MONROE - Monroe High School first baseman Garrett Gogin snapped out of a slump and went 3-for-4 with three RBI Thursday, but defending Badger South Conference champion Oregon came back to knock off the Monroe baseball team 8-3.
For the second straight game, Monroe (1-2, 0-2 Badger South) rallied.
Gogin crushed a game-tying, two-run double to center field in the fifth inning to tie the game at 3.
"I have been in a slump, and I just broke out of it tonight," Gogin said.
It didn't take him long to turn on a fastball from Oregon pitcher Adam Heath.
"You always have to be ready for the fastball, otherwise it will blow past you," Gogin said. "It was right where I wanted it, so I was able to drive it out there."
Walks came back to haunt the Cheesemakers. Three Monroe pitchers combined for eight walks, four of which came around to score.
"Any time you walk that many it's tough to win," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "You have to make them earn it. We had a couple of errors and that led to two runs. If we can nip that in the bud we will be pretty successful."
Early on, it looked like Monroe would win a pitchers' duel. Monroe junior Carter Sawdey, who went 2-for-4, reached on an error leading off the first inning. Junior teammate Cole Murray moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Gogin then delivered with an RBI single up the middle to score Sawdey and give the Cheesemakers a 1-0 lead.
Monroe junior starting pitcher Hunter Weckerly was cruising early. Weckerly retired the first five batters he faced and retired eight of the first nine.
Weckerly pitched five innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits. He struck out two and walked five.
"I was very happy with the way Hunter Weckerly settled in," Huffman said. "There were a couple of innings where his (Weckerly's) control got away from him a little bit. He didn't let it snowball or affect him. He was able to make some pitches and get ground balls."
Weckerly got into a jam in the fourth. Oregon's Connor Zagrodnik beat out an infield single and Ben Weiland walked. The Panthers pulled off a double steal with Zagrodnik and Weiland. Zagrodnik raced in to score when Monroe catcher Isaac Allen's throw to third base got away, tying the game at 1. Oregon's Eric Modaff then reached on an error. When Modaff stole second, Allen's throw went to second baseman Cole Murray. Murray fired a perfect strike to the plate, and Allen tagged out Weiland. The Panthers took a 2-1 lead on Steven Davis' RBI single up the middle. With two outs, Weckerly wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam by getting Oregon's Jared Jones to ground out to Murray.
Heath turned in an impressive complete game for the Panthers. He pitched seven innings and gave up two earned runs off six hits. He struck out six, walked one and hit one.
The Cheesemakers were 2-for-10 hitting with runners in scoring position and left seven on base. In comparison, the Panthers went 4-for-13 at the plate with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.
"Once Heath got warmed up he had a lot of pop on the fastball, and he kept us off-balance with three or four pitches," Huffman said.
The Panthers extended their lead in the fifth when Weiland came through with an RBI single. However, the Cheesemakers threw out a runner at the plate on the play. Monroe right fielder Jacob Ritschard fired a perfect throw to Gogin whose relay throw home led to Allen tagging out Oregon's Pat Sommers.
"That's huge any time you can do that," Huffman said of the Cheesemakers throwing out two runners at the plate. "You keep yourself in the ballgame."
Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Cheesemakers rallied. Ritschard singled to right. He moved into scoring position when Heath's pickoff throw to first bounced away from first baseman Jordan Helmkamp. Sawdey followed with a single and then stole second. Gogin then smoked a two-out, two-run double to center that tied the game at 3.
The Panthers answered with a four-run sixth off Monroe junior relief pitcher Brad Ripp. Ripp walked three batters in the sixth and each came around to score. Jones had the big blow in the sixth - a two-run double that gave the Panthers a 6-3 lead. Dominic Maurice followed with an RBI single off Hogan Edwards to extend the Panthers' lead to 7-3.
"I told him don't let this define your season," Huffman said of Ripp's sixth inning where he struggled with his control. "It was just his first time on the mound. We know he can throw strikes. We expect him to throw strikes and to do it well. He's a big part of whether we will be successful."
Edwards pitched two innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He struck out two and didn't issue a walk.
