MONROE — The Cheesemakers celebrated the home opener in style, punishing Stoughton pitchers en route to a 16-2 victory April 12.
After a scoreless first, Monroe broke the game open in the second inning, scoring eight runs in the frame that seemed endless in the Vikings dugout.
Brevin Rach opened the inning with a walk, then moved to third on a double into the right field corner by Trevor Schmitt. Keatin Sweeney then smoked a triple off the fence deep in right center, scoring both runners. Tucker Markham then walked to put runners on the corner, and Stoughton opted for a mound visit. Monroe’s No. 8 hitter, senior Chase Stoerp, then put his muscle into a heater and launched a no-doubt home run over the right center fence despite the left-to-right wind.
Four batters later George Brukwicki doubled into the left center gap. Two more runs scored on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Rach on the next toss. A new pitching ended the inning three batters later.
Stoughton scored twice in the top of the fourth, but Monroe responded with more runs of their own. Schmitt doubled to open the inning and Sweeney walked to put two runners on. Markham then singled in a run. With one out, Keegan Dahmen walked to load the bases, and leadoff batter Charles Briggs hit a two-run single. Later in the inning, Rach and Schmitt walked in runs with the bases loaded. Sweeney added a bases-clearing double with two outs to close out the scoring.
Henry Brukwicki pitched all five innings for Monroe, striking out 10 and allowing three hits, a walk and just one earned run. Monroe had 11 hits and nine walks as a team. Sweeney had four RBIs, while Briggs, Rach and Stoerp each had two. Henry Brukwicki, Schmitt, and Sweeney each had two hits. Rach and Schmitt both walked twice, while Briggs had a single, a walk and was hit by a pitch.