MONROE - After a stunning first loss of the season to Spencer, the Monroe softball team couldn't wait to get back on the diamond Saturday against unbeaten Pearl City, Ill.
In a pitcher's duel, Pearl City edged Monroe 3-1 Saturday at Twining Park. Pearl City's Halle Fransen pitched a complete game to get the win. With the win, Pearl City improved to 10-0. Fransen gave up just one run on three hits and struck out 11. Monroe senior Kari Jordan went 2-for-3 with a double. After Jordan doubled in the sixth inning, Monroe junior Hannah Vetterli delivered an RBI single to right field.
"In my head, I was thinking I need to be patient because I have been twisting and pulling off of it," Jordan said of her swing. "I had to stay relaxed and swing my normal speed."
The Cheesemakers (3-2, 2-0 Badger South) had 18 players play in the field and 16 batted.
"I was just really happy with my team that we competed with Pearl City," Jordan said. "She's (Fransen) is a good pitcher and faster than what we have seen so far."
Jordan doesn't expect any lingering effect after the Cheesemakers lost two games including Spencer's comeback 6-5 win.
"It's disappointing because we were so close," Jordan said of winning two games Saturday. "These are the games to help prepare us for Monona Grove. I think it will help us develop as a team."
Pearl City's Julia Sesker singled up the middle off Monroe junior starting pitcher Natalie Dillon leading off the third. Kylie Fransen then lined a double to left. Pearl City's Tori Clark delivered a two-out RBI single to right to give the Wolves' a 2-0 lead. Pearl City's Kendra Melville then came through with a two-out RBI single to give the Wolves' a 3-0 lead.
Dillon pitched three innings and gave up three runs on six hits. She struck out three. Monroe sophomore Carly Upmann pitched four shutout innings in relief. Upmann now has six straight scoreless innings.
"We found a solid No. 2 pitcher," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said of Upmann. "She did a nice job against a really good hitting team. She kept them at bay."
Pearl City's Kylie Fransen went 2-for-3 and Melville was 2-for-4 to lead the Wolves.
Buvid was impressed by Halle Fransen on the mound as a pitcher.
"She has a good rise ball, fastball and changeup," he said. "She got us lunging at changeups about three times. We were competitive against a really good team."
Spencer 6, Monroe 5
Monroe took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning. Spencer rallied scoring three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh for a comeback 6-5 win.
Dillon pitched 6 2/3 innings and was in control cruising until late. Spencer got two bunt singles in the seventh that opened the door for the comeback win. Dillon gave up six runs on six hits. She struck out 10 and walked two. Spencer's Macie Weber and Lindsay Vaughn followed with RBI singles to stun the Cheesemakers.
"We struggled with the short game and our bunt defense," Buvid said. "Natalie left some pitches up and to Spencer's credit they got some big two-out hits. She (Dillon) left some pitches up waist to thigh high and they whacked them. They took it away from us. It was disappointing."
In a pitcher's duel, Pearl City edged Monroe 3-1 Saturday at Twining Park. Pearl City's Halle Fransen pitched a complete game to get the win. With the win, Pearl City improved to 10-0. Fransen gave up just one run on three hits and struck out 11. Monroe senior Kari Jordan went 2-for-3 with a double. After Jordan doubled in the sixth inning, Monroe junior Hannah Vetterli delivered an RBI single to right field.
"In my head, I was thinking I need to be patient because I have been twisting and pulling off of it," Jordan said of her swing. "I had to stay relaxed and swing my normal speed."
The Cheesemakers (3-2, 2-0 Badger South) had 18 players play in the field and 16 batted.
"I was just really happy with my team that we competed with Pearl City," Jordan said. "She's (Fransen) is a good pitcher and faster than what we have seen so far."
Jordan doesn't expect any lingering effect after the Cheesemakers lost two games including Spencer's comeback 6-5 win.
"It's disappointing because we were so close," Jordan said of winning two games Saturday. "These are the games to help prepare us for Monona Grove. I think it will help us develop as a team."
Pearl City's Julia Sesker singled up the middle off Monroe junior starting pitcher Natalie Dillon leading off the third. Kylie Fransen then lined a double to left. Pearl City's Tori Clark delivered a two-out RBI single to right to give the Wolves' a 2-0 lead. Pearl City's Kendra Melville then came through with a two-out RBI single to give the Wolves' a 3-0 lead.
Dillon pitched three innings and gave up three runs on six hits. She struck out three. Monroe sophomore Carly Upmann pitched four shutout innings in relief. Upmann now has six straight scoreless innings.
"We found a solid No. 2 pitcher," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said of Upmann. "She did a nice job against a really good hitting team. She kept them at bay."
Pearl City's Kylie Fransen went 2-for-3 and Melville was 2-for-4 to lead the Wolves.
Buvid was impressed by Halle Fransen on the mound as a pitcher.
"She has a good rise ball, fastball and changeup," he said. "She got us lunging at changeups about three times. We were competitive against a really good team."
Spencer 6, Monroe 5
Monroe took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning. Spencer rallied scoring three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh for a comeback 6-5 win.
Dillon pitched 6 2/3 innings and was in control cruising until late. Spencer got two bunt singles in the seventh that opened the door for the comeback win. Dillon gave up six runs on six hits. She struck out 10 and walked two. Spencer's Macie Weber and Lindsay Vaughn followed with RBI singles to stun the Cheesemakers.
"We struggled with the short game and our bunt defense," Buvid said. "Natalie left some pitches up and to Spencer's credit they got some big two-out hits. She (Dillon) left some pitches up waist to thigh high and they whacked them. They took it away from us. It was disappointing."
