EDGERTON - Nate Barta did everything in his power to prolong his career as a Cheesemaker. But, for the second straight year, a foe that Monroe vanquished en route to state in basketball got even with the bats.
Barta, a role player for Pat Murphy's hoops club, played a sparkling left field and reached base twice, but Edgerton held on at home to pull out a 2-1 WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal victory.
With the Crimson Tide holding a 2-0 lead, the lefty Barta reached with one out in the top of the fourth inning by legging out a high chopper between short and third. Cory Kundert followed with another infield single before Taylor Weckerly popped up to just onto the left-field grass, where sophomore shortstop Trevor Kinnett lost the ball in the pale gray sky.
Barta flew around third, while Edgerton scrambled to get the ball to the plate. Catcher Kyle Stearns leapt to catch a throw well before Barta arrived, but the second-year ballplayer tapped his goalie skills as he deftly went in head-first. But Stearns snuck a tag on his right hand.
"I put a little juke move on him and tried to touch the corner ... the soccer skills helped out there," Barta said. "I dove and thought I touched it before he tagged me. I didn't feel him tag me and the umpire waited until the dust cleared. That was tough."
The topped-hit parade continued when senior Brett Stangel chopped a single just beyond the mound toward short.
"I just got it out of my head and kept coming back to get the next guy," Edgerton pitcher Aaron Laskowski said.
But junior Mitch Tordoff scalded a ball between the wickets of Tide third baseman Adam Gregory, another sophomore.
While Kundert scampered home, Tordoff was picked off first on a snap throw by Stearns with Alex Dammen working a 2-1 count and the bases loaded. Tordoff, who led Monroe with 15 points in defeating the Tide in the regional finals in hoops, got a bit over-agressive again in the seventh. After Gregory threw a routine play away, the Monroe junior tried to take two but Stearns backed up the play and threw out Tordoff again.
Coupled with an exceptional complete-game performance by southpaw Mike Demianiuk on the hill, Barta helped Monroe stay within one on defense. He first played a base hit cleanly and rifled a throw to the plate to keep the bases loaded, as they would remain, in the fifth. With one out in the sixth, he held Kyle Mazowicz to a single as the lefty stroked a twisting fly toward the left-field line. Barta dove after running full-bore and fully-extended to smother the ball and prevent extra bases.
With Barta standing at first in the sixth, Weckerly got into a shot to center that, if pulled to either of the 300 signs in left or right, may have at least tied things. Or perhaps even left the yard and given the Cheese the lead.
"It's the way it's been," Monroe coach Steve Christensen said. "If he pulls it instead of hitting it to center, it's a different ballgame."
Edgerton scored its runs on RBI-singles in the third inning by leadoff man Derek Carrier and four-year starter Laskowski, both members of the varsity basketball squad. Despite committing three errors, Adam Gregory got two hits in the 9-hole, the first a double that started the Tide's two-run inning.
"Coach always says I'm the second leadoff batter," Gregory said.
Demianiuk struck out the side in the first and finished with five strikeouts.
"Mike made a couple of mistakes in the inning when they got two, but aside from that he didn't make any mistakes," Christensen said. "He had them off balance again."
Laskowski improved to 10-0 on the season by working fast and going the distance. He fanned nine against two walks.
"The coaches just reminded us that they got us in what they consider their game, basketball, and we got them back in our game," Laskowski said.
Monroe fell to 3-7 in games decided by one run this season.
"We respected them, that's why you saw Aaron Laskowski throwing today," Edgerton coach Mike Gregory said. "I just didn't recognize what I saw at the plate; we played tight and it showed there the most."
Barta first reflected on a season of near-misses as Monroe wraps up at 5-13.
"It's been tough to be right there but not come through, but then again it's been a positive after being blown out so many times last season," Barta said. "It feels better to be right in the game, but it's almost worse to know you were right there."
Then he touched on what it's meant to be a Cheesemaker.
