MONROE - Dane Burman isn't the No. 1 pitcher for the Milton baseball team and he didn't have his velocity cranked up all the way Tuesday.
The big right-hander still had plenty of ammunition to overpower Monroe.
The senior struck out 15 batters and allowed just two hits through six scoreless innings, and the Cheesemakers extended a troubling early trend of playing shoddy defense as Milton posted a 6-2 victory in a Badger South Conference opener.
Milton sophomore Connor Bowen struck out the side in the seventh to push Monroe's strikeout total to 18 for the game.
Throw in the Cheesemakers' six errors - they have committed 11 miscues in 12 innings this season - and the outcome didn't feel as close as the final score indicated.
"It's not the reps because we work real hard in practice on the fundamentals. Right now, it's up here," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said, pointing to his head. "We have a lot of mental blocks going on right now.
"It's just a matter of working through it and getting them to not think as much and just react. If they can do that, we'll be fine."
The Cheesemakers (0-2) are breaking in a host of new players, so some growing pains are to be expected. But half of those six errors came in the first inning, when Milton put a four-spot on the board without exactly tattooing the ball against Monroe junior starter Cody Pivonka.
"We need to figure out how to come out better," Monroe senior first baseman Austin Burandt said. "We need to figure out how to come out ready to make some plays. (The Red Hawks) shouldn't have gotten any of those runs in the first inning. We had routine plays that we really messed up on."
Milton (1-1) scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to push its lead to 6-0. That was more than enough for Burman, who said he threw almost exclusively fastballs in his first start of the season. He said he was throwing in the 84 mph range, about 3 mph below his top speed.
"I threw probably 10-15 off-speed pitches all day," he said, adding the 15-strikeout performance is his varsity high.
Milton coach Ryan Newenschwander credited Burman for a timely solid start, considering No. 1 pitcher Sam McCann continues to battle a tender shoulder.
"Dane Burman was in command," Newenschwander said. "He threw around 100 pitches, which normally is a little too much for this time of year on a cold night, but his arm was ready for it. Fifteen K's - you can't ask for more."
Monroe had seven baserunners against Burman, but only two reached third base. The Cheesemakers' Nos. 2-5 hitters went 0-for-12 with 10 strikeouts against him.
"He has some pretty good gas and he has a nice breaking ball, and he knows how to hit his spots pretty well," said Burandt, whose two-run, seventh-inning double to the fence in straight-away center off Bowen broke up the Red Hawks' shutout bid.
As frustrated as Huffman was with all the strikeouts, he was equally disappointed to waste a solid effort from Pivonka, who allowed four hits and five walks over six innings. He had one strikeout.
"Cody threw strikes. He did exactly what we asked him to do," Huffman said. "We just need our defense to clutch up behind him and help him out. We have to do the little things well to put ourselves in position to win games."
Monroe center fielder Kevin Klopfenstein did his job from the leadoff spot, collecting a hit and two walks, while right fielder Alex Einbeck had a single and two walks in three plate appearances.
It doesn't figure to get any easier for the Cheesemakers on Thursday, when Badger South favorite Madison Edgewood visits at 5 p.m.
The big right-hander still had plenty of ammunition to overpower Monroe.
The senior struck out 15 batters and allowed just two hits through six scoreless innings, and the Cheesemakers extended a troubling early trend of playing shoddy defense as Milton posted a 6-2 victory in a Badger South Conference opener.
Milton sophomore Connor Bowen struck out the side in the seventh to push Monroe's strikeout total to 18 for the game.
Throw in the Cheesemakers' six errors - they have committed 11 miscues in 12 innings this season - and the outcome didn't feel as close as the final score indicated.
"It's not the reps because we work real hard in practice on the fundamentals. Right now, it's up here," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said, pointing to his head. "We have a lot of mental blocks going on right now.
"It's just a matter of working through it and getting them to not think as much and just react. If they can do that, we'll be fine."
The Cheesemakers (0-2) are breaking in a host of new players, so some growing pains are to be expected. But half of those six errors came in the first inning, when Milton put a four-spot on the board without exactly tattooing the ball against Monroe junior starter Cody Pivonka.
"We need to figure out how to come out better," Monroe senior first baseman Austin Burandt said. "We need to figure out how to come out ready to make some plays. (The Red Hawks) shouldn't have gotten any of those runs in the first inning. We had routine plays that we really messed up on."
Milton (1-1) scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to push its lead to 6-0. That was more than enough for Burman, who said he threw almost exclusively fastballs in his first start of the season. He said he was throwing in the 84 mph range, about 3 mph below his top speed.
"I threw probably 10-15 off-speed pitches all day," he said, adding the 15-strikeout performance is his varsity high.
Milton coach Ryan Newenschwander credited Burman for a timely solid start, considering No. 1 pitcher Sam McCann continues to battle a tender shoulder.
"Dane Burman was in command," Newenschwander said. "He threw around 100 pitches, which normally is a little too much for this time of year on a cold night, but his arm was ready for it. Fifteen K's - you can't ask for more."
Monroe had seven baserunners against Burman, but only two reached third base. The Cheesemakers' Nos. 2-5 hitters went 0-for-12 with 10 strikeouts against him.
"He has some pretty good gas and he has a nice breaking ball, and he knows how to hit his spots pretty well," said Burandt, whose two-run, seventh-inning double to the fence in straight-away center off Bowen broke up the Red Hawks' shutout bid.
As frustrated as Huffman was with all the strikeouts, he was equally disappointed to waste a solid effort from Pivonka, who allowed four hits and five walks over six innings. He had one strikeout.
"Cody threw strikes. He did exactly what we asked him to do," Huffman said. "We just need our defense to clutch up behind him and help him out. We have to do the little things well to put ourselves in position to win games."
Monroe center fielder Kevin Klopfenstein did his job from the leadoff spot, collecting a hit and two walks, while right fielder Alex Einbeck had a single and two walks in three plate appearances.
It doesn't figure to get any easier for the Cheesemakers on Thursday, when Badger South favorite Madison Edgewood visits at 5 p.m.
