MONROE - Stoughton's Skip Gerber nearly accomplished a pitcher's dream Tuesday against the Monroe baseball team by throwing a complete-game 1-hitter. The lone hit came with two outs in the bottom of the final inning.
"He pitched well enough for a no-hitter," Monroe head coach Steve Christensen said after his team lost 7-0. "Our guys were probably making a bigger deal out of (breaking up the no-hitter) in the dugout than they needed to. We were still down 7-0."
Gerber blasted through the Cheesemakers' lineup, walking just three, while only four players reached base through the first 6 2/3 innings. Then, on a 2-2 count, Monroe's Cory Kundert rocked a deep fly to center field that landed safely on the warning track. Kundert rushed around second and made it to third, but was left stranded.
"We just don't have any confidence at the plate right now. We don't have any confidence hitting or fielding," Christensen said. "Last week we played three really good games. Now we can't hit, we can't throw, and we can't catch a fly ball."
Gerber ran through the Cheesemakers into the fifth inning. Matt Whipple broke up the perfect game with two outs in the fifth.
Monroe's only scoring threat came in the sixth. With two outs, Mitch Marty struck out but reached on a dropped third strike that squirted to the backstop. Scott Kline and Mike Demianiuk both walked to load the bases, but Taylor Weckerly flew out to center to end the inning.
"We were swinging at pitches that we shouldn't have, then looking at pitches we should have swung at," Christensen said.
In the field, things were just as bad. Monroe had five errors in the first three innings, three on consecutive plays in the second. Demianiuk did what he could to limit the scoring from the mound, and the Cheesemakers trailed just 2-0 after four.
"Mike did all right. He kept the ball high a little too much in the early innings and tried to work some guys too long," Christensen said. "They have some good hitters. But we didn't field ground balls and we couldn't catch any flies. In the end, Mike had to get more outs than he normally has to - and should have to."
In the fifth inning, Gerber tripled off the fence in right center. Stoughton then got a weak single into shallow right and a screamer to left. With runners on first and second, no outs and the score sitting at 3-0, Ben Hite hit a grounder toward second. Whipple bobbled the ball, then threw wildly to first base, allowing a run to score and the runners to advance to second and third.
By the time the inning was over, Monroe trailed 5-0. Stoughton scored a run in each of the final two innings. The Cheesemakers finished with eight errors, which accounted for five unearned runs.
"We did nothing well tonight. We didn't make a play. I think guys were just looking around, waiting for someone else to make a play. But no one did. We can't have that," Christensen said.
"He pitched well enough for a no-hitter," Monroe head coach Steve Christensen said after his team lost 7-0. "Our guys were probably making a bigger deal out of (breaking up the no-hitter) in the dugout than they needed to. We were still down 7-0."
Gerber blasted through the Cheesemakers' lineup, walking just three, while only four players reached base through the first 6 2/3 innings. Then, on a 2-2 count, Monroe's Cory Kundert rocked a deep fly to center field that landed safely on the warning track. Kundert rushed around second and made it to third, but was left stranded.
"We just don't have any confidence at the plate right now. We don't have any confidence hitting or fielding," Christensen said. "Last week we played three really good games. Now we can't hit, we can't throw, and we can't catch a fly ball."
Gerber ran through the Cheesemakers into the fifth inning. Matt Whipple broke up the perfect game with two outs in the fifth.
Monroe's only scoring threat came in the sixth. With two outs, Mitch Marty struck out but reached on a dropped third strike that squirted to the backstop. Scott Kline and Mike Demianiuk both walked to load the bases, but Taylor Weckerly flew out to center to end the inning.
"We were swinging at pitches that we shouldn't have, then looking at pitches we should have swung at," Christensen said.
In the field, things were just as bad. Monroe had five errors in the first three innings, three on consecutive plays in the second. Demianiuk did what he could to limit the scoring from the mound, and the Cheesemakers trailed just 2-0 after four.
"Mike did all right. He kept the ball high a little too much in the early innings and tried to work some guys too long," Christensen said. "They have some good hitters. But we didn't field ground balls and we couldn't catch any flies. In the end, Mike had to get more outs than he normally has to - and should have to."
In the fifth inning, Gerber tripled off the fence in right center. Stoughton then got a weak single into shallow right and a screamer to left. With runners on first and second, no outs and the score sitting at 3-0, Ben Hite hit a grounder toward second. Whipple bobbled the ball, then threw wildly to first base, allowing a run to score and the runners to advance to second and third.
By the time the inning was over, Monroe trailed 5-0. Stoughton scored a run in each of the final two innings. The Cheesemakers finished with eight errors, which accounted for five unearned runs.
"We did nothing well tonight. We didn't make a play. I think guys were just looking around, waiting for someone else to make a play. But no one did. We can't have that," Christensen said.
