MONROE - The Monroe baseball team bounced back from an eight-error game to split a doubleheader with Brodhead-Juda Saturday.
The Cardinals rolled to a 17-5 win in six innings during the first game in which the Cheesemakers committed eight errors. Monroe senior Hunter Ward crushed a two-run home run to left in the second game to help the Cheesemakers bounce back with a 9-2 win over the Cardinals. With the split, Monroe is 1-8 overall and 0-5 in the Badger South Conference.
"It was a different day with a doubleheader and prom," Monroe coach Eric Losenegger said. "High school boys' minds aren't always on the game. I love the effort. We did some good things in the first game and some bad things. We just had to forget about it and jump out on them in the second game. Hunter Ward really gave us a spark and got us going with that home run."
Brodhead-Juda freshman Andrew Rockwell had a career game in the first game of the twinbill going 5-for-5 with six RBIs, three doubles and a triple. He was just a home run away from hitting for the cycle.
Rockwell was in a zone.
"I felt like I could hit anything almost," Rockwell said after the Cardinals' Game 1 win. "I just wanted to get a fastball and drive it. If it's not my best game, it's my second best."
Rockwell pitched five innings to get the win. He gave up five runs on seven hits, struck out nine and walked three. Freshman teammate Cade Walker pitched a perfect sixth inning and struck out two.
Brodhead-Juda scored three runs off Monroe sophomore starting pitcher Jared Dillon due to some fielding miscues fielding bunts in the third. Brodhead-Juda junior Quinton Kammerer and freshman Chase Harnack both reached on errors, and sophomore Marco Bueno bunted for a single. Kammerer scored the first run on a wild pitch. Rockwell then crushed a two-run double to center field, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, Dillon hit Dakota Davis with a pitch to bring in a run to extend the Cardinals' lead to 4-0.
Ward, who went 2-for-4 with two triples and one RBI, led off the bottom of the third by smoking a triple to left center. Junior Dagon Rach then knocked in Ward on a sacrifice fly to cut the Cardinals' lead to 4-1.
Monroe junior Nick Benkert went 2-for-2 with a walk, and Rach had two RBIs.
The Cardinals had a four-run fourth inning to take a commanding 8-1 lead. Harnack and Bueno both reached on errors to start the fourth. Rockwell then ripped a two-run double down the right field line to give the Cardinals a 6-1 lead. The other big hit in the inning came on Jake Miller's RBI triple to center to bring the Cardinals' lead to 7-1. Miller finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
In the bottom of the fourth, Monroe junior Jacob Amacher singled. Junior teammate Hayden Zahradka then came through with an RBI single to right. Ward blasted an RBI triple to center to cut the Cardinals' lead to 8-3. Rach knocked in a run on a groundout to slice the Cardinals' lead to 8-4.
Brodhead-Juda answered with Bueno's RBI double and Rockwell's RBI triple in the fifth, giving the Cardinals a 10-4 lead. Miller also had a key RBI single in the inning.
The Cardinals batted around the order and ended the game with a six-run sixth. The Cheesemakers were plagued by three errors in the inning. Kammerer and Rockwell delivered RBI singles. Miller and Brodhead-Juda senior Almonzo Friedly each delivered RBI singles to end the game on the 10-run rule.
In the second game, Friedly started on the mound and Zahradka walked leading off the first. Ward then blasted a two-run homer to left. Benkert then coaxed a walk off Friedly. Amacher came through with an RBI single to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
"After they beat us 17-5 in the first game, to come out and score three runs in the second game was huge," Losenegger said.
Monroe junior Max Lange pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings to get the win. He allowed just two hits, struck out five and walked five.
"He got out to a good start and had two strikeouts in the first inning," Losenegger said. "His confidence was good."
Zahradka went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Benkert went 2-for-3 and Payton Stauffacher was 2-for-4 with one RBI. The Cheesemakers put the game away with a six-run fifth.
Friedly pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits, while striking out four and walking four.
Benkert singled, and Amacher was hit by a pitch. Monroe senior John Fuller came through with an RBI single to score Benkert to give the Cheesemakers a 4-0 lead. Stauffacher delivered an RBI single to score pinch runner Connor Nafzger. Zahradka followed with a two-run single to score Baumgartner and Fuller to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 7-0. Rach then had a two-run single to give Monroe a 9-0 lead.
The Cardinals scored two unearned runs in the seventh off Baumgartner, who pitched 1 1/3 innings and struck out one. Kammerer went 2-for-3 to lead the Cardinals.
