MONROE - After falling behind by three runs, the Monroe High School baseball team's offense broke out for three runs in the second inning, but Madison Edgewood came back to hand the Cheesemakers a 5-4 loss on a chilly Tuesday.
"Getting down 2-0 (in the first inning) against a team that will probably finish at the top of the conference and battling back hopefully will be a confidence booster for the kids," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said.
In the first inning, Edgewood's Kyle McIvor singled and Cody Link followed with a single to left. McIvor scored on a passed ball and Monroe starting pitcher Taylor Meir walked the next batter. The Crusaders then added a second run on a hit-and-run single by Thomas Meyer to take a 2-0 lead.
Meir pitched a complete game and gave up just one earned run on six hits. He didn't record a strikeout but walked just two.
"Taylor Meir pitched a heck of a game," Huffman said. "He was very efficient. He pitched well enough to win. Our defense made a lot of plays. He was able to keep the ball down in the zone and get guys to hit a ground ball."
Monroe (1-1, 0-1 Badger South) rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the second. Monroe senior Jaron Kuester singled and junior Hogan Edwards walked. Sophomore Hunter Ward moved Kuester and Edwards into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Meir followed with an RBI single and junior Cole Murray had an RBI single to slice the Crusaders' lead to 3-2. Sawdey then walked with the bases loaded to score Edwards and tie the game at 3.
Murray went 2-for-3 with one RBI to lead the Cheesemakers. Edwards went 1-for-2 and Kuester was 1-for-3.
"We could tell early on that their pitcher (Jack McNeil) was up in the zone," Huffman said. "We did a good job of being patient. A lot of kids will get excited and swing out of the zone. We didn't do that. Once we got those three runs, I think the feeling in the dugout is we can play with them."
Edgewood's Ricky Leske went 2-for-3 to lead the Crusaders.
Monroe will host Oregon in a conference game Thursday. The Panthers won the Badger South Conference championship last year.
"If we go out and compete like we did tonight we will put ourselves in a position to win," Huffman said.
"Getting down 2-0 (in the first inning) against a team that will probably finish at the top of the conference and battling back hopefully will be a confidence booster for the kids," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said.
In the first inning, Edgewood's Kyle McIvor singled and Cody Link followed with a single to left. McIvor scored on a passed ball and Monroe starting pitcher Taylor Meir walked the next batter. The Crusaders then added a second run on a hit-and-run single by Thomas Meyer to take a 2-0 lead.
Meir pitched a complete game and gave up just one earned run on six hits. He didn't record a strikeout but walked just two.
"Taylor Meir pitched a heck of a game," Huffman said. "He was very efficient. He pitched well enough to win. Our defense made a lot of plays. He was able to keep the ball down in the zone and get guys to hit a ground ball."
Monroe (1-1, 0-1 Badger South) rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the second. Monroe senior Jaron Kuester singled and junior Hogan Edwards walked. Sophomore Hunter Ward moved Kuester and Edwards into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Meir followed with an RBI single and junior Cole Murray had an RBI single to slice the Crusaders' lead to 3-2. Sawdey then walked with the bases loaded to score Edwards and tie the game at 3.
Murray went 2-for-3 with one RBI to lead the Cheesemakers. Edwards went 1-for-2 and Kuester was 1-for-3.
"We could tell early on that their pitcher (Jack McNeil) was up in the zone," Huffman said. "We did a good job of being patient. A lot of kids will get excited and swing out of the zone. We didn't do that. Once we got those three runs, I think the feeling in the dugout is we can play with them."
Edgewood's Ricky Leske went 2-for-3 to lead the Crusaders.
Monroe will host Oregon in a conference game Thursday. The Panthers won the Badger South Conference championship last year.
"If we go out and compete like we did tonight we will put ourselves in a position to win," Huffman said.
