MONROE - For five innings, Monroe senior southpaw Ryan Erickson kept the Cheesemakers within striking distance against Madison Edgewood.
However, the Crusaders scored four runs on five Cheesemakers' errors and cruised to an 11-2 win Tuesday.
"We were plagued by errors like last year," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "If we continue to make errors, it puts more pressure on our pitchers to be perfect and on our offense to always play catch-up. (Edgewood) are always a team you like to compete against. They somehow always get to sectionals and state every year."
Erickson pitched five innings and gave up just two earned runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked five.
"It took a little bit to get back into it because we haven't played a game in two weeks," Erickson said. "It took a little bit to get adjusted. Once I got in the zone, I felt pretty good. When I pitched it where the coaches told me, I think they had a hard time hitting it."
With the loss, Monroe drops to 0-2. Huffman was pleased with Erickson's pitching performance.
"He was able to throw his off-speed pitches for strikes," Huffman said. "He was able to keep Edgewood off-balance. In both games this year, our starting pitchers have pitched well enough to win. Hopefully, (Erickson) will continue to get better."
Erickson walked Edgewood's Aaron Mack in the second inning. Mack stole second and Erickson hit Parker Alsteens. Sam Schemmel, who was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, lined a single to center. Edgewood's Colten Demorett had an RBI single in the third and Alsteens lined an RBI double to left to give the Crusaders a 4-0 lead.
The Cheesemakers battled back in the bottom of the third. Monroe junior Ryan Hughes crushed a double to center. Senior Alex Einbeck, who went 2-for-4, beat out an infield single to set up a golden scoring opportunity. Senior Mitch Riese smoked a two-run double to center to cut the Crusaders' lead to 4-2.
Fielding miscues came back to haunt the Cheesemakers in the fourth. With two outs, Erickson induced the groundball he needed to get out of a jam. The Cheesemakers committed an error and the Crusaders scored to take a 5-2 lead. With two outs in the sixth, Monroe senior relief pitcher Lane Berndt also appeared to get the groundball he needed to get out of a jam. The Cheesemakers' made an error and the Crusaders scored to take a 6-2 lead and that kept the inning alive. Berndt pitched one inning in relief and gave up five runs on three hits. He walked two and hit two. Senior Trent Wyssbrod pitched one shutout inning in relief.
"Those were two big plays," Huffman said of the errors in the fourth and sixth. "If we make those plays we are still sitting, at worst, at 5-2 or 6-2. With Edgewood being a good hitting team and hitting the ball on the ground that is all you can ask for. When we get those opportunities, we have to make those plays. Our guys are all capable of making plays."
However, the Crusaders scored four runs on five Cheesemakers' errors and cruised to an 11-2 win Tuesday.
"We were plagued by errors like last year," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "If we continue to make errors, it puts more pressure on our pitchers to be perfect and on our offense to always play catch-up. (Edgewood) are always a team you like to compete against. They somehow always get to sectionals and state every year."
Erickson pitched five innings and gave up just two earned runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked five.
"It took a little bit to get back into it because we haven't played a game in two weeks," Erickson said. "It took a little bit to get adjusted. Once I got in the zone, I felt pretty good. When I pitched it where the coaches told me, I think they had a hard time hitting it."
With the loss, Monroe drops to 0-2. Huffman was pleased with Erickson's pitching performance.
"He was able to throw his off-speed pitches for strikes," Huffman said. "He was able to keep Edgewood off-balance. In both games this year, our starting pitchers have pitched well enough to win. Hopefully, (Erickson) will continue to get better."
Erickson walked Edgewood's Aaron Mack in the second inning. Mack stole second and Erickson hit Parker Alsteens. Sam Schemmel, who was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, lined a single to center. Edgewood's Colten Demorett had an RBI single in the third and Alsteens lined an RBI double to left to give the Crusaders a 4-0 lead.
The Cheesemakers battled back in the bottom of the third. Monroe junior Ryan Hughes crushed a double to center. Senior Alex Einbeck, who went 2-for-4, beat out an infield single to set up a golden scoring opportunity. Senior Mitch Riese smoked a two-run double to center to cut the Crusaders' lead to 4-2.
Fielding miscues came back to haunt the Cheesemakers in the fourth. With two outs, Erickson induced the groundball he needed to get out of a jam. The Cheesemakers committed an error and the Crusaders scored to take a 5-2 lead. With two outs in the sixth, Monroe senior relief pitcher Lane Berndt also appeared to get the groundball he needed to get out of a jam. The Cheesemakers' made an error and the Crusaders scored to take a 6-2 lead and that kept the inning alive. Berndt pitched one inning in relief and gave up five runs on three hits. He walked two and hit two. Senior Trent Wyssbrod pitched one shutout inning in relief.
"Those were two big plays," Huffman said of the errors in the fourth and sixth. "If we make those plays we are still sitting, at worst, at 5-2 or 6-2. With Edgewood being a good hitting team and hitting the ball on the ground that is all you can ask for. When we get those opportunities, we have to make those plays. Our guys are all capable of making plays."