"I can't believe it's over; it's just made me a great person and I'm excited for the athletes that come through next," Barta said.
Barta, a role player for Pat Murphy's hoops club, played a sparkling left field and reached base twice, but Edgerton held on at home to pull out a 2-1 WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal victory.
With the Crimson Tide holding a 2-0 lead, the lefty Barta reached with one out in the top of the fourth inning by legging out a high chopper between short and third. Cory Kundert followed with another infield single before Taylor Weckerly popped up to just onto the left-field grass, where sophomore shortstop Trevor Kinnett lost the ball in the pale gray sky.
Barta flew around third, while Edgerton scrambled to get the ball to the plate. Catcher Kyle Stearns leapt to catch a throw well before Barta arrived, but the second-year ballplayer tapped his goalie skills as he deftly went in head-first. But Stearns snuck a tag on his right hand.
"I put a little juke move on him and tried to touch the corner ... the soccer skills helped out there," Barta said. "I dove and thought I touched it before he tagged me. I didn't feel him tag me and the umpire waited until the dust cleared. That was tough."
The topped-hit parade continued when senior Brett Stangel chopped a single just beyond the mound toward short.
"I just got it out of my head and kept coming back to get the next guy," Edgerton pitcher Aaron Laskowski said.
But junior Mitch Tordoff scalded a ball between the wickets of Tide third baseman Adam Gregory, another sophomore.
While Kundert scampered home, Tordoff was picked off first on a snap throw by Stearns with Alex Dammen working a 2-1 count and the bases loaded. Tordoff, who led Monroe with 15 points in defeating the Tide in the regional finals in hoops, got a bit over-agressive again in the seventh. After Gregory threw a routine play away, the Monroe junior tried to take two but Stearns backed up the play and threw out Tordoff again.
Coupled with an exceptional complete-game performance by southpaw Mike Demianiuk on the hill, Barta helped Monroe stay within one on defense. He first played a base hit cleanly and rifled a throw to the plate to keep the bases loaded, as they would remain, in the fifth. With one out in the sixth, he held Kyle Mazowicz to a single as the lefty stroked a twisting fly toward the left-field line. Barta dove after running full-bore and fully-extended to smother the ball and prevent extra bases.
With Barta standing at first in the sixth, Weckerly got into a shot to center that, if pulled to either of the 300 signs in left or right, may have at least tied things. Or perhaps even left the yard and given the Cheese the lead.
"It's the way it's been," Monroe coach Steve Christensen said. "If he pulls it instead of hitting it to center, it's a different ballgame."
Edgerton scored its runs on RBI-singles in the third inning by leadoff man Derek Carrier and four-year starter Laskowski, both members of the varsity basketball squad. Despite committing three errors, Adam Gregory got two hits in the 9-hole, the first a double that started the Tide's two-run inning.
"Coach always says I'm the second leadoff batter," Gregory said.
Demianiuk struck out the side in the first and finished with five strikeouts.
"Mike made a couple of mistakes in the inning when they got two, but aside from that he didn't make any mistakes," Christensen said. "He had them off balance again."
Laskowski improved to 10-0 on the season by working fast and going the distance. He fanned nine against two walks.
"The coaches just reminded us that they got us in what they consider their game, basketball, and we got them back in our game," Laskowski said.
Monroe fell to 3-7 in games decided by one run this season.
"We respected them, that's why you saw Aaron Laskowski throwing today," Edgerton coach Mike Gregory said. "I just didn't recognize what I saw at the plate; we played tight and it showed there the most."
Barta first reflected on a season of near-misses as Monroe wraps up at 5-13.
"It's been tough to be right there but not come through, but then again it's been a positive after being blown out so many times last season," Barta said. "It feels better to be right in the game, but it's almost worse to know you were right there."
Then he touched on what it's meant to be a Cheesemaker.
"I can't believe it's over; it's just made me a great person and I'm excited for the athletes that come through next," Barta said.