Monroe has four games this week, including one at Monona Grove today.
The Cardinals rolled to a 17-5 win in six innings during the first game in which the Cheesemakers committed eight errors. Monroe senior Hunter Ward crushed a two-run home run to left in the second game to help the Cheesemakers bounce back with a 9-2 win over the Cardinals. With the split, Monroe is 1-8 overall and 0-5 in the Badger South Conference.
"It was a different day with a doubleheader and prom," Monroe coach Eric Losenegger said. "High school boys' minds aren't always on the game. I love the effort. We did some good things in the first game and some bad things. We just had to forget about it and jump out on them in the second game. Hunter Ward really gave us a spark and got us going with that home run."
Brodhead-Juda freshman Andrew Rockwell had a career game in the first game of the twinbill going 5-for-5 with six RBIs, three doubles and a triple. He was just a home run away from hitting for the cycle.
Rockwell was in a zone.
"I felt like I could hit anything almost," Rockwell said after the Cardinals' Game 1 win. "I just wanted to get a fastball and drive it. If it's not my best game, it's my second best."
Rockwell pitched five innings to get the win. He gave up five runs on seven hits, struck out nine and walked three. Freshman teammate Cade Walker pitched a perfect sixth inning and struck out two.
Brodhead-Juda scored three runs off Monroe sophomore starting pitcher Jared Dillon due to some fielding miscues fielding bunts in the third. Brodhead-Juda junior Quinton Kammerer and freshman Chase Harnack both reached on errors, and sophomore Marco Bueno bunted for a single. Kammerer scored the first run on a wild pitch. Rockwell then crushed a two-run double to center field, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, Dillon hit Dakota Davis with a pitch to bring in a run to extend the Cardinals' lead to 4-0.
Ward, who went 2-for-4 with two triples and one RBI, led off the bottom of the third by smoking a triple to left center. Junior Dagon Rach then knocked in Ward on a sacrifice fly to cut the Cardinals' lead to 4-1.
Monroe junior Nick Benkert went 2-for-2 with a walk, and Rach had two RBIs.
The Cardinals had a four-run fourth inning to take a commanding 8-1 lead. Harnack and Bueno both reached on errors to start the fourth. Rockwell then ripped a two-run double down the right field line to give the Cardinals a 6-1 lead. The other big hit in the inning came on Jake Miller's RBI triple to center to bring the Cardinals' lead to 7-1. Miller finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
In the bottom of the fourth, Monroe junior Jacob Amacher singled. Junior teammate Hayden Zahradka then came through with an RBI single to right. Ward blasted an RBI triple to center to cut the Cardinals' lead to 8-3. Rach knocked in a run on a groundout to slice the Cardinals' lead to 8-4.
Brodhead-Juda answered with Bueno's RBI double and Rockwell's RBI triple in the fifth, giving the Cardinals a 10-4 lead. Miller also had a key RBI single in the inning.
The Cardinals batted around the order and ended the game with a six-run sixth. The Cheesemakers were plagued by three errors in the inning. Kammerer and Rockwell delivered RBI singles. Miller and Brodhead-Juda senior Almonzo Friedly each delivered RBI singles to end the game on the 10-run rule.
In the second game, Friedly started on the mound and Zahradka walked leading off the first. Ward then blasted a two-run homer to left. Benkert then coaxed a walk off Friedly. Amacher came through with an RBI single to give the Cheesemakers a 3-0 lead.
"After they beat us 17-5 in the first game, to come out and score three runs in the second game was huge," Losenegger said.
Monroe junior Max Lange pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings to get the win. He allowed just two hits, struck out five and walked five.
"He got out to a good start and had two strikeouts in the first inning," Losenegger said. "His confidence was good."
Zahradka went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Benkert went 2-for-3 and Payton Stauffacher was 2-for-4 with one RBI. The Cheesemakers put the game away with a six-run fifth.
Friedly pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits, while striking out four and walking four.
Benkert singled, and Amacher was hit by a pitch. Monroe senior John Fuller came through with an RBI single to score Benkert to give the Cheesemakers a 4-0 lead. Stauffacher delivered an RBI single to score pinch runner Connor Nafzger. Zahradka followed with a two-run single to score Baumgartner and Fuller to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 7-0. Rach then had a two-run single to give Monroe a 9-0 lead.
The Cardinals scored two unearned runs in the seventh off Baumgartner, who pitched 1 1/3 innings and struck out one. Kammerer went 2-for-3 to lead the Cardinals.
Monroe has four games this week, including one at Monona Grove today.
