MONROE - Madison East rallied with one big inning to knock off Monroe 12-5 in a non-conference game Monday, May 6.
Monroe (1-10, 0-5 Badger South) jumped out to a 5-1 lead, but was doomed by one big inning and couldn't hang on for the win. Madison East batted around in an eight-run fourth inning against Monroe sophomore pitcher Logan Weckerly.
"You have to be happy and encouraged with the way we started out, but not the way we finished," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "We haven't played with a lead much this year. We just gave up one big inning. When you get a lead, you have to be sound defensively and throwing strikes. We made some wild pitches, walked some and made some errors and this is what happens. Hopefully, they take it as a learning experience."
Madison East's Aidan Baggot singled to lead off the fourth. Mike Mack, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, reached on an error. Madison East's Daniel Karlin-Kemin then lined a two-run double to center to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 5-3. Weckerly walked one and hit one. Madison East's Ryan Hinze, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, came through with a two-run double to tie the game at 5. The big blow came on Mack's two-run double to left that gave the Purgolders a 9-5 lead. Weckerly pitched 3 2/3 innings and gave up nine runs (five earned) on five hits.
"They started keying in on (Weckerly) and were getting him tied," Huffman said. "They had some good hitters in their top four. You have to give them credit."
The Cheesemakers squandered numerous scoring chances, stranding 13 runners and leaving the bases loaded in the second, sixth and seventh innings.
"Little things like that make a difference in the game," Huffman said. "We have to get runs in when we get the chance."
Early on, it looked like the Cheesemakers may slug their way to the win. The Cheesemakers scored four runs in the second. They took advantage of Madison East starting pitcher Zach Zilm's wildness. Zilm walked four in the second and walked in a run. Monroe junior Ryan Hughes doubled in the second. He scored on a wild pitch. Senior Kevin Klopfenstein lined a single to center and sophomore Sean Saxby knocked in a run on an infield single to give the Cheesemakers a 5-1 lead. Saxby went 2-for-2 with two walks. Monroe freshman Jaron Kuester went 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored and Hughes was 2-for-4. Zilm lasted just 1 1/3 innings and gave up five runs on two hits. He walked five.
"We were just feeling it and scoring runs," Saxby said of the Cheesemakers batting around the order in the second. "That is what good baseball teams do. It just went downhill from there unfortunately."
Madison East junior Chris Clemitus pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout relief.
Madison East's A.J. Barlow hit a solo home run to right off Monroe senior relief pitcher Ryan Erickson. The Cheesemakers committed two errors in the fifth and that led to one unearned run to give the Purgolders an 11-5 lead. Erickson pitched 3 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on two hits.
The Cheesemakers, who have lost seven straight games, played without senior Alex Einbeck, who suffered a partial terror in a tendon in his ankle against Waunakee.
"We have to keep our heads up when we get down and not make the hole any worse with errors," Saxby said. "We have to keep playing through the inning. We made a couple of errors and we should have been out of the inning. They could just flat out hit."
Monroe (1-10, 0-5 Badger South) jumped out to a 5-1 lead, but was doomed by one big inning and couldn't hang on for the win. Madison East batted around in an eight-run fourth inning against Monroe sophomore pitcher Logan Weckerly.
"You have to be happy and encouraged with the way we started out, but not the way we finished," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "We haven't played with a lead much this year. We just gave up one big inning. When you get a lead, you have to be sound defensively and throwing strikes. We made some wild pitches, walked some and made some errors and this is what happens. Hopefully, they take it as a learning experience."
Madison East's Aidan Baggot singled to lead off the fourth. Mike Mack, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, reached on an error. Madison East's Daniel Karlin-Kemin then lined a two-run double to center to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 5-3. Weckerly walked one and hit one. Madison East's Ryan Hinze, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, came through with a two-run double to tie the game at 5. The big blow came on Mack's two-run double to left that gave the Purgolders a 9-5 lead. Weckerly pitched 3 2/3 innings and gave up nine runs (five earned) on five hits.
"They started keying in on (Weckerly) and were getting him tied," Huffman said. "They had some good hitters in their top four. You have to give them credit."
The Cheesemakers squandered numerous scoring chances, stranding 13 runners and leaving the bases loaded in the second, sixth and seventh innings.
"Little things like that make a difference in the game," Huffman said. "We have to get runs in when we get the chance."
Early on, it looked like the Cheesemakers may slug their way to the win. The Cheesemakers scored four runs in the second. They took advantage of Madison East starting pitcher Zach Zilm's wildness. Zilm walked four in the second and walked in a run. Monroe junior Ryan Hughes doubled in the second. He scored on a wild pitch. Senior Kevin Klopfenstein lined a single to center and sophomore Sean Saxby knocked in a run on an infield single to give the Cheesemakers a 5-1 lead. Saxby went 2-for-2 with two walks. Monroe freshman Jaron Kuester went 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored and Hughes was 2-for-4. Zilm lasted just 1 1/3 innings and gave up five runs on two hits. He walked five.
"We were just feeling it and scoring runs," Saxby said of the Cheesemakers batting around the order in the second. "That is what good baseball teams do. It just went downhill from there unfortunately."
Madison East junior Chris Clemitus pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout relief.
Madison East's A.J. Barlow hit a solo home run to right off Monroe senior relief pitcher Ryan Erickson. The Cheesemakers committed two errors in the fifth and that led to one unearned run to give the Purgolders an 11-5 lead. Erickson pitched 3 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on two hits.
The Cheesemakers, who have lost seven straight games, played without senior Alex Einbeck, who suffered a partial terror in a tendon in his ankle against Waunakee.
"We have to keep our heads up when we get down and not make the hole any worse with errors," Saxby said. "We have to keep playing through the inning. We made a couple of errors and we should have been out of the inning. They could just flat out hit."
