MONROE - Well, that's one way to win a ball game.
Junior Drew Nafzger provided the final trinket of heroics for the Cheesemakers, taking a ball four on a full count, bases loaded walk-off walk Friday in the first round of the WIAA Division 2 baseball playoffs, beating Mount Horeb 8-7.
"Unreal," Monroe head coach Dustin Huffman said. "That last inning was a blur."
Trailing 7-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Cheesemakers knew it was do-or-die time. Junior cleanup hitter Kramer Henning, who had hit a solo home run in the fifth to make it 6-3, singled hard down the first base line. Taylor Riese was hit on the shoulder on the very next pitch from Mount Horeb starter Tyson Fredrick, giving the Cheesemakers a sense of hope.
"We told the kids before the inning started that they were up there taking a strike," Huffman said.
With one out and runners on the corners, junior Michael Turek hit an opposite field double, bringing in a run. Vikings coach Rick Christian brought in Matt Klaas to relieve Fredrick, but Klaas had trouble finding the strike zone. Designated hitter Matt Whipple then dumped a single into shallow left center, plating a run and leaving the tying run on third.
"After it happened, I was sitting there and wondering if I should have sent him (Turek to the plate)," Huffman said. "I wasn't sure. I had that sickening feeling in my stomach, but it ended up working out."
Senior Drew Geissbuhler, Monroe's left fielder, replaced Whipple on the base paths and immediately stole second, representing the winning run. Logan Wells, the third Cheesemaker to pitch in the game, then walked on four straight pitches, loading the bases. A wild first pitch to Dylan Schwitz scored Turek from third, which tied the game. Schwitz was then intentionally walked.
With one out, the game sat in Nafzger's hands - or rather his eyes.
"My heart was beating kind of hard," Nafzger said. "I was trying to control it. Coach kept telling me to take a strike and it worked out perfect."
After taking two balls, Nafzger saw his first strike. Then a third ball, and then a second strike. With the crowd on its feet, Klaas threw wide to the Monroe lefty, and the celebration began.
"I got about halfway there (to first) and I realized we just won the game. I was like, 'Wow, we're done!'" Nafzger said. "It was a big deal. We kept on battling all game."
The Cheesemakers tried to rally an inning earlier, but could only plate a run with bases loaded.
"Mount Horeb outplayed us the first five innings of the game, easily. They were hitting the ball, they were making defensive plays," Huffman said.
The Cheesemakers played as poorly as they could have through five innings, collecting five errors in the field and failing to make much happen on offense. It didn't help that a bases-loaded rally was stalled when the field umpire questionably called Whipple out at third on a force. The next half inning, a Mount Horeb batter bunted a suicide squeeze off of his foot, but the play was not overturned. That led to a three-run inning for the Vikings.
"I don't like to get on the umpires, but there were some questionable calls," Huffman said. "There were some sketchy calls that definitely went against us. The important thing is that we (coaches) do the complaining and try to have the players stay focused on the game."
Mitch Marty had started on the hill for the Cheesemakers, but had trouble adjusting to a tight strike zone. Marty was tagged for four runs, three earned, in three innings of work. Senior Michael Wolfe took over in the top of the fourth, and provided Monroe with a well-needed spark.
"It's too bad we didn't discover Wolfe early in the year. He comes in and throws strikes. He's a gamer (and) he talks to the defense," Huffman said. "He's been a pleasant surprise."
Wolfe went 2 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs (three total runs), but gave Monroe solid innings.
"It was a little hard. I wasn't getting the inside corner so we went outside. Once I started throwing to my spots they started hitting the ball and I had the defense behind me to make plays," Wolfe said.
Wells came into the game in the sixth and picked up the win.
Whipple, Turek, Henning and Schwitz each collected two hits.
"I knew I had to put the ball in play," said Henning, who also walked twice.
Monroe (12-10) travels to Beloit Turner (16-5) Tuesday, and will see if senior ace Kris Rieder can lead them to a regional title game.
"After that game, we told the kids, 'Why not us? Why can't we make a run at this thing?' That's going to be our slogan the rest of the way," Huffman said.
