CLINTON - For most high school teams, all it takes is one bad inning to have the entire game unravel. But Wednesday was anything but a throw-away game. Wednesday was the regional championship, and Monroe had a chance to move on to the sectional tournament for the first time in a decade.
"It's tough, because (our guys) battled all year and showed signs of how good they could be," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said, after the Cheesemakers' 9-3 loss to Clinton. "Was it a 9-3 game? No. But if you can't make the plays, that's what it turns into."
The inning that bit Monroe came early, but the mark that it left bled until the bitter end.
In the bottom of the second, nursing an early 1-0 lead, starter Mitch Marty hit his spot against Clinton's Tyler Chesmore. But the high infield pop up that started right at third baseman Dylan Cleaveland changed course with the atmospheric winds, and Cleaveland could not adjust in time to make the play. The Cougars' next batter James Kollasch hit a seeing-eye, infield single, and Monroe second baseman Mitch Riese threw wide of first trying to make a play, pitting runners at first and third.
"All year the little things have killed us," Marty said.
Kollasch was nearly picked off by Marty on a double steal, but Riese, a step from tagging the runner, opted to throw home to catch Chesmore. Both runners were safe, and the game was tied. Marty then issued a walk and center fielder Kevin Klopfenstein missed a diving catch that loaded the bases. Collin Brockwell, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, then laced a two-run double to left center to make it 3-1.
"Mitch pitched his butt off. He really did. He battled, and they probably only hit about two balls hard on him. The rest were dink-and-dunk hits," Huffman said. "We made some mistakes, unfortunately. And it showed."
Clinton (19-7) sent seven batters to the plate and scored four runs before the first out of the inning - when the Cheesemakers took the out at second on another first-and-third double steal.
After the inning, it didn't matter how many runs Monroe could score, Clinton always had an answer.
"We had some mental errors in that second inning. It didn't matter what we did after that, that five-run second inning was like a dagger in our heart," said junior catcher Austin Burandt, who added that Clinton's pitching was just too tough for Monroe to get going.
The Cheesemakers' one big chance to get back into the game came in the fifth inning. Clinton starter Justin Langley, who struck out seven batters in five innings, walked the first three hitters of the frame. That left Monroe's 4-5-6 hitters in the lineup coming to the plate, which usually sounds like runs.
"It was one of those situations where we were set up perfect. We just needed one player to step up and get that big hit," Huffman said.
But Monroe's lone run in the inning was on a walk by Burandt.
"To only get one (run) out of there, that was huge. If we get three or two even, we're right back in it. The complexity of the game changes," Huffman said. "But that's not the way the game worked out, unfortunately."
Burandt said Langley was tough because of his size (6-feet, 5-inches), and the fact that he's a lefty.
"He's so tall and that makes his release point so much higher. He was throwing almost as fast as (Milton's) Sam McCann. And then (Langley) worked his curveball really well," Burandt said. "(Langley) really pitched well."
Clinton will play Madison Edgewood at 1 p.m. in Monroe for the sectional, with the winning team facing off against either Richland Center or Wisconsin Dells at 4 p.m. the same day, for the right to go to the WIAA Division 2 state tournament. Monticello also lost in its Division 4 regional final to Burlington Catholic Central, 11-0 in five innings.
The Cheesemakers ended their season 13-11 overall, but made their mark on the program. Monroe has had trouble producing consistently competitive teams over the past decade, but after back-to-back winning seasons in the Huffman-coach era, things are looking up.
"I had the opportunity to coach these kids as JV players and have been around the (seniors) since eighth grade. They are a talented class and they work very hard," Huffman said. "I told the sophomores and juniors we have that these guys (seniors) just laid the groundwork for what we're going to expect - hard work, putting in the time in the offseason and things like that."
Burandt knows that next year, he will be one of the team's leaders.
"You just have to know that once playoffs come, you will get that feeling in your stomach and know that you will just have to survive and advance. If you don't win, then you will be done. And forever pretty much, unless you're going to play in college," said Burandt, who added that this year's seniors made the season that much more exciting. "This was my (most fun) year of baseball by far because of the seniors. With their experience, they try to help you. Marty helped me get my catching technique down really well this year."
Marty, who has been on varsity since his early years of high school, said this team was special.
"This is as far as I ever made it in my varsity career. Everyone was pretty jacked," Marty said. "I'm going to try and come back to watch these guys next year as much as possible. These guys are fun and I like our coaches. It's a good group of guys and we all had a lot of fun this year."
