MONROE - A big third inning and solid pitching from Meghan Roberts pushed Monroe's softball team to a 7-3 win Tuesday over Fort Atkinson, which had been undefeated in conference play this season.
"They had thrown two straight shutouts and were 3-0 in conference headed into this game," Monroe head coach Dale Buvid said. "So you have to feel good about getting to them the way we did."
The Cheesemakers got to Fort Atkinson right away, scoring two runs in the first inning. Paisley Bennett took the first pitch to deep center field for a double, and scored on a throwing error on Maggie Schuttler's sacrifice bunt.
Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Kelsey Erickson hit into a fielder's choice to score the second run.
In the second inning, Roberts fell behind the first batter 3-0, but her next seven pitches were strikes and Roberts escaped with back-to-back strikeouts and a lineout hit directly to first baseman Gwen Sutter. Roberts finished with eight strikeouts.
Fort Atkinson couldn't be kept off the board in the third, as Emilie Bakken's two-out, three-run double gave the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead. It could have been worse, but Monroe recorded the second out when Schuttler hit Roberts on a relay to home to gun down Courtney Jacobson at the plate.
Monroe responded in the bottom half of the inning. Kendra Clark singled and Erickson and Sutter both walked to load the bases. Kristin McArdle then singled in two runs to give Monroe the 4-3 lead.
"Kristin deserves a lot of credit," Buvid said. "Once we get that first hit, the rest come in bunches, it seems."
With one out and runners on second and third, Bennett's sacrifice bunt scored a run and Schuttler followed with a triple off the fence in left center. Emily Rufenacht drove in Schuttler on the very next pitch to give Monroe the final run of the game.
"Softball is a game of momentum shifts," Buvid said.
Roberts kept the momentum with the Cheesemakers by striking out all three batters in the top of the fourth.
Schuttler finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs. Bennett, Rufenacht and McArdle each had a pair of hits and Kendra Clark added another. Monroe walked six times in the contest.
Schuttler also was canned at the plate in the fifth inning trying to score from second on a hit by Rufenacht.
"It was an interesting game to watch. There were a lot of great plays," Buvid said.
Monroe (4-3, 2-0) travels Thursday to Madison Edgewood.
"They had thrown two straight shutouts and were 3-0 in conference headed into this game," Monroe head coach Dale Buvid said. "So you have to feel good about getting to them the way we did."
The Cheesemakers got to Fort Atkinson right away, scoring two runs in the first inning. Paisley Bennett took the first pitch to deep center field for a double, and scored on a throwing error on Maggie Schuttler's sacrifice bunt.
Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Kelsey Erickson hit into a fielder's choice to score the second run.
In the second inning, Roberts fell behind the first batter 3-0, but her next seven pitches were strikes and Roberts escaped with back-to-back strikeouts and a lineout hit directly to first baseman Gwen Sutter. Roberts finished with eight strikeouts.
Fort Atkinson couldn't be kept off the board in the third, as Emilie Bakken's two-out, three-run double gave the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead. It could have been worse, but Monroe recorded the second out when Schuttler hit Roberts on a relay to home to gun down Courtney Jacobson at the plate.
Monroe responded in the bottom half of the inning. Kendra Clark singled and Erickson and Sutter both walked to load the bases. Kristin McArdle then singled in two runs to give Monroe the 4-3 lead.
"Kristin deserves a lot of credit," Buvid said. "Once we get that first hit, the rest come in bunches, it seems."
With one out and runners on second and third, Bennett's sacrifice bunt scored a run and Schuttler followed with a triple off the fence in left center. Emily Rufenacht drove in Schuttler on the very next pitch to give Monroe the final run of the game.
"Softball is a game of momentum shifts," Buvid said.
Roberts kept the momentum with the Cheesemakers by striking out all three batters in the top of the fourth.
Schuttler finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs. Bennett, Rufenacht and McArdle each had a pair of hits and Kendra Clark added another. Monroe walked six times in the contest.
Schuttler also was canned at the plate in the fifth inning trying to score from second on a hit by Rufenacht.
"It was an interesting game to watch. There were a lot of great plays," Buvid said.
Monroe (4-3, 2-0) travels Thursday to Madison Edgewood.
