FORT ATKINSON - Senior Jaron Kuester had three hits, but the Monroe High School baseball team dropped a Badger Conference game to Fort Atkinson 13-3 in five innings on Tuesday.
Kuester went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
"Jaron had two of the hardest hit balls I have seen in high school baseball," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "They were just ropes."
Fort Atkinson broke the game open by scoring five runs off Monroe junior pitcher Hunter Weckerly in the third inning.
Weckerly pitched three innings and gave up seven earned runs on seven hits. He struck out two and walked three.
"He (Weckerly) was 50 percent with his strike rate," Huffman said. "We would love to see him at 60 or 65 percent. His control was off. He didn't seem to have as much life on his fastball. Hopefully, this is a learning experience for him."
The Blackhawks had the leadoff hitter on every inning.
"He (Weckerly) got behind in the count and that puts you at a disadvantage," Huffman said. "Usually, when a team gets a leadoff hitter on they score."
Monroe senior Brent Edmunds pitched 11⁄3 innings and gave up four earned runs on one hit. He struck out one and walked two.
The game marked the first of six straight road games for the Cheesemakers. Monroe (4-5, 1-3 Badger South) will play at Monona Grove on Thursday.
"Early in my coaching career we won more games on the road than at home," Huffman said. "Sometimes when you have hot bats it's good to go out there and hit first and put some pressure on the defense and the other team."
Kuester went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
"Jaron had two of the hardest hit balls I have seen in high school baseball," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "They were just ropes."
Fort Atkinson broke the game open by scoring five runs off Monroe junior pitcher Hunter Weckerly in the third inning.
Weckerly pitched three innings and gave up seven earned runs on seven hits. He struck out two and walked three.
"He (Weckerly) was 50 percent with his strike rate," Huffman said. "We would love to see him at 60 or 65 percent. His control was off. He didn't seem to have as much life on his fastball. Hopefully, this is a learning experience for him."
The Blackhawks had the leadoff hitter on every inning.
"He (Weckerly) got behind in the count and that puts you at a disadvantage," Huffman said. "Usually, when a team gets a leadoff hitter on they score."
Monroe senior Brent Edmunds pitched 11⁄3 innings and gave up four earned runs on one hit. He struck out one and walked two.
The game marked the first of six straight road games for the Cheesemakers. Monroe (4-5, 1-3 Badger South) will play at Monona Grove on Thursday.
"Early in my coaching career we won more games on the road than at home," Huffman said. "Sometimes when you have hot bats it's good to go out there and hit first and put some pressure on the defense and the other team."