"It's tough, because (our guys) battled all year and showed signs of how good they could be," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said, after the Cheesemakers' 9-3 loss to Clinton. "Was it a 9-3 game? No. But if you can't make the plays, that's what it turns into."
The inning that bit Monroe came early, but the mark that it left bled until the bitter end.
In the bottom of the second, nursing an early 1-0 lead, starter Mitch Marty hit his spot against Clinton's Tyler Chesmore. But the high infield pop up that started right at third baseman Dylan Cleaveland changed course with the atmospheric winds, and Cleaveland could not adjust in time to make the play. The Cougars' next batter James Kollasch hit a seeing-eye, infield single, and Monroe second baseman Mitch Riese threw wide of first trying to make a play, pitting runners at first and third.
"All year the little things have killed us," Marty said.
Kollasch was nearly picked off by Marty on a double steal, but Riese, a step from tagging the runner, opted to throw home to catch Chesmore. Both runners were safe, and the game was tied. Marty then issued a walk and center fielder Kevin Klopfenstein missed a diving catch that loaded the bases. Collin Brockwell, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, then laced a two-run double to left center to make it 3-1.
"Mitch pitched his butt off. He really did. He battled, and they probably only hit about two balls hard on him. The rest were dink-and-dunk hits," Huffman said. "We made some mistakes, unfortunately. And it showed."
Clinton (19-7) sent seven batters to the plate and scored four runs before the first out of the inning - when the Cheesemakers took the out at second on another first-and-third double steal.
After the inning, it didn't matter how many runs Monroe could score, Clinton always had an answer.
"We had some mental errors in that second inning. It didn't matter what we did after that, that five-run second inning was like a dagger in our heart," said junior catcher Austin Burandt, who added that Clinton's pitching was just too tough for Monroe to get going.
The Cheesemakers' one big chance to get back into the game came in the fifth inning. Clinton starter Justin Langley, who struck out seven batters in five innings, walked the first three hitters of the frame. That left Monroe's 4-5-6 hitters in the lineup coming to the plate, which usually sounds like runs.
"It was one of those situations where we were set up perfect. We just needed one player to step up and get that big hit," Huffman said.
But Monroe's lone run in the inning was on a walk by Burandt.
"To only get one (run) out of there, that was huge. If we get three or two even, we're right back in it. The complexity of the game changes," Huffman said. "But that's not the way the game worked out, unfortunately."
Burandt said Langley was tough because of his size (6-feet, 5-inches), and the fact that he's a lefty.
"He's so tall and that makes his release point so much higher. He was throwing almost as fast as (Milton's) Sam McCann. And then (Langley) worked his curveball really well," Burandt said. "(Langley) really pitched well."
Clinton will play Madison Edgewood at 1 p.m. in Monroe for the sectional, with the winning team facing off against either Richland Center or Wisconsin Dells at 4 p.m. the same day, for the right to go to the WIAA Division 2 state tournament. Monticello also lost in its Division 4 regional final to Burlington Catholic Central, 11-0 in five innings.
The Cheesemakers ended their season 13-11 overall, but made their mark on the program. Monroe has had trouble producing consistently competitive teams over the past decade, but after back-to-back winning seasons in the Huffman-coach era, things are looking up.
"I had the opportunity to coach these kids as JV players and have been around the (seniors) since eighth grade. They are a talented class and they work very hard," Huffman said. "I told the sophomores and juniors we have that these guys (seniors) just laid the groundwork for what we're going to expect - hard work, putting in the time in the offseason and things like that."
Burandt knows that next year, he will be one of the team's leaders.
"You just have to know that once playoffs come, you will get that feeling in your stomach and know that you will just have to survive and advance. If you don't win, then you will be done. And forever pretty much, unless you're going to play in college," said Burandt, who added that this year's seniors made the season that much more exciting. "This was my (most fun) year of baseball by far because of the seniors. With their experience, they try to help you. Marty helped me get my catching technique down really well this year."
Marty, who has been on varsity since his early years of high school, said this team was special.
"This is as far as I ever made it in my varsity career. Everyone was pretty jacked," Marty said. "I'm going to try and come back to watch these guys next year as much as possible. These guys are fun and I like our coaches. It's a good group of guys and we all had a lot of fun this year."
