Monticello-New Glarus gave its home crowd plenty to cheer about Thursday, racing out to an early lead and turning it into a 9-5 varsity softball win over Juda-Albany. The Ponies scored in four of their six trips to the plate and built enough cushion to withstand a later surge by the Panthers.

The Ponies were in control early, scoring once in the first, three times in the second and four more times in the third to take command. That fast start fit the identity coach Rick Monson described before the season, when he said Monticello-New Glarus expected to play an aggressive style and score runs in bunches.