MONMOUTH – With one swing of the bat, Josie Reiss set the tone Saturday.

When the Telstar senior drilled the first pitch of the game for a hard single, it was a sign that a different Rebel team had returned to Monmouth.

“Coach always says ‘What you do, we do,'” said Reiss. “So I tried to get a hit right off. I don’t usually hit so well against that pitcher. So I jumped on the first strike.”

The Rebels followed that aggressiveness and built an early lead. Pitcher Candace Hall and a flawless defensive effort did the rest in a 4-0 win over the Mustangs in a Western C semifinal.

The Rebels return to the regional final for the fourth straight year Tuesday evening at St. Joseph’s College.

“All year long, and since that last Monmouth game, we felt this was our time,” said Hall.

Telstar (14-2) lost to Monmouth 1-0 in the regular season finale. It cost Telstar home field and a chance in the MVC title game. The Rebels managed just four hits and squandered opportunities in that nailbiter. Monmouth’s Jenn Lola delivered the game-winning double in the eighth.

“To lose like that in the eighth inning was hard,” said first baseman Julia Stambolis. “I think we just played like we knew how to. The first game we weren’t playing softball. We just played like we can today.”

Telstar got three hits each from Reiss and Stambolis. The Rebels were aggressive and confident at the plate and made things happen with runners on. Telstar also took advantage of five Monmouth errors, leading to three unearned runs.

“Coach definitely got us riled up before the game,” said Reiss. “He was growling at us. I think that might have helped. We started off the first inning hitting and got our confidence up.”

Telstar got single runs in the first and second innings and put the Mustangs in the hole. Monmouth (13-3) was chanting early on, but Hall silenced the Mustang bats. She allowed just three hits, struck out eight and walked none.

“I was fired up and ready,” said Hall. “It helps when they’re singing for me.

“(Catcher) Sarah (Field) knew what to do, and she called my pitches. She did a really good job framing and putting them where they needed to go.”

Monmouth’s only threat came in the third. Brit Hilton and Kristi Hilton singled, putting runners in scoring position with one out. Lola, the MVC Player of the Year for the second year in a row, followed. Hall got her to pop out to Field. Then Jill Armstrong grounded one back to Hall.

“That was huge,” said Telstar coach Jim Lunney. “You can’t deliver every time. Last time, she fisted that hit and won the game for them, but you can’t do it everytime. It was a good pitch, and she got around on it and popped it up. It was a 2-0 game. She gets a base hit, it’s 2-2. That was a big out for us.”

Alyssa Morin had a single in the fourth, but Hall put down the final 12 batters. She got great support in the field on catches by Abby Hutchins in left, Stambolis at first and Field behind the plate.

After Reiss singled in the first, she advanced on a bunt by Whitney Mills. Stambolis followed with a single. She faked a bunt and slashed one through the hole as Lola was caught moving toward third.

“It was supposed to be on the ground,” said Stambolis. “Thankfully, that worked out. It was important because we wanted to score early and often.”

Monmouth limited that threat thanks to a double play sparked by third baseman Kelsie Hilton.

Telstar added another in the second. Vicki Crockett-Rice scored on an error of a Reiss grounder. In the the fifth, Stambolis doubled in Reiss. Then in the seventh, Reiss scored her third run of the game on an error on a Hutchin’s grounder.

“This is like the eighth game in a row that (Julia’s) got a double,” said Lunney. “She’s come through with some big hits.”