MONROE - Junior Cole Murray and the Monroe baseball team continues to find ways to pull out wins late in tight games.
The latest example came against Reedsburg as Monroe rebounded Friday after giving up a three-run lead. Murray's RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning scored junior Carter Sawdey to give the Cheesemakers a thrilling walk-off 5-4 win. It's the second straight win for Monroe (10-7, 5-3 Badger South) in the seventh inning or later.
The win against a Division 1 team like Reedsburg could be pivotal for Monroe when it comes time for seeding for the regional tournament.
"If we want to get one of the top three seeds, just about every game is a playoff game from here on out," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said.
Murray went 2-for-5 with two RBI to lead the Cheesemakers. Monroe's Brad Ripp cruised through the first five innings pitching. Ripp pitched 61⁄3 innings and gave up three earned runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked three.
Reedsburg scored three runs in the sixth to tie the game at 3.
Monroe junior Hunter Weckerly pitched 22⁄3 innings in relief to get the win. He gave up one unearned run on three hits. He struck out one and walked one.
Huffman was impressed by Ripp's performance and knows he could have been awarded with the win.
"We continue to put him in some big situations," Huffman said of Ripp. "He's pitching well. He keeps us in the game. It would have been nice to get him the win. Baseball is a game of picking each other up and right now we are in a very good place with that."
The Cheesemakers scored three runs in the second inning after there were two outs. Reedsburg starting pitcher Nathan Adelman walked Monroe senior Jaron Kuester. Kuester then stole second. Adelman then walked Monroe junior Hogan Edwards. Senior Brent Edmunds moved both Kuester and Edwards into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Adelman then walked junior Isaac Allen.
Monroe junior Jacob Ritschard delivered a two-out RBI single on a liner to right field to give the Cheesemakers a 1-0 lead. Sawdey then looked like he had grounded out, but was awarded an RBI single on a catcher's interference call. Murray followed with an RBI single to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
Monroe turned in several strong defensive plays. Monroe sophomore shortstop Hunter Ward and Murray at second base turned a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play in the second. Ritschard made a diving catch in right field in the third to rob Reedsburg of a hit. Kuester caught a fly ball in the fifth and threw a runner out at the plate to preserve the Cheesemakers' 3-0 lead.
"We tend to as a group to make some tough plays," Huffman said. "Kuester's throw out at the plate was huge. Those are the plays that keep us in the game especially a one-run game. That is the difference between a win and a loss in an extra-inning game."
After the Beavers scored three runs in the sixth and one unearned run in the eighth to take a 4-3 lead, the Cheesemakers answered in the bottom of the eighth.
Monroe senior Garrett Gogin singled in the eighth. Kuester followed with a single. Edwards reached on an error to load the bases. Allen drove in the game-tying run on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4. That set the stages for a dramatic finish in the ninth.
Sawdey lined a double to right center in the ninth. Then Murray came through with a clutch-game winning RBI double.
"We told the guys we will probably play a lot of games like this when we get to the postseason," Huffman said. "Every time we get in a situation like this it will definitely help for later in the year."
The latest example came against Reedsburg as Monroe rebounded Friday after giving up a three-run lead. Murray's RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning scored junior Carter Sawdey to give the Cheesemakers a thrilling walk-off 5-4 win. It's the second straight win for Monroe (10-7, 5-3 Badger South) in the seventh inning or later.
The win against a Division 1 team like Reedsburg could be pivotal for Monroe when it comes time for seeding for the regional tournament.
"If we want to get one of the top three seeds, just about every game is a playoff game from here on out," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said.
Murray went 2-for-5 with two RBI to lead the Cheesemakers. Monroe's Brad Ripp cruised through the first five innings pitching. Ripp pitched 61⁄3 innings and gave up three earned runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked three.
Reedsburg scored three runs in the sixth to tie the game at 3.
Monroe junior Hunter Weckerly pitched 22⁄3 innings in relief to get the win. He gave up one unearned run on three hits. He struck out one and walked one.
Huffman was impressed by Ripp's performance and knows he could have been awarded with the win.
"We continue to put him in some big situations," Huffman said of Ripp. "He's pitching well. He keeps us in the game. It would have been nice to get him the win. Baseball is a game of picking each other up and right now we are in a very good place with that."
The Cheesemakers scored three runs in the second inning after there were two outs. Reedsburg starting pitcher Nathan Adelman walked Monroe senior Jaron Kuester. Kuester then stole second. Adelman then walked Monroe junior Hogan Edwards. Senior Brent Edmunds moved both Kuester and Edwards into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Adelman then walked junior Isaac Allen.
Monroe junior Jacob Ritschard delivered a two-out RBI single on a liner to right field to give the Cheesemakers a 1-0 lead. Sawdey then looked like he had grounded out, but was awarded an RBI single on a catcher's interference call. Murray followed with an RBI single to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
Monroe turned in several strong defensive plays. Monroe sophomore shortstop Hunter Ward and Murray at second base turned a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play in the second. Ritschard made a diving catch in right field in the third to rob Reedsburg of a hit. Kuester caught a fly ball in the fifth and threw a runner out at the plate to preserve the Cheesemakers' 3-0 lead.
"We tend to as a group to make some tough plays," Huffman said. "Kuester's throw out at the plate was huge. Those are the plays that keep us in the game especially a one-run game. That is the difference between a win and a loss in an extra-inning game."
After the Beavers scored three runs in the sixth and one unearned run in the eighth to take a 4-3 lead, the Cheesemakers answered in the bottom of the eighth.
Monroe senior Garrett Gogin singled in the eighth. Kuester followed with a single. Edwards reached on an error to load the bases. Allen drove in the game-tying run on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4. That set the stages for a dramatic finish in the ninth.
Sawdey lined a double to right center in the ninth. Then Murray came through with a clutch-game winning RBI double.
"We told the guys we will probably play a lot of games like this when we get to the postseason," Huffman said. "Every time we get in a situation like this it will definitely help for later in the year."
