MONROE - In a wild Monroe Senior Legion baseball game on Father's Day that featured two ejections, a no-hitter through five innings and a steal of home, Taylor Riese delivered the final blow in a comeback.
Riese hit a game-winning RBI single off the Evansville second baseman's glove for a 5-4 walk-off win on Sunday. It marked Monroe's second walk-off win in as many days.
"I hit the ball the other way," Riese said. "I did the best I could for my team. We just had to get up to the plate and get some guys on and score some runs."
Evansville's coach was ejected by the first base umpire in the second after he failed to stay in the dugout after a warning. Monroe coach Bruce Rear was ejected in the bottom of the seventh after the first base umpire heard a Monroe player swear in the dugout.
The game was a pitcher's duel for the first five innings.
Monroe pitcher Mike Rear sailed through the first five innings as he carried a no-hitter into the sixth. He pitched a complete game and struck out 12.
Monroe led 3-1 in the seventh, but Rear coughed up the lead. Evansville scored the go-ahead run when Brian Lunde stole home to give the Blue Devils a 4-3 lead.
The Cheesemakers battled back in the seventh as Mike Rear and Matt Whipple reached on errors. Rackow tied the game after driving in a run with a groundout, which set the stage for Riese, who was 3-for-4, to deliver the game-winning hit.
Monroe (4-3, 3-1 in league play) trailed 1-0 in the sixth and took advantage of a golden scoring opportunity. With the bases loaded, Drew Geissbuhler drove in the game-tying run. Two batters later, Mike Demianiuk lined a two-run single to left center to give Monroe a 3-1 lead.
"My arm was not fully ready," Mike Rear said. "I didn't have my fastball. I was working on my control and offspeed pitches and that helped."
Monroe 5, Jefferson 4
Jefferson 6, Monroe 2
MONROE - Monroe split a doubleheader with Jefferson on Saturday.
Rackow came through with a game-winning RBI single to score Rear in the bottom of the seventh to win 5-4 in the first game.
Demianiuk pitched a complete game and gave up just one earned run to get the win. He gave up only three hits, while striking out two and walking three.
Kris Rieder went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Monroe.
"We really played a good game except for a couple of errors," Bruce Rear said.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Lee Vlasak struggled with his control and Monroe lost 6-2.
Vlasak pitched a complete game and gave up six hits, six walks and struck out six.
"He couldn't get his curveball over for a strike," Rear said.
Monroe could muster just three hits - a double from Vlasak and singles from Mike Rear and Whipple.
Riese hit a game-winning RBI single off the Evansville second baseman's glove for a 5-4 walk-off win on Sunday. It marked Monroe's second walk-off win in as many days.
"I hit the ball the other way," Riese said. "I did the best I could for my team. We just had to get up to the plate and get some guys on and score some runs."
Evansville's coach was ejected by the first base umpire in the second after he failed to stay in the dugout after a warning. Monroe coach Bruce Rear was ejected in the bottom of the seventh after the first base umpire heard a Monroe player swear in the dugout.
The game was a pitcher's duel for the first five innings.
Monroe pitcher Mike Rear sailed through the first five innings as he carried a no-hitter into the sixth. He pitched a complete game and struck out 12.
Monroe led 3-1 in the seventh, but Rear coughed up the lead. Evansville scored the go-ahead run when Brian Lunde stole home to give the Blue Devils a 4-3 lead.
The Cheesemakers battled back in the seventh as Mike Rear and Matt Whipple reached on errors. Rackow tied the game after driving in a run with a groundout, which set the stage for Riese, who was 3-for-4, to deliver the game-winning hit.
Monroe (4-3, 3-1 in league play) trailed 1-0 in the sixth and took advantage of a golden scoring opportunity. With the bases loaded, Drew Geissbuhler drove in the game-tying run. Two batters later, Mike Demianiuk lined a two-run single to left center to give Monroe a 3-1 lead.
"My arm was not fully ready," Mike Rear said. "I didn't have my fastball. I was working on my control and offspeed pitches and that helped."
Monroe 5, Jefferson 4
Jefferson 6, Monroe 2
MONROE - Monroe split a doubleheader with Jefferson on Saturday.
Rackow came through with a game-winning RBI single to score Rear in the bottom of the seventh to win 5-4 in the first game.
Demianiuk pitched a complete game and gave up just one earned run to get the win. He gave up only three hits, while striking out two and walking three.
Kris Rieder went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Monroe.
"We really played a good game except for a couple of errors," Bruce Rear said.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Lee Vlasak struggled with his control and Monroe lost 6-2.
Vlasak pitched a complete game and gave up six hits, six walks and struck out six.
"He couldn't get his curveball over for a strike," Rear said.
Monroe could muster just three hits - a double from Vlasak and singles from Mike Rear and Whipple.
