STOUGHTON - With the Monroe softball team trailing by one run, coach Dale Buvid elected not to have senior Kirsten Vetterli bunt.
The gamble paid off as Vetterli crushed a two-run home run to right centerfield in the seventh inning to give the Cheesemakers a thrilling 2-1 win. With the win, Monroe (18-3, 8-1 Badger South) stays in the driver's seat for a conference championship with a one-game lead over Milton (7-2). Monroe hosts Oregon in a Senior Night game today and will host Milton in a doubleheader showdown on Monday with the conference title at stake.
"The book says you bunt a runner over and you get two shots at a base hit," Buvid said. "With this team and the power we have we don't play by the book. We decided to forgo the bunt and let her go for it. It makes me look smart as a coach. Kirsten has been doing that all year. It worked out. It doesn't always happen."
With the home run, Vetterli set a single-season record for home runs (four). The Cheesemakers also have set a single-season team record for home runs with 14. It was similar to the seventh inning home run she hit earlier this year against Monona Grove, but the Silver Eagles came back to beat the Cheesemakers. This time Monroe sophomore pitcher Natalie Dillon wouldn't let the Cheesemakers be denied. Dillon retired 11 straight batters to end the game. She gave up just one run on four hits. She struck out three and walked two.
"Natalie continues to make progress," Buvid said. "Her riseball continues to get better. She just didn't get ahead with her fastball early in the game. She got more pace with her pitches as the game went on."
Monroe senior Samantha Hose went 2-for-3 to lead the Cheesemakers.
Monroe senior first baseman Kayla Updike overcame an error and threw out a runner at home plate in the fourth. Dillon worked out of the jam and didn't give up a run the rest of the game.
"That was a big defensive play," Buvid said. "If she stays at third base they probably steal second and have runners at second and third with no outs. After that Natalie retired 11 straight."
The gamble paid off as Vetterli crushed a two-run home run to right centerfield in the seventh inning to give the Cheesemakers a thrilling 2-1 win. With the win, Monroe (18-3, 8-1 Badger South) stays in the driver's seat for a conference championship with a one-game lead over Milton (7-2). Monroe hosts Oregon in a Senior Night game today and will host Milton in a doubleheader showdown on Monday with the conference title at stake.
"The book says you bunt a runner over and you get two shots at a base hit," Buvid said. "With this team and the power we have we don't play by the book. We decided to forgo the bunt and let her go for it. It makes me look smart as a coach. Kirsten has been doing that all year. It worked out. It doesn't always happen."
With the home run, Vetterli set a single-season record for home runs (four). The Cheesemakers also have set a single-season team record for home runs with 14. It was similar to the seventh inning home run she hit earlier this year against Monona Grove, but the Silver Eagles came back to beat the Cheesemakers. This time Monroe sophomore pitcher Natalie Dillon wouldn't let the Cheesemakers be denied. Dillon retired 11 straight batters to end the game. She gave up just one run on four hits. She struck out three and walked two.
"Natalie continues to make progress," Buvid said. "Her riseball continues to get better. She just didn't get ahead with her fastball early in the game. She got more pace with her pitches as the game went on."
Monroe senior Samantha Hose went 2-for-3 to lead the Cheesemakers.
Monroe senior first baseman Kayla Updike overcame an error and threw out a runner at home plate in the fourth. Dillon worked out of the jam and didn't give up a run the rest of the game.
"That was a big defensive play," Buvid said. "If she stays at third base they probably steal second and have runners at second and third with no outs. After that Natalie retired 11 straight."
