ARGYLE - The Monroe Brewers (7-2) came away with a thrilling 2-1 baseball win over the Argyle Beavers (7-4) on Sunday to maintain second place in the Home Talent League's Western Section.
Monroe scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning and pitchers Ben Korth and Justin Hahn pitched themselves out of numerous jams to keep Argyle off the board as much as possible.
"It was two good teams with great pitching today," Monroe co-player-manager Lon Scheuerell said. "Pitching and defense has kind of been our calling card this year. If we can get a couple of runs, we'll feel pretty good."
Cody Boals and Hahn led off the game with a walk and a single. Boals scored on an error and Hahn scored on what would become the game-winning RBI double by Mike Cleary.
"Somehow we were able to hold onto that lead the rest of the game," Scheuerell said.
Beavers southpaw Jarrett Bauman allowed just three hits the rest of the way, while striking out four batters in the complete-game losing effort.
"(Jarrett) has been great," Argyle player-manager Travis Erickson said. "He pitches to contact and he's effective because he has so much stuff. He can throw five pitches for strikes. It's disappointing when you don't give a guy run support when he pitches so well."
Argyle gave itself scoring opportunities every step of the way. The Beavers collected nine hits, three walks and a hit-batter to go with three Monroe errors. However, the Brewers got out of big innings with rally-killing catches, nabbing runners stealing, and turning sacrifice bunts into fielder's choice outs.
"We needed a breakout day, and as many hits as we had, that should be a breakout day. But we couldn't string any hits together. We never had more than two hits in any inning," Erickson said.
"But (Monroe is) a good defensive team. We had guys on and we had chances, but they wouldn't allow us to take advantage of any situation."
Argyle left the bases loaded in the fourth and stranded a pair of runners in the third, sixth, seventh and ninth innings. In all, the Beavers left 15 runners on base - 10 in scoring position.
"We knew this was a big game," Erickson said. "Our pitching staff has been fine, we have the depth. But we leave so many guys on base. This snaps our seven-game winning streak. Now we have a week off and then we come back against Verona."
Monroe catcher and co-player-manager Rooney Janecke liked what he saw from his defense on his birthday.
"We played pretty solid defense, and our pitching was pretty solid, too," Janecke said. "Our hitting was shaky, though."
Justin Crotty scored Argyle's only run in the third.
The Beavers spoiled a golden opportunity in the ninth. Tyler Ritschard led off the inning by getting hit on the first pitch he saw. Joe Johnson, who went 3-for-5, then singled, putting runners at second and third. Ben Wallace's sacrifice bunt turned into a 1-5 fielder's choice putout to leave runners stuck at second and third.
A passed ball put both runners in scoring position, but Bryan Ritschard's grounder to third allowed Monroe's Matt Busjahn to throw out Johnson at the plate. Hahn's only strikeout came against Bauman to end the game. It was Hahn's fifth save this season.
Korth was pulled with two outs in the sixth after striking out two.
"Ben usually pitches Thursdays, but with (Saturday's) game against Wiota, we used Cody Boals a day early and had Ben to pitch today. Justin has been our main reliever all season. He comes in and shuts the door," Scheuerell said. "We have three solid guys who can come in and do well."
Lee Bohlman had two hits, a walk and reached safely five times for Argyle. Hahn was 2-4 and Cleary added three walks to his double to reach base in every plate appearance.
Saturday's games
Wiota 7, Monroe 5
MONROE - The Indians scored all seven runs in two innings to knock off Monroe in the annual Fourth of July game.
Wiota (3-7) took the lead for good in a four-run eighth inning, which was highlighted by Merrill Brunson's two-run homer.
Boals took the loss for Monroe in a game that saw soggy field conditions due to the rain.
"We'll still be tied for second in the league," Scheuerell said. "In this league, the top one through seven teams are all about equal. There isn't much of a gap in there. We didn't have our best game on defense, either. And Wiota can beat anybody on any day. We found that out."
Monroe is tied with Verona for second place in the Western Section. Hollandale leads with a record of 9-1.
Argyle 2, Blanchardville 1
BLANCHARDVILLE - The Beavers overcame a lack of offensive production to upend the Bullets (1-9).
Ben Wallace scored the first run to put Argyle up 1-0. Jarrett Bauman's RBI double in the fourth drove in the game-winner.
Blanchardville's Milton Kurschner scored in the fourth on an hit by Luke Syse after reaching and going from first to third on back-to-back wild pitches.
"It was just that kind of a day. We can't give up runs that way. We have to figure out how to take care of the ball," Erickson said.
Wallace pitched a complete game to get the win, striking out 16, walking one and allowing just two hits.
Blanchardville turned a rare triple play in the sixth inning.
Friday's game
Ridgeway 6, Blanchardville 5, 10 innings
BLANCHARDVILLE - The Bullets threw away the game in the 10th inning.
With two outs, Ridgeway's Tyler Peterson reached on an infield single but advanced to second on a throwing error. Moments later, Peterson dashed to third on a wild pitch, but the throw from the catcher to third went into left field and Peterson scored easily.
