MONROE - Errors, pitching and the absence of timely hitting left the Cheesemakers out of the win column twice in one day.
Monroe's baseball teeam dropped both games of a home doubleheader Saturday to Badger North rival Waunakee.
"We made about 50 percent of our plays," head coach Steve Christensen said. "We either do it half right and we can't finish it, or we have a bad start."
Game 1: Waunakee 12, Monroe 7
In the opening contest, Cheesemakers starting pitcher Mike Rear started well before control issues got the best of him.
On the second pitch of the game, Waunakee's Derek Lyght smoked a double to right field. Lyght scored three batters later and the Warriors added a second run before Monroe got to the plate. The top half of the inning ended with shortstop Scott Kline making a leaping grab, robbing the Warriors of a base hit.
In the bottom of the first, Monroe scored three runs. Justin Rackow singled, Mike Demianiuk, Taylor Weckerly and Cory Kundert walked consecutively, forcing a pitching change. Lyght took the mound with just one out. Demianiuk scored on a passed ball and Rear singled in another run to give the Cheesemakers a 3-2 lead.
Waunakee scored three runs in the second and four in the third, knocking Rear out of the game.
"I hoped that we could get Cory Kundert in for the sixth or the seventh, hoping the game would still be close," Christensen said. "That affected us quite a bit."
Jon Elmer took over on the mound for Monroe, pitching 2 1/3 innings.
"I put Elmer in there to see what he could do for us, and he didn't do too bad," Christensen said.
Monroe didn't get on the board again until the bottom of the fourth, when it scored four runs. Alex Capesius reached on an error and scored when sophomore catcher Mitchell Marty doubled down the left-field line. Rackow was hit by a pitch and Demianiuk walked again, loading the bases. Weckerly singled to drive in two runs and Kundert reached on a fielder's choice throwing error, scoring Demianiuk.
However, Waunakee scored one more run in the fifth and Monroe gave the ball to Kundert to finish the game on the hill. Though he kept the Warriors off the board, the Cheesemakers couldn't make up any ground.
Lyght finished the game 4-for-5 with three runs scored for the Warriors. No one from Monroe had two hits, though Demianiuk and Kundert reached base three times and Marty, Rackow, Weckerly and Rear each reached twice.
Game 2: Waunakee 13, Monroe 3 (5 innings)
Junior Chris Rieder started on the mound. Lyght scored an unearned run in the first for Waunakee's only run.
In the top of the second, Monroe tied the score. Rieder led off with a walk and Kline, the courtesy runner, stole both second and third and scored when the throw to third went into left field. The Cheesemakers took the lead when Elmer singled with two outs. The Warriors plated two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-2 lead.
The third inning went scoreless, but the fourth was yet another big inning for Waunakee.
"We let the wheels go off," Christensen said. "We need somebody to make a play. We need somebody to step up and be a leader - and it has to be somebody between the chalk lines."
Monroe tied the score at 3-3, but Waunakee plated six runs in the bottom half to stretch the score to 9-3.
Rieder was pulled in the fourth inning after allowing 9 runs (5 earned) on six hits, while walking two and hitting another batter. Kundert came into the game and pitched an inning, but was tagged for four runs.
Alex Dammen made a late appearance in relief from center field.
"Alex Dammen probably hasn't thrown a pitch since he was probably 12," Christensen said. "You have to throw with what you got. Demianiuk threw just two days ago and we couldn't use him. He can throw a full game on 70 pitches, and I don't think some of these other guys realize how they can do that. You have to throw strikes."
Dammen faced four batters. The first reached on an error when a routine fly ball dropped to the ground in shallow right field. He then hit a batter, got a fly out to center field, and, with the bases loaded, hit a batter to drive in the final run the Warriors needed for the 10-run mercy rule.
"We do swing and miss a lot. When we make contact right now, they are mostly foul balls. We're not hitting anything too hard right now," Christensen said.
Demianiuk, Rieder and catcher Taylor Huffman each reached base twice. Monroe could only conjure up four hits in the loss.
