MONROE - Junior Taylor Meir was sharp and scattered six hits in a complete game to lead Monroe to a 9-1 win over Brodhead-Juda in a non-conference game Friday.
Meir gave up just one earned run. He struck out seven and walked one.
"I'm just very happy for Taylor and proud of him," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "He's been working really hard. He was able to get his breaking ball close enough to the zone to keep them off-balance. He looked confident and comfortable out there. We knew Taylor had it in him. Taylor took a step tonight."
Monroe (4-3, 1-2 Badger South) scored two runs in the first inning off Brodhead-Juda starting pitcher Blake Burns. Monroe senior Carter Adkins reached on an error and then stole second. Junior Garrett Gogin knocked Gogin in with an RBI double. Monroe senior Sean Saxby singled to right and Gogin later scored on a wild pitch to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead.
The Cheesemakers broke the game open with four unearned runs in the second. Monroe junior Brent Edmunds reached on an error and scored when a throw-down to third got away. Senior Matt Coplien walked and Adkins singled. Monroe senior Jacob Flannery, as a courtesy runner, scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-0. Burns then walked Gogin and Saxby. Sophomore teammate Hogan Edwards reached on an error and two unearned runs scored on the play to give the Cheesemakers a 6-0 lead. The Cardinals were plagued by five errors. With the loss, Brodhead-Juda drops to 0-4, 0-3 Rock Valley South.
"We are a young team," said Brodhead-Juda coach Brian Kammerer, who is filling in for Tom Nipple who was in the hospital. "We are looking at how we can improve every night. The score didn't show that. Monroe took advantage of us not making the fundamental plays. That is our sore spot now."
Monroe senior Bryan Wang went 1-for-2 with one RBI and Saxby was 1-for-1. Senior Desmond Ford had a two-run double and Gogin also had an RBI double.
Brodhead-Juda sophomore Matt Schmidt went 2-for-3 and Brennan Bescup was 2-for-4.
"From our first game to now, we are more productive at getting guys on," Kammerer said.
Burns pitched four innings and gave up five earned runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked five. Skylar Stuckey pitched two shutout innings in relief. Stuckey gave up two hits. He struck out three and walked one.
After getting home after a loss to Madison Edgewood at 12:30 a.m. from a late game Thursday, Huffman didn't know how much the Cheesemakers would have in the tank with several players battling illness.
"It's another aspect of baseball," Huffman said of the quick turnaround after the 16-6 loss to Edgewood at Warner Park. "It was a good experience to go through that and learn from it so we can use it later in the season when the games pile up. Hopefully, they can get some rest and we can get healthy."
Meir gave up just one earned run. He struck out seven and walked one.
"I'm just very happy for Taylor and proud of him," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "He's been working really hard. He was able to get his breaking ball close enough to the zone to keep them off-balance. He looked confident and comfortable out there. We knew Taylor had it in him. Taylor took a step tonight."
Monroe (4-3, 1-2 Badger South) scored two runs in the first inning off Brodhead-Juda starting pitcher Blake Burns. Monroe senior Carter Adkins reached on an error and then stole second. Junior Garrett Gogin knocked Gogin in with an RBI double. Monroe senior Sean Saxby singled to right and Gogin later scored on a wild pitch to give the Cheesemakers a 2-0 lead.
The Cheesemakers broke the game open with four unearned runs in the second. Monroe junior Brent Edmunds reached on an error and scored when a throw-down to third got away. Senior Matt Coplien walked and Adkins singled. Monroe senior Jacob Flannery, as a courtesy runner, scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-0. Burns then walked Gogin and Saxby. Sophomore teammate Hogan Edwards reached on an error and two unearned runs scored on the play to give the Cheesemakers a 6-0 lead. The Cardinals were plagued by five errors. With the loss, Brodhead-Juda drops to 0-4, 0-3 Rock Valley South.
"We are a young team," said Brodhead-Juda coach Brian Kammerer, who is filling in for Tom Nipple who was in the hospital. "We are looking at how we can improve every night. The score didn't show that. Monroe took advantage of us not making the fundamental plays. That is our sore spot now."
Monroe senior Bryan Wang went 1-for-2 with one RBI and Saxby was 1-for-1. Senior Desmond Ford had a two-run double and Gogin also had an RBI double.
Brodhead-Juda sophomore Matt Schmidt went 2-for-3 and Brennan Bescup was 2-for-4.
"From our first game to now, we are more productive at getting guys on," Kammerer said.
Burns pitched four innings and gave up five earned runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked five. Skylar Stuckey pitched two shutout innings in relief. Stuckey gave up two hits. He struck out three and walked one.
After getting home after a loss to Madison Edgewood at 12:30 a.m. from a late game Thursday, Huffman didn't know how much the Cheesemakers would have in the tank with several players battling illness.
"It's another aspect of baseball," Huffman said of the quick turnaround after the 16-6 loss to Edgewood at Warner Park. "It was a good experience to go through that and learn from it so we can use it later in the season when the games pile up. Hopefully, they can get some rest and we can get healthy."
