MONROE — The Cheesemakers capped the regular season against their postseason opener — Brodhead-Juda. With neither team wanting to show their hand for Thursday, the game cruised right along with both benches getting action in the lineup.

In the end, Monroe won the June 7 game 7-1, with its pitching staff combining for a 2-hitter.

“By no means did either team show their best. I don’t think they bunted a ton, and in running situations, they didn’t run a ton and neither did we,” said Eric Losenegger, Monroe’s head coach. “We were completely clean tonight — no errors. It’s the first game we’ve done that all year, and you see what happens. It was a very workmanlike effort by our pitching staff, by our offense, by our defense. When we do that, we can be pretty good and tough to beat. So now (with playoffs ahead) is the right time to do that.”

With the June 10 playoff game looming, both squads threw back-end starters and relievers on the mound. Monroe junior Chase Stoerp was efficient on the mound, giving up two hits, three walks and a pair of hit batters on 56 pitches across four innings. He struck out one and allowed a single run. 

“Chase went out and gave us four really good innings. He threw a ton of strikes and put balls in play,” Monroe head coach Eric Losenegger said.

Colin Foley pitched the final three innings for Monroe, striking out four and walking two on 52 pitches.

Brodhead-Juda used four pitches in the contest. Cooper Woelky tossed the first two innings, giving up a pair of runs in the first inning. Mason Kammerer allowed a run in the third, Evan Senobe was tagged for 3 runs in the fourth inning, and Connor Green allowed a run over two innings.

“We just want to make sure we have fresh arms and make sure that everyone’s in good shape down the home stretch,” Brodhead-Juda coach Aaron Guilbault said.

Stoerp worked a quick first inning. After beaning Green in the leadoff spot, he needed just six more pitches to get out of the inning. Green was erased as a baserunner when Chase Harnack’s rocket to the hot corner was snagged by Monroe’s Evan Beyer, who caught the liner and threw a laser to first for the double play. Two pitches later, Brady Malkow grounded out to second.

In the bottom half of the inning, Monroe scored twice. Beyer led off with a walk, and with one out, Charles Briggs doubled to center. Next up was Tyler Matley, who legged out an infield single into the left side gap. Beyer scored on the play. Two pitches later, Preston Ambrose grounded into a fielder’s choice at short, beating the throw to first, which allowed Briggs to score.

“We took advantage with runners on base, and that hasn’t always been the case this season,” Losenegger said. He added that some of his player’s hustle to beat throws at first base — Matley and Ambrose in particular — played major factors in the game. “They might seem like much, but we had a couple infield singles and ground balls with guys in scoring position, and those put runs on the board.”

Cade Walker hit a booming double to the wall in left center on the first pitch of the second inning, but Stoerp left him stranded at third. Brodhead’s only run came in the third when Malkow hit a two-out single to right field to score Green.

In the bottom half of the inning, Monroe added another run when Foley singled home Briggs from third. Briggs picked up an RBI an inning later, getting hit by a pitch with bases loaded. Matley, recently named second-team all-conference in the Badger South, tomahawked a double to right center to plate two more runs — the final at bat of his career.

“Tyler Matley played his last high school baseball game tonight. He’s got a couple-year family vacation has been planned and they are taking an RV and leaving Thursday morning,” Losenegger said. “This was a tough one. When your time starts to run out with your seniors, you tend to feel that a little bit more.”

Ambrose beat out an infield single to plate another run moments after Matley’s hammer. Monroe’s final run of the game came in the fifth inning. Max Golembiewski singled up the middle and scored on an Evan Beyer triple to center. 

The two teams knew that the playoff game would mean more than the regular season finale — because this time the loser’s season is over. Brodhead planned to throw Malkow, the team’s ace. Monroe planned to counter with its own ace, Henry Brukwicki.

“I know who they are going to throw on Thursday night, and he’s pretty good. We’re going to need to be on our game,” Losenegger said. “And then the kid we’re throwing on Thursday night is pretty good, too, so it will be a whole different ballgame. It will be important for us to come out and set a tone.”

The winner will play at top-seeded Beloit Turner at 4:45 p.m. June 15 in the regional semifinal, with the regional championship the next night.

“We just have to get quality at bats. If we can get that, we’ll be just fine,” Guilbault said.

On June 8, Brodhead lost to McFarland 9-3 to cap the regular season. The game had originally been schedule for May 27, but was postponed due to inclement weather.

Aidyn Vondra had three hits and three runs against the Spartans. Malkow had three hits and an RBI. No other Cardinal got a hit. Kohen Sawle, Vondra, Green, Walker and Kammerer all pitched, with none throwing more than 36 pitches. Just five of McFarland’s nine runs were earned.

“It’s been a steady climb — a difficult climb,” Guilbault said of the season to this point. The coaching staff is pleased with what they have seen, despite their 5-15 record. “The kids are exhausted — a lot of games in a short period of time. But the resiliency we’ve seen in these kids, they come out every day and give it what they’ve got — and that’s what’s really important. The score is going to be the score at the end of the day, but what we control is what’s inside of that — the attitude and the effort.”