Monroe plays again Tuesday at Fort Atkinson.
Monroe's baseball teeam dropped both games of a home doubleheader Saturday to Badger North rival Waunakee.
"We made about 50 percent of our plays," head coach Steve Christensen said. "We either do it half right and we can't finish it, or we have a bad start."
Game 1: Waunakee 12, Monroe 7
In the opening contest, Cheesemakers starting pitcher Mike Rear started well before control issues got the best of him.
On the second pitch of the game, Waunakee's Derek Lyght smoked a double to right field. Lyght scored three batters later and the Warriors added a second run before Monroe got to the plate. The top half of the inning ended with shortstop Scott Kline making a leaping grab, robbing the Warriors of a base hit.
In the bottom of the first, Monroe scored three runs. Justin Rackow singled, Mike Demianiuk, Taylor Weckerly and Cory Kundert walked consecutively, forcing a pitching change. Lyght took the mound with just one out. Demianiuk scored on a passed ball and Rear singled in another run to give the Cheesemakers a 3-2 lead.
Waunakee scored three runs in the second and four in the third, knocking Rear out of the game.
"I hoped that we could get Cory Kundert in for the sixth or the seventh, hoping the game would still be close," Christensen said. "That affected us quite a bit."
Jon Elmer took over on the mound for Monroe, pitching 2 1/3 innings.
"I put Elmer in there to see what he could do for us, and he didn't do too bad," Christensen said.
Monroe didn't get on the board again until the bottom of the fourth, when it scored four runs. Alex Capesius reached on an error and scored when sophomore catcher Mitchell Marty doubled down the left-field line. Rackow was hit by a pitch and Demianiuk walked again, loading the bases. Weckerly singled to drive in two runs and Kundert reached on a fielder's choice throwing error, scoring Demianiuk.
However, Waunakee scored one more run in the fifth and Monroe gave the ball to Kundert to finish the game on the hill. Though he kept the Warriors off the board, the Cheesemakers couldn't make up any ground.
Lyght finished the game 4-for-5 with three runs scored for the Warriors. No one from Monroe had two hits, though Demianiuk and Kundert reached base three times and Marty, Rackow, Weckerly and Rear each reached twice.
Game 2: Waunakee 13, Monroe 3 (5 innings)
Junior Chris Rieder started on the mound. Lyght scored an unearned run in the first for Waunakee's only run.
In the top of the second, Monroe tied the score. Rieder led off with a walk and Kline, the courtesy runner, stole both second and third and scored when the throw to third went into left field. The Cheesemakers took the lead when Elmer singled with two outs. The Warriors plated two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-2 lead.
The third inning went scoreless, but the fourth was yet another big inning for Waunakee.
"We let the wheels go off," Christensen said. "We need somebody to make a play. We need somebody to step up and be a leader - and it has to be somebody between the chalk lines."
Monroe tied the score at 3-3, but Waunakee plated six runs in the bottom half to stretch the score to 9-3.
Rieder was pulled in the fourth inning after allowing 9 runs (5 earned) on six hits, while walking two and hitting another batter. Kundert came into the game and pitched an inning, but was tagged for four runs.
Alex Dammen made a late appearance in relief from center field.
"Alex Dammen probably hasn't thrown a pitch since he was probably 12," Christensen said. "You have to throw with what you got. Demianiuk threw just two days ago and we couldn't use him. He can throw a full game on 70 pitches, and I don't think some of these other guys realize how they can do that. You have to throw strikes."
Dammen faced four batters. The first reached on an error when a routine fly ball dropped to the ground in shallow right field. He then hit a batter, got a fly out to center field, and, with the bases loaded, hit a batter to drive in the final run the Warriors needed for the 10-run mercy rule.
"We do swing and miss a lot. When we make contact right now, they are mostly foul balls. We're not hitting anything too hard right now," Christensen said.
Demianiuk, Rieder and catcher Taylor Huffman each reached base twice. Monroe could only conjure up four hits in the loss.
Monroe plays again Tuesday at Fort Atkinson.