Blanchardville had tied the game up in the ninth, scoring all five runs on six hits, but left the bases loaded on a two-out, nine-pitch, full count at-bat that could have ended the game.
Monroe scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning and pitchers Ben Korth and Justin Hahn pitched themselves out of numerous jams to keep Argyle off the board as much as possible.
"It was two good teams with great pitching today," Monroe co-player-manager Lon Scheuerell said. "Pitching and defense has kind of been our calling card this year. If we can get a couple of runs, we'll feel pretty good."
Cody Boals and Hahn led off the game with a walk and a single. Boals scored on an error and Hahn scored on what would become the game-winning RBI double by Mike Cleary.
"Somehow we were able to hold onto that lead the rest of the game," Scheuerell said.
Beavers southpaw Jarrett Bauman allowed just three hits the rest of the way, while striking out four batters in the complete-game losing effort.
"(Jarrett) has been great," Argyle player-manager Travis Erickson said. "He pitches to contact and he's effective because he has so much stuff. He can throw five pitches for strikes. It's disappointing when you don't give a guy run support when he pitches so well."
Argyle gave itself scoring opportunities every step of the way. The Beavers collected nine hits, three walks and a hit-batter to go with three Monroe errors. However, the Brewers got out of big innings with rally-killing catches, nabbing runners stealing, and turning sacrifice bunts into fielder's choice outs.
"We needed a breakout day, and as many hits as we had, that should be a breakout day. But we couldn't string any hits together. We never had more than two hits in any inning," Erickson said.
"But (Monroe is) a good defensive team. We had guys on and we had chances, but they wouldn't allow us to take advantage of any situation."
Argyle left the bases loaded in the fourth and stranded a pair of runners in the third, sixth, seventh and ninth innings. In all, the Beavers left 15 runners on base - 10 in scoring position.
"We knew this was a big game," Erickson said. "Our pitching staff has been fine, we have the depth. But we leave so many guys on base. This snaps our seven-game winning streak. Now we have a week off and then we come back against Verona."
Monroe catcher and co-player-manager Rooney Janecke liked what he saw from his defense on his birthday.
"We played pretty solid defense, and our pitching was pretty solid, too," Janecke said. "Our hitting was shaky, though."
Justin Crotty scored Argyle's only run in the third.
The Beavers spoiled a golden opportunity in the ninth. Tyler Ritschard led off the inning by getting hit on the first pitch he saw. Joe Johnson, who went 3-for-5, then singled, putting runners at second and third. Ben Wallace's sacrifice bunt turned into a 1-5 fielder's choice putout to leave runners stuck at second and third.
A passed ball put both runners in scoring position, but Bryan Ritschard's grounder to third allowed Monroe's Matt Busjahn to throw out Johnson at the plate. Hahn's only strikeout came against Bauman to end the game. It was Hahn's fifth save this season.
Korth was pulled with two outs in the sixth after striking out two.
"Ben usually pitches Thursdays, but with (Saturday's) game against Wiota, we used Cody Boals a day early and had Ben to pitch today. Justin has been our main reliever all season. He comes in and shuts the door," Scheuerell said. "We have three solid guys who can come in and do well."
Lee Bohlman had two hits, a walk and reached safely five times for Argyle. Hahn was 2-4 and Cleary added three walks to his double to reach base in every plate appearance.
Saturday's games
Wiota 7, Monroe 5
MONROE - The Indians scored all seven runs in two innings to knock off Monroe in the annual Fourth of July game.
Wiota (3-7) took the lead for good in a four-run eighth inning, which was highlighted by Merrill Brunson's two-run homer.
Boals took the loss for Monroe in a game that saw soggy field conditions due to the rain.
"We'll still be tied for second in the league," Scheuerell said. "In this league, the top one through seven teams are all about equal. There isn't much of a gap in there. We didn't have our best game on defense, either. And Wiota can beat anybody on any day. We found that out."
Monroe is tied with Verona for second place in the Western Section. Hollandale leads with a record of 9-1.
Argyle 2, Blanchardville 1
BLANCHARDVILLE - The Beavers overcame a lack of offensive production to upend the Bullets (1-9).
Ben Wallace scored the first run to put Argyle up 1-0. Jarrett Bauman's RBI double in the fourth drove in the game-winner.
Blanchardville's Milton Kurschner scored in the fourth on an hit by Luke Syse after reaching and going from first to third on back-to-back wild pitches.
"It was just that kind of a day. We can't give up runs that way. We have to figure out how to take care of the ball," Erickson said.
Wallace pitched a complete game to get the win, striking out 16, walking one and allowing just two hits.
Blanchardville turned a rare triple play in the sixth inning.
Friday's game
Ridgeway 6, Blanchardville 5, 10 innings
BLANCHARDVILLE - The Bullets threw away the game in the 10th inning.
With two outs, Ridgeway's Tyler Peterson reached on an infield single but advanced to second on a throwing error. Moments later, Peterson dashed to third on a wild pitch, but the throw from the catcher to third went into left field and Peterson scored easily.
Blanchardville had tied the game up in the ninth, scoring all five runs on six hits, but left the bases loaded on a two-out, nine-pitch, full count at-bat that could have ended the game.
