MONROE — Senior Michael Lange has shaken off the early season cobwebs and turned in back-to-back solid performances for the Cheesemakers. 

After taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning in an eventual loss to Fort Atkinson April 16, Lange gave Evansville all the Devils could handle April 23. 

“I felt pretty good out there,” Lange said after the 2-1 nonconference loss.

Out of the 20 batters he faced, Lange threw 14 first-pitch strikes. Getting ahead in the count paid dividends, as he finished with 10 strikeouts and allowed just three hits and a walk. Just one of the two runs against Lange were earned. 

“He threw awesome tonight,” Monroe coach Eric Losenegger said. “His last two times out, we can’t ask for anything more from him. We have to make a couple plays for him, and that’s kind of been the story of our season.”

In the first inning, Evansville’s leadoff man Carson Hill singled to center on an 0-2 count. Hill advanced to second on a groundout and scored after an error by Monroe shortstop Nick Benkert.

Lange took over after that, including striking out the side in the second. Will Peterson led off the fifth inning with a double to deep right, and Lange walked his only batter one spot later. A bunt pop-out and a strikeout later and the Cheesemakers appeared poised to get out of the threat, but the runners advanced up a bag on a wild pitch and Hill picked up his second hit of the day on a full-count single to right.

Monroe threatened in the bottom half of the inning as thunderstorms were barreling down on the area. 

Henry Brukwicki singled to lead off the frame and Tyler Matley hit a light chopper to third to put two men on. Payton Sawdey then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners, but a flicker of lightning in the distance paused the game for 30 minutes, slowing down Monroe’s momentum.

After a brief shower and the lightning delay ending, Stauffacher, Monroe’s No. 3 hitter, walked to the plate but flew out to left field with a heavy wind blowing in. With Jared Dillon batting, Brukwicki would score on a balk by Evansville pitcher Ivan Wissinger. Dillon would strike out on three pitches.

“It was a perfect situation for us — one out with Payton Stauffacher up. He’s been clutch for us all year long. I really wanted to see us get back out there for that an take a shot and see where we ended up on it,” Losenegger said.

Max Golembiewski pitched a scoreless top of the sixth for Monroe, but a more prominent bolt of lightning (and the lack of adequate lighting to continue after a delay) ended the game between innings.

Evansville threw four pitchers in the game, which struck out five Cheesemakers and allowed three hits and five walks.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword. When you’re throwing a new guy out there every inning or two innings, it’s a different look,” Losenegger said. “We squared up a couple of balls early on and the left field made a nice catch on the one and the center fielder made a catch on the other. The way the wind was blowing it, it kind of knocked it down. It gets in your head a little bit and you start to press.”

Milton 11, Monroe 1

MILTON — The Red Hawks scored in every inning and used a four-run second to set the tone.

Jared Cline took the loss on the hill for Monroe, allowing six runs (two earned) on seven hits in 2.1 innings of work. Trevor Meier tossed 2.2 innings in relief, allowing four earned runs on a walk and eight hits, and Jared Baumgartner got an out in the sixth before allowing the walk-off hit to end the game early.

The Cheesemakers were held to just three hits and two walks by Milton starter Evan Jackson, who also struck out eight.

Monroe’s lone run came in the top of the fifth when Conner Foley hit an RBI pinch-hit single to drive in Hayden Zahradka. Milton leadoff hitter Keegan Knutson was 5 for 5 with four runs, three RBIs, five steals and a triple.