MONROE - The Monroe baseball team received some tough news before the season opener, finding out No. 1 pitcher Lane Berndt could be out for the season after breaking his hand.
Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said Berndt would likely miss the season after he broke his hand around the thumb during a physical education class.
"Any time you lose your No. 1 pitcher, it's a big loss," Huffman said. "Everyone else will have to step up. Everyone else will have to pick up the slack and work to get better."
After postponing the season opener Friday, the Cheesemakers lost to Mount Horeb 13-2 on Saturday. Two Cheesemaker pitchers combined to walk nine, while Monroe committed six errors in five innings. Seven of the nine hitters the Cheesemakers walked came around to score.
"When you walk nine and have six errors, you see the results," Huffman said. "It wasn't pretty. We had some good at-bats. We just had too many errors."
Monroe junior Trent Wyssbrod pitched three innings and gave up five unearned runs on one hit. He walked six and struck out two. Monroe's Jared Weber pitched two innings and gave up eight runs (two earned) on four hits.
The Cheesemakers managed just three hits. Junior Mitch Riese and senior Austin Burandt each went 1-for-2 with one RBI, and sophomore Isaiah Siemers was 1-for-2.
Monroe hosts Milton on Tuesday and Madison Edgewood on Thursday.
"We definitely have to get better defensively as a group and we have to do a better job of throwing strikes," Huffman said.
Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said Berndt would likely miss the season after he broke his hand around the thumb during a physical education class.
"Any time you lose your No. 1 pitcher, it's a big loss," Huffman said. "Everyone else will have to step up. Everyone else will have to pick up the slack and work to get better."
After postponing the season opener Friday, the Cheesemakers lost to Mount Horeb 13-2 on Saturday. Two Cheesemaker pitchers combined to walk nine, while Monroe committed six errors in five innings. Seven of the nine hitters the Cheesemakers walked came around to score.
"When you walk nine and have six errors, you see the results," Huffman said. "It wasn't pretty. We had some good at-bats. We just had too many errors."
Monroe junior Trent Wyssbrod pitched three innings and gave up five unearned runs on one hit. He walked six and struck out two. Monroe's Jared Weber pitched two innings and gave up eight runs (two earned) on four hits.
The Cheesemakers managed just three hits. Junior Mitch Riese and senior Austin Burandt each went 1-for-2 with one RBI, and sophomore Isaiah Siemers was 1-for-2.
Monroe hosts Milton on Tuesday and Madison Edgewood on Thursday.
"We definitely have to get better defensively as a group and we have to do a better job of throwing strikes," Huffman said.
