WHITEWATER — The Monroe Cheesemaker baseball team picked up its first win of the season with a 6-5 victory over Brodhead-Juda on Saturday, April 15. The two teams played a doubleheader on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Prucha Field, where the Cardinals secured the split with an 8-1 win in game two.
After the first inning, where both teams scored one run, Monroe put up crooked numbers in the second and third innings.
Nicholas Welty singled in the second, followed by a full-count walk to Cole Meighan. Landon Stelter then drove in a run with a double to left. Tucker Markham’s two-out double to left brought Meighan and courtesy runner Elsen Gratz home for a 4-1 lead.
The Cheesemakers added two more runs in the second, as George Brukwicki scored on an RBI groundout from Welty. With two outs, Meighan hit a rope to right. David Masloske was unable to handle the ball, allowing Keatin Sweeney to score.
The Cardinals scored one run in four straight innings, mounting a comeback that fell just short. Brukwicki, who relieved starting pitcher Keegan Dahmen, faced one batter over the minimum in the seventh to earn the save.
At leadoff, Markham went 3-for-4 with two extra-base hits and two RBIs. For Brodhead-Juda, Gabe Bockhop went 2-for-3 with a triple and one run scored to lead the Cardinal offense. Clayton Elliott suffered the loss, giving up four earned runs on eight hits. He struck out eight batters and walked two.
In the nightcap, Brodhead-Juda used a pair of four-run innings to cruise by Monroe 8-1.
Ryan Searls and Masloske hit back-to-back singles to score the first run. The second came across on an error by first baseman Dan Prien.
Stelter, catching for relief pitcher Ethan Rosenstiel, allowed another run to score on a passed ball. Rosenstiel then walked in a run. He struck out the next to batters to get out of the inning.
In the sixth, back-to-back singles from Evan Senobe and Aidyn Vondra gave Brodhead-Juda a 6-1 lead. Trent Neeley then hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Vondra from third. After a Gabe Bockhop single and walk to Dawson Blum, Masloske doubled to left for an 8-1 lead, which proved to be the final.
Senobe earned the win, throwing six innings of three-hit ball. He struck out seven and walked four. Two of Monroe’s three hits came from leadoff batter, Brukwicki. He suffered the loss on the bump, giving up three earned runs on four hits.
MONONA GROVE 18, MONROE 1
MONROE — The Cheesemakers collected just two hits in its Badger Conference loss to the Eagles on Thursday, April 13. Meighan drove in the only run of the game on a one-out, bases-loaded grounder to the pitcher. Dahmen took the loss. He gave up just one earned run on four hits, striking out three.
EVANSVILLE 3, BRODHEAD-JUDA 2
EVANSVILLE— An RBI-single from Bennett Keller in the bottom of the seventh was the deciding factor in a Rock Valley Conference game on Friday, April 14. The Cardinals recorded three hits — one each from Neeley, Ryan Searls and Sam Searls. Relief pitcher Brody Riese suffered the loss, giving up five hits in 1 2/3 innings pitched.