Junior Drew Nafzger provided the final trinket of heroics for the Cheesemakers, taking a ball four on a full count, bases loaded walk-off walk Friday in the first round of the WIAA Division 2 baseball playoffs, beating Mount Horeb 8-7.
"Unreal," Monroe head coach Dustin Huffman said. "That last inning was a blur."
Trailing 7-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Cheesemakers knew it was do-or-die time. Junior cleanup hitter Kramer Henning, who had hit a solo home run in the fifth to make it 6-3, singled hard down the first base line. Taylor Riese was hit on the shoulder on the very next pitch from Mount Horeb starter Tyson Fredrick, giving the Cheesemakers a sense of hope.
"We told the kids before the inning started that they were up there taking a strike," Huffman said.
With one out and runners on the corners, junior Michael Turek hit an opposite field double, bringing in a run. Vikings coach Rick Christian brought in Matt Klaas to relieve Fredrick, but Klaas had trouble finding the strike zone. Designated hitter Matt Whipple then dumped a single into shallow left center, plating a run and leaving the tying run on third.
"After it happened, I was sitting there and wondering if I should have sent him (Turek to the plate)," Huffman said. "I wasn't sure. I had that sickening feeling in my stomach, but it ended up working out."
Senior Drew Geissbuhler, Monroe's left fielder, replaced Whipple on the base paths and immediately stole second, representing the winning run. Logan Wells, the third Cheesemaker to pitch in the game, then walked on four straight pitches, loading the bases. A wild first pitch to Dylan Schwitz scored Turek from third, which tied the game. Schwitz was then intentionally walked.
With one out, the game sat in Nafzger's hands - or rather his eyes.
"My heart was beating kind of hard," Nafzger said. "I was trying to control it. Coach kept telling me to take a strike and it worked out perfect."
After taking two balls, Nafzger saw his first strike. Then a third ball, and then a second strike. With the crowd on its feet, Klaas threw wide to the Monroe lefty, and the celebration began.
"I got about halfway there (to first) and I realized we just won the game. I was like, 'Wow, we're done!'" Nafzger said. "It was a big deal. We kept on battling all game."
The Cheesemakers tried to rally an inning earlier, but could only plate a run with bases loaded.
"Mount Horeb outplayed us the first five innings of the game, easily. They were hitting the ball, they were making defensive plays," Huffman said.
The Cheesemakers played as poorly as they could have through five innings, collecting five errors in the field and failing to make much happen on offense. It didn't help that a bases-loaded rally was stalled when the field umpire questionably called Whipple out at third on a force. The next half inning, a Mount Horeb batter bunted a suicide squeeze off of his foot, but the play was not overturned. That led to a three-run inning for the Vikings.
"I don't like to get on the umpires, but there were some questionable calls," Huffman said. "There were some sketchy calls that definitely went against us. The important thing is that we (coaches) do the complaining and try to have the players stay focused on the game."
Mitch Marty had started on the hill for the Cheesemakers, but had trouble adjusting to a tight strike zone. Marty was tagged for four runs, three earned, in three innings of work. Senior Michael Wolfe took over in the top of the fourth, and provided Monroe with a well-needed spark.
"It's too bad we didn't discover Wolfe early in the year. He comes in and throws strikes. He's a gamer (and) he talks to the defense," Huffman said. "He's been a pleasant surprise."
Wolfe went 2 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs (three total runs), but gave Monroe solid innings.
"It was a little hard. I wasn't getting the inside corner so we went outside. Once I started throwing to my spots they started hitting the ball and I had the defense behind me to make plays," Wolfe said.
Wells came into the game in the sixth and picked up the win.
Whipple, Turek, Henning and Schwitz each collected two hits.
"I knew I had to put the ball in play," said Henning, who also walked twice.
Monroe (12-10) travels to Beloit Turner (16-5) Tuesday, and will see if senior ace Kris Rieder can lead them to a regional title game.
"After that game, we told the kids, 'Why not us? Why can't we make a run at this thing?' That's going to be our slogan the rest of the way," Huffman said.
