MONROE - It's only fitting that a a pitcher's duel would come down to a bizarre finish.
With the Cheesemakers trailing 1-0 bottom of the seventh inning, Monroe junior Kelsey Erickson lined what looked to be a game-tying, two-out RBI single to right. However, Fort Atkinson right fielder Maddy Podmolik threw Erickson out at first and the Blackhawks stunned the Cheesemakers handing them a 1-0 loss.
"I was thinking was it was just a matter of whether we would score one run or two runs," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "We always talk about timely hits and extra base hits. When we finally got the timely hit, it turned into an out. Their right fielder was playing shallow all day. It was a Sunday hop to the kid and it was a tough break. It's kind of been the way things have been going for us lately."
Monroe (1-6, 1-1 Badger South) went from the jubilation of possibly tying or winning the game to staying humble despite its fourth straight loss.
"I was just hoping it was going to go through," Erickson said of her near game-tying hit. "The right fielder made a really good play. There's nothing you can do about it. I thought it was going to be close and she got me."
Defensively, the Cheesemakers did everything they had to do to win. Monroe junior pitcher Kristin McArdle pitched out of bases loaded jams in the first three innings and the Cheesemakers turned two double plays. The Blackhawks left nine runners on base in the first three innings. McArdle pitched a complete game and gave up just one run on four hits. She struck out two and walked six.
Fort Atkinson sophomore Amber Foerster led off with a bunt single. Cassidy Lyons then ripped a double to center. Podmolik reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases in the first. Fort Atkinson sophomore Lexie Weigand then knocked in the game's only run on a sacrifice fly. McArdle worked out of the jam when Niki Boos lined out to Erickson at shortstop and she threw to second baseman Brandi Trewartha for an inning ending double play.
"We wiggled out of some jams in the first three innings," Buvid said. "We caught some breaks."
In the second, McArdle worked out of a bases loaded jam by getting Podmolik to fly out. With two outs in the third, McArdle walked two batters to load the bases. She then got Andrina Doellstedt to pop out to Trewartha.
"She threw strikes when she needed to," Buvid said of McArdle. "They didn't hit a lot of balls hard off of her. She used her changeup effectively. She just has to clean up some of those walks."
Foerster, who was a thorn in the side of the Cheesemakers as she went 2-for-3 with two bunt singles, walked leading off the fourth. Monroe senior Paisley Bennett then threw her out trying to steal second.
Monroe junior center fielder Tasha Frie preserved the 1-0 deficit with a spectacular running catch in the fifth. The Cheesemakers turned their second double play when Trewartha snagged a line drive in the seventh and threw to first to get Podmolik straying off the bag.
Fort Atkinson almost blew the game as the Blackhawks committed two of their six errors in the seventh. Monroe senior Bethany Meier reached on an error by pitcher Emilie Bakken. With two outs, Trewartha grounded to Weigand who bobbled the ball and kept the Cheesemakers' rally hopes alive. That set the stages for Erickson's near game-tying hit.
Bakken gave up just three hits in the shutout. With the win Fort Atkinson improves to 3-1, 1-0.
"We escaped the first three innings," Buvid said. "We got a little lucky. Obviously, the luck evened out on that last play of the game. Unfortunately for us."
With the Cheesemakers trailing 1-0 bottom of the seventh inning, Monroe junior Kelsey Erickson lined what looked to be a game-tying, two-out RBI single to right. However, Fort Atkinson right fielder Maddy Podmolik threw Erickson out at first and the Blackhawks stunned the Cheesemakers handing them a 1-0 loss.
"I was thinking was it was just a matter of whether we would score one run or two runs," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "We always talk about timely hits and extra base hits. When we finally got the timely hit, it turned into an out. Their right fielder was playing shallow all day. It was a Sunday hop to the kid and it was a tough break. It's kind of been the way things have been going for us lately."
Monroe (1-6, 1-1 Badger South) went from the jubilation of possibly tying or winning the game to staying humble despite its fourth straight loss.
"I was just hoping it was going to go through," Erickson said of her near game-tying hit. "The right fielder made a really good play. There's nothing you can do about it. I thought it was going to be close and she got me."
Defensively, the Cheesemakers did everything they had to do to win. Monroe junior pitcher Kristin McArdle pitched out of bases loaded jams in the first three innings and the Cheesemakers turned two double plays. The Blackhawks left nine runners on base in the first three innings. McArdle pitched a complete game and gave up just one run on four hits. She struck out two and walked six.
Fort Atkinson sophomore Amber Foerster led off with a bunt single. Cassidy Lyons then ripped a double to center. Podmolik reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases in the first. Fort Atkinson sophomore Lexie Weigand then knocked in the game's only run on a sacrifice fly. McArdle worked out of the jam when Niki Boos lined out to Erickson at shortstop and she threw to second baseman Brandi Trewartha for an inning ending double play.
"We wiggled out of some jams in the first three innings," Buvid said. "We caught some breaks."
In the second, McArdle worked out of a bases loaded jam by getting Podmolik to fly out. With two outs in the third, McArdle walked two batters to load the bases. She then got Andrina Doellstedt to pop out to Trewartha.
"She threw strikes when she needed to," Buvid said of McArdle. "They didn't hit a lot of balls hard off of her. She used her changeup effectively. She just has to clean up some of those walks."
Foerster, who was a thorn in the side of the Cheesemakers as she went 2-for-3 with two bunt singles, walked leading off the fourth. Monroe senior Paisley Bennett then threw her out trying to steal second.
Monroe junior center fielder Tasha Frie preserved the 1-0 deficit with a spectacular running catch in the fifth. The Cheesemakers turned their second double play when Trewartha snagged a line drive in the seventh and threw to first to get Podmolik straying off the bag.
Fort Atkinson almost blew the game as the Blackhawks committed two of their six errors in the seventh. Monroe senior Bethany Meier reached on an error by pitcher Emilie Bakken. With two outs, Trewartha grounded to Weigand who bobbled the ball and kept the Cheesemakers' rally hopes alive. That set the stages for Erickson's near game-tying hit.
Bakken gave up just three hits in the shutout. With the win Fort Atkinson improves to 3-1, 1-0.
"We escaped the first three innings," Buvid said. "We got a little lucky. Obviously, the luck evened out on that last play of the game. Unfortunately for us."
