MONROE – Give me a “H.”
Give me a “R.”
What have you got?
One heck of a day for Sarah Elledge and the Monroe High softball team.
Michael O’Leary / The Herald
After learning earlier on Thursday that she made Monroe’s 2006-07 cheerleading squad, Elledge smacked a game-winning inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the undefeated Bearcats past the Lake Stevens Vikings 2-1 amid drizzly weather at Park Place Field.
With two outs and a full count, Elledge, a junior third baseman, drilled a fly ball down the left-field line, raced around the bases and narrowly beat Lake Stevens’ relay throw with a head-first slide across home plate. It was the first varsity homer for Elledge, who helped first-place Monroe improve to 7-0 in the Western Conference North Division and 11-0 overall.
“My mind was just (focused on) getting a base hit and keeping the game going,” said Elledge, who walked and twice flew out to left before providing the clutch game-winning homer. She said “ecstatic” best described her emotions as Monroe players sprung from the dugout to celebrate the startling finish.
“She’s a strong girl,” Monroe head coach Curt Eskeback said of Elledge. “She can hit the ball a long way.”
Senior Ashly Forsberg (7-0) pitched all nine innings for Monroe. She shut down Lake Stevens after allowing an unearned run in the first. Leadoff hitter Trista Helvey tripled and later scored on a throwing error to give Lake Stevens a 1-0 lead.
“She keeps her head in the game no matter what happens,” Elledge said of Forsberg, who struck out 15, gave up four hits and didn’t walk anyone.
Forsberg, who also tripled, singled and stole a base, shrugged off wet conditions and effectively mixed a tough changeup with other high-speed offerings.
“She’s a power pitcher and she’s pitched well in wet weather (before). She’s a competitor,” coach Eskeback said.
Catcher Jamie Holmes had two singles and shortstop Kayla Wangner singled and scored a run for Monroe, which defeated Lake Stevens for the first time since May 10, 2001. The teams play again on May 9 at Lake Stevens.
Junior Athea Surface (9-3) pitched a complete game for Lake Stevens (6-2, 9-3). Surface gave up seven hits and a walk and struck out six. Catcher Brittanie Thibodeaux had two hits for the Vikings, who remained in second place in the Wesco North.
Vikings head coach Sue Van Wyhe said her team gave a valiant effort despite the loss. “I’m really proud of these girls. They showed a lot of heart and a lot of drive.”
Van Wyhe said Lake Stevens bounced back well from a recent rash of physical and mental mistakes. The Vikings made two fielding errors but neither led to a Monroe run. In the bottom of the fifth, Lake Stevens center fielder Alona Personius ended a Monroe rally by throwing out Elledge, the eventual hero, at home plate. Earlier that inning, Lake Stevens third baseman Sydney Buser charged in to make a nice diving catch.
“Everybody was on their game today,” said Van Wyhe, commenting on solid play by both teams.
At Park Place Field (Monroe)
Lake Stevens100000000-142
Monroe000100001-273
Surface and Thibodeaux. Forsberg and Holmes. WP-Forsberg (7-0). LP-Surface (9-3). 3B-Helvey (LS), Forsberg (M). HR-Elledge (M). Records-Lake Stevens 6-2 in division, 9-3 overall. Monroe 7-0, 11-0.
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