MONROE - Eric Losenegger, Monroe's Senior Legion baseball coach, had a feeling his team may be in for a long night after taking infield practice.
Milton lefty Craig Vruwink scattered six hits to shutout Monroe 6-0 Wednesday.
"After infield and with the guys' approach you could tell they weren't ready," Losenegger said. "I'm not surprised by it at all."
Monroe stranded six runners on base and went 0 for 5 hitting with runners in scoring position. The offensive struggles came on the heels of a sweep of Evansville Monday in which Monroe pounded out 16 hits in the second game.
Monroe's Drew Nafzger provided an offensive spark going 3 for 3. However, Monroe (6-5) couldn't come through with the clutch hits to sustain a rally.
"He didn't throw very hard," Nafzger said of Vruwink. "We are used to faster guys. We had to wait back and we didn't do too well. Tonight wasn't our night. It's just one of those nights where it's just not going our way. When we did hit some balls they were right at someone."
Early on, it was Milton who may have had a snake-bitten feeling. Monroe pitcher Kris Rieder sailed through the first three innings with some stellar defense behind him. Rieder worked out of a two on one-out jam in the third. He got Milton's Adam Catacutan to pop out and Nafzger made a running catch on a liner by Vruwink to end the threat.
Rieder couldn't wiggle off the hook in the fourth. Milton's Sam McCann, who went 3 for 4, led off the fourth with a single and Rieder walked Andy Haney. After getting the next two batters out, it looked like Rieder may pitch out of his second straight jam. However, he hit No. 8 hitter Justin Gunderson to load the bases. That set the stages for Zach Brayshaw, who delivered a two-run bloop single to right. Jon Hass, who was 3 for 4, followed with an RBI single to give Milton a 3-0 lead. Rieder pitched a complete game and gave up six runs on 12 hits.
"He (Rieder) had an 0-2 count and threw a curveball and hit a batter," Losenegger said. "Then he threw a changeup and the kid (Brayshaw) hit it to right field. If we get out of the inning, the intensity of the game changes."
Monroe's best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the fourth. Taylor Riese crushed a double and Nafzger singled to left. Milton got out of the jam when Kevin Klopfenstein grounded into an inning-ending double play.
"He Vruwink kept us off-balance," Losenegger said. "We probably only hit one or two balls hard the whole night."
Milton tacked on three more runs in the seventh. Vruwink doubled leading off the seventh. McCann came through with an RBI double and Haney had an RBI single.
The loss for Monroe did come with some bad news. Shortstop Tyler Malcook aggravated a back injury in the first and didn't play the rest of the game. Klopfenstein moved to second base and Mitchell Riese shifted to shortstop.
Losenegger said that Malcook has been dealing with a back issue and said he wanted to play to start the game.
"There was a ball hit deep in the hole in that first inning and he couldn't plant and throw," Losenegger said. "That (the ball in the hole) didn't help any."
Monroe will have five days off before playing at Milton July 5. The doubleheader Saturday against Whitewater was canceled since Whitewater doesn't have enough players.
"Maybe a few days off will be good for the kids," Losenegger said. "Hopefully, they will come back and be ready to play baseball next Tuesday."
Milton lefty Craig Vruwink scattered six hits to shutout Monroe 6-0 Wednesday.
"After infield and with the guys' approach you could tell they weren't ready," Losenegger said. "I'm not surprised by it at all."
Monroe stranded six runners on base and went 0 for 5 hitting with runners in scoring position. The offensive struggles came on the heels of a sweep of Evansville Monday in which Monroe pounded out 16 hits in the second game.
Monroe's Drew Nafzger provided an offensive spark going 3 for 3. However, Monroe (6-5) couldn't come through with the clutch hits to sustain a rally.
"He didn't throw very hard," Nafzger said of Vruwink. "We are used to faster guys. We had to wait back and we didn't do too well. Tonight wasn't our night. It's just one of those nights where it's just not going our way. When we did hit some balls they were right at someone."
Early on, it was Milton who may have had a snake-bitten feeling. Monroe pitcher Kris Rieder sailed through the first three innings with some stellar defense behind him. Rieder worked out of a two on one-out jam in the third. He got Milton's Adam Catacutan to pop out and Nafzger made a running catch on a liner by Vruwink to end the threat.
Rieder couldn't wiggle off the hook in the fourth. Milton's Sam McCann, who went 3 for 4, led off the fourth with a single and Rieder walked Andy Haney. After getting the next two batters out, it looked like Rieder may pitch out of his second straight jam. However, he hit No. 8 hitter Justin Gunderson to load the bases. That set the stages for Zach Brayshaw, who delivered a two-run bloop single to right. Jon Hass, who was 3 for 4, followed with an RBI single to give Milton a 3-0 lead. Rieder pitched a complete game and gave up six runs on 12 hits.
"He (Rieder) had an 0-2 count and threw a curveball and hit a batter," Losenegger said. "Then he threw a changeup and the kid (Brayshaw) hit it to right field. If we get out of the inning, the intensity of the game changes."
Monroe's best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the fourth. Taylor Riese crushed a double and Nafzger singled to left. Milton got out of the jam when Kevin Klopfenstein grounded into an inning-ending double play.
"He Vruwink kept us off-balance," Losenegger said. "We probably only hit one or two balls hard the whole night."
Milton tacked on three more runs in the seventh. Vruwink doubled leading off the seventh. McCann came through with an RBI double and Haney had an RBI single.
The loss for Monroe did come with some bad news. Shortstop Tyler Malcook aggravated a back injury in the first and didn't play the rest of the game. Klopfenstein moved to second base and Mitchell Riese shifted to shortstop.
Losenegger said that Malcook has been dealing with a back issue and said he wanted to play to start the game.
"There was a ball hit deep in the hole in that first inning and he couldn't plant and throw," Losenegger said. "That (the ball in the hole) didn't help any."
Monroe will have five days off before playing at Milton July 5. The doubleheader Saturday against Whitewater was canceled since Whitewater doesn't have enough players.
"Maybe a few days off will be good for the kids," Losenegger said. "Hopefully, they will come back and be ready to play baseball next Tuesday."
