrison's every defensive shift.
"She's been a pain in my side for four years now; she's just that good of a hitter," Garrison said.
Flannery fanned a dozen but walked nine while Hershberger fanned six and walked five. The Ponies hope to roll the confidence into Thursday's Six Rivers East matchup at home against Black Hawk.
SIX RIVERS EAST
BARNEVELD 12, JUDA 0 (5 innings)
The Eagles paid a nasty favor forward Tuesday evening.
Kelly Mueller fanned six and walked four in pitching a no-hitter against the fledgling Panthers one night after the Stampfli sisters of Brodhead no-hit the Eagles.
The Eagles hung 11 runs on the board in the first inning, leading to the five-inning romp.
SWAL
Riverdale 10, Darlington 0 (5 innings)
RIVERDALE - The calm eventually yielded to the storm.
Darlington held Riverdale scoreless for three innings before a 10-run surge by the Chieftains in the fourth inning led to an abbreviated SWAL game Tuesday evening.
Three Chieftains had multiple hits while Darlington gave ace Allison Taylor a rare night off on the pitching plate.
ROCK VALLEY
BRODHEAD 9, EDGERTON 6
The Stampfli sisters have come to rely on each other a lot over the past week.
Once freshman Erika ran out of gas, giving up five runs in the sixth inning to the Crimson Tide on the road to tie the game at 6-6, senior Kayla took the ball in the seventh and held down the fort.
That was after Brodhead struck for three in the top half to reclaim its lead, putting Erika back on the hook for the win.
Courtney Mielke led the charge for the Cardinals with three hits.
NON-CONFERENCE
LAKESIDE LUTHERAN 9, NEW GLARUS 3
The Warriors pounced on their opponent upon visiting New Glarus Tuesday evening for a Capitol crossover contest.
The Northern division's Lakeside Lutheran came out playing small bunt, slapping and bunting to get a couple of first-inning errors out of the Knights who will play their third straight game tonight at 3:30 p.m. at home against Wisconsin Heights.
The Glarner Knights left the bases loaded twice Tuesday evening while Lutheran took a 5-1 lead after three innings and refused to look back.
