STOUGHTON - Getting an unconventional save in a 6-5 Badger South victory Tuesday at Stoughton was a different sort of clutch performance on a long list for Mitch Tordoff.
Accustomed to playing hoops hero, the Monroe junior took the ball from Mike Rear after the starter walked the leadoff man up 6-3 in the sixth inning. Despite allowing two seventh-inning runs, the athletic Tordoff fielded his position well to hold on for Monroe's first conference victory.
Nate Barta set a ringing tone with a leadoff triple and scored on a Kyle Klopfenstein grounder in Monroe's 2-run first. Junior Mike Demianiuk led off the second with a double before Monroe (2-5, 1-4 Badger South) scored three runs with two outs, including two on a Taylor Weckerly single.
Sean Gerber finished 3-for-4 for Stoughton and homered off Rear in the third inning to cut the Cheese's lead to 5-2. Most of Rear's five strikeouts came with runners in scoring position as he reached back for something extra. The leadoff walk in the sixth was only the second issued by Rear.
Monroe coach Steve Christensen praised the steady and occasionally prolific play of infielders Nick Rieder and Brett Stangel.
"They had a couple of nice diving stops," Christensen said. "We also ran the bases really well tonight."
Weckerly made a sound decision to tag and advance in the fifth inning to score the game's decisive run.
Monroe takes a break from league play Friday when it travels to Brodhead.
Accustomed to playing hoops hero, the Monroe junior took the ball from Mike Rear after the starter walked the leadoff man up 6-3 in the sixth inning. Despite allowing two seventh-inning runs, the athletic Tordoff fielded his position well to hold on for Monroe's first conference victory.
Nate Barta set a ringing tone with a leadoff triple and scored on a Kyle Klopfenstein grounder in Monroe's 2-run first. Junior Mike Demianiuk led off the second with a double before Monroe (2-5, 1-4 Badger South) scored three runs with two outs, including two on a Taylor Weckerly single.
Sean Gerber finished 3-for-4 for Stoughton and homered off Rear in the third inning to cut the Cheese's lead to 5-2. Most of Rear's five strikeouts came with runners in scoring position as he reached back for something extra. The leadoff walk in the sixth was only the second issued by Rear.
Monroe coach Steve Christensen praised the steady and occasionally prolific play of infielders Nick Rieder and Brett Stangel.
"They had a couple of nice diving stops," Christensen said. "We also ran the bases really well tonight."
Weckerly made a sound decision to tag and advance in the fifth inning to score the game's decisive run.
Monroe takes a break from league play Friday when it travels to Brodhead.
