BELOIT — Monroe lost a heartbreaker in the WIAA Division 2 regional semifinals on June 15, losing to top-seeded Beloit Turner 1-0 in eight innings.
In the bottom of the eighth, Turner’s Grant Revels singled to left on a 2-2 pitch. Monroe’s Henry Brukwicki struck out the next batter, but then intentionally walked Connor Hughes to put runners on first and second. On the very next pitch, Revels scored on a walk-off double by Cal Ries.
Brukwicki, Monroe’s ace, went the distance (7.1 IP). He struck out eight with two walks and a hit batter on 96 pitches. At the dish, Brukwicki, Tyler Matley and Matt Sniff collected Monroe’s three lone hits, with Evan Beyer and George Brukwicki drawing walks. Charles Briggs was also hit by a pitch.
Monroe had a chance to plate a run in the fourth, as Henry Brukwicki singled, followed by Briggs’ hit by pitch and then a Matley single to load the bases. Turner’s Jackson Burk then struck out Preston Ambrose and George Brukwicki looking, and Sniff flew out to center to end the threat. In the seventh and eighth innings Monroe also left a runner stranded.
Burk struck out 14 in the game, allowing just three hits and a walk before reaching his pitch count after the seventh inning. Revels struck out two and walked one in the eighth.
WIAA Division 5 Regionals
Shullsburg-Benton 5, Pecatonica 2
BLANCHARDVILLE — The top-seeded Vikings were shocked by fifth-seeded Shullsburg-Benton June 15 in a WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal.
The Miners grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning and made it 2-0 headed into the bottom of the third.
Pecatonica broke the egg in the next half inning, as three walks loaded the bases with one out. Kegun Brunker then hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Hunter Enloe, but Coy Ruegsegger struck out swinging to end the threat.
In the fourth inning, a two-out error by Bryce Johnsrud kept the inning alive. The Miners then plated three runs on a walk, a double and an error on an infield pop fly to go up 5-1.
Pecatonica loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth, but back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout ended the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Johnsrud walked with one out and went to third on an Elijah Knutson double. A groundout by Brunker scored Johnsrud, but Ruegsegger went down swinging five pitches later to end the ball game.
Knutson, Johnson, Ruegsegger, Dakota Doescher and Tyler McKeon all pitched for Pecatonica. Just two of the five runs were earned. The Miners walked seven times and collected six hits and a hit-by-pitch with seven strikeouts.
Nathan Keleher started for Shullsburg-Benton, tossing five innings and allowing two hits and seven walks with five strikeouts. Nate Lawrence pitched the sixth and seventh to pick up the save.
Pecatonica was just 3-for-22 at the plate. Johnsrud walked three times, whole Knutson and Enloe walked twice. Keleher had two hits and two RBIs for S/B, and teammate Brendan Kudronowisz also chipped in with two hits. Ben Bean scored twice.
Barneveld 4, Argyle 2
BARNEVELD — The Orioles nearly knocked off second-seeded Barneveld June 15 in a WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal.
Argyle led 2-1 headed into the bottom of the fifth inning. That’s when the Eagles scored three runs, turning the game upside down.
Facing Max Godfrey, Barneveld loaded the bases with no outs to open the fifth. A groundout brought in a run to tie it at 2-2, then a hit by pitch gave the Eagles the lead. Buddy Gerber came in to relieve and got Kasey Helgeson to line out to Jayden Johnson at short, but an error brought in one more run before the inning ended.
The Orioles didn’t go down without a fight. In the top of the seventh, Argyle loaded the bases with nobody out. Chase Ignatius, pitching in relief, struck out the side to end the game.
Clay Ritschard tossed 4.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) with three strikeouts, three hits and four walks. Gerber pitched a clean 2/3 of an inning, and Johnson was perfect in the sixth, striking out one.
Thomas Nelson had Argyle’s only hit against Barneveld, which came in the top of the seventh. Three Eagles pitchers combined to strike out 17 hitters and allow five walks with two hit batters. Aiden Fishnick, the starter, had 14 strikeouts and four walks in six hitless innings before reaching his pitch limit.