"We were right there," Gogin said. "It's just a couple of plays that didn't go our way. If those couple of plays go our way that is the difference."
For the second straight game, Monroe (1-2, 0-2 Badger South) rallied.
Gogin crushed a game-tying, two-run double to center field in the fifth inning to tie the game at 3.
"I have been in a slump, and I just broke out of it tonight," Gogin said.
It didn't take him long to turn on a fastball from Oregon pitcher Adam Heath.
"You always have to be ready for the fastball, otherwise it will blow past you," Gogin said. "It was right where I wanted it, so I was able to drive it out there."
Walks came back to haunt the Cheesemakers. Three Monroe pitchers combined for eight walks, four of which came around to score.
"Any time you walk that many it's tough to win," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "You have to make them earn it. We had a couple of errors and that led to two runs. If we can nip that in the bud we will be pretty successful."
Early on, it looked like Monroe would win a pitchers' duel. Monroe junior Carter Sawdey, who went 2-for-4, reached on an error leading off the first inning. Junior teammate Cole Murray moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Gogin then delivered with an RBI single up the middle to score Sawdey and give the Cheesemakers a 1-0 lead.
Monroe junior starting pitcher Hunter Weckerly was cruising early. Weckerly retired the first five batters he faced and retired eight of the first nine.
Weckerly pitched five innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits. He struck out two and walked five.
"I was very happy with the way Hunter Weckerly settled in," Huffman said. "There were a couple of innings where his (Weckerly's) control got away from him a little bit. He didn't let it snowball or affect him. He was able to make some pitches and get ground balls."
Weckerly got into a jam in the fourth. Oregon's Connor Zagrodnik beat out an infield single and Ben Weiland walked. The Panthers pulled off a double steal with Zagrodnik and Weiland. Zagrodnik raced in to score when Monroe catcher Isaac Allen's throw to third base got away, tying the game at 1. Oregon's Eric Modaff then reached on an error. When Modaff stole second, Allen's throw went to second baseman Cole Murray. Murray fired a perfect strike to the plate, and Allen tagged out Weiland. The Panthers took a 2-1 lead on Steven Davis' RBI single up the middle. With two outs, Weckerly wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam by getting Oregon's Jared Jones to ground out to Murray.
Heath turned in an impressive complete game for the Panthers. He pitched seven innings and gave up two earned runs off six hits. He struck out six, walked one and hit one.
The Cheesemakers were 2-for-10 hitting with runners in scoring position and left seven on base. In comparison, the Panthers went 4-for-13 at the plate with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.
"Once Heath got warmed up he had a lot of pop on the fastball, and he kept us off-balance with three or four pitches," Huffman said.
The Panthers extended their lead in the fifth when Weiland came through with an RBI single. However, the Cheesemakers threw out a runner at the plate on the play. Monroe right fielder Jacob Ritschard fired a perfect throw to Gogin whose relay throw home led to Allen tagging out Oregon's Pat Sommers.
"That's huge any time you can do that," Huffman said of the Cheesemakers throwing out two runners at the plate. "You keep yourself in the ballgame."
Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Cheesemakers rallied. Ritschard singled to right. He moved into scoring position when Heath's pickoff throw to first bounced away from first baseman Jordan Helmkamp. Sawdey followed with a single and then stole second. Gogin then smoked a two-out, two-run double to center that tied the game at 3.
The Panthers answered with a four-run sixth off Monroe junior relief pitcher Brad Ripp. Ripp walked three batters in the sixth and each came around to score. Jones had the big blow in the sixth - a two-run double that gave the Panthers a 6-3 lead. Dominic Maurice followed with an RBI single off Hogan Edwards to extend the Panthers' lead to 7-3.
"I told him don't let this define your season," Huffman said of Ripp's sixth inning where he struggled with his control. "It was just his first time on the mound. We know he can throw strikes. We expect him to throw strikes and to do it well. He's a big part of whether we will be successful."
Edwards pitched two innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He struck out two and didn't issue a walk.
"We were right there," Gogin said. "It's just a couple of plays that didn't go our way. If those couple of plays go our way that is the difference."
