LENA, Ill. - Monroe's Senior Legion team lost 14-3 to Lena after eight innings in a scheduled nine-inning game on Wednesday night.
Starting pitcher Kris Rieder struggled out of the gate, allowing a run in the bottom of the first.
"I didn't really get warmed up as much as I'd like to have," Rieder said. "I got a little wild and couldn't really control my fastball."
In the bottom of the second inning, Rieder pelted a pitch down the middle of the plate, and Lena's batter appeared to check swing, only to have both umpires confirm that the swing was checked.
After shaking his head in dismay, Rieder's next pitch was again right on the money, and he got the called strike and a little bit more. The home plate umpired dashed to the mound and told Rieder not to "show him up."
"That gets in my head a little more than it really should," Rieder said.
The incident wasn't the first time, nor the last that Monroe was talked to by the umpiring crew. Rieder was picked off in the top half of the inning at first base, despite avoiding the tag. Lena's starting pitcher was warned for balking in the fourth inning, but wasn't called on it, but Monroe's reliever, Jake Teasdale, was called in the bottom half for softly letting his pitching arm sway while receiving the sign from catcher Mitch Marty.
"(The umpire) told me it was the 'Gorilla Rule.' I've never heard of it," Teasdale said.
Monroe scored its first run in the top of the fifth. Alex Dammen singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the shortstop. Nate Barta moved Dammen to third on a groundout to second and Taylor Weckerly singled home the run.
Monroe's second run came in the top of the sixth. Taylor Riese and Marty both walked to lead off the inning and Justin Rackow loaded the bases after grounding into an error by the third baseman. After the next two batters recorded outs, Barta walked to score Riese, bringing the score to 4-2.
With Weckerly at the plate, Rackow scored on a passed ball, but was called out by the home plate umpire.
From there, the problems mounted for Monroe. Lena went on to score 10 runs after the fifth inning to end the game early.
Starting pitcher Kris Rieder struggled out of the gate, allowing a run in the bottom of the first.
"I didn't really get warmed up as much as I'd like to have," Rieder said. "I got a little wild and couldn't really control my fastball."
In the bottom of the second inning, Rieder pelted a pitch down the middle of the plate, and Lena's batter appeared to check swing, only to have both umpires confirm that the swing was checked.
After shaking his head in dismay, Rieder's next pitch was again right on the money, and he got the called strike and a little bit more. The home plate umpired dashed to the mound and told Rieder not to "show him up."
"That gets in my head a little more than it really should," Rieder said.
The incident wasn't the first time, nor the last that Monroe was talked to by the umpiring crew. Rieder was picked off in the top half of the inning at first base, despite avoiding the tag. Lena's starting pitcher was warned for balking in the fourth inning, but wasn't called on it, but Monroe's reliever, Jake Teasdale, was called in the bottom half for softly letting his pitching arm sway while receiving the sign from catcher Mitch Marty.
"(The umpire) told me it was the 'Gorilla Rule.' I've never heard of it," Teasdale said.
Monroe scored its first run in the top of the fifth. Alex Dammen singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the shortstop. Nate Barta moved Dammen to third on a groundout to second and Taylor Weckerly singled home the run.
Monroe's second run came in the top of the sixth. Taylor Riese and Marty both walked to lead off the inning and Justin Rackow loaded the bases after grounding into an error by the third baseman. After the next two batters recorded outs, Barta walked to score Riese, bringing the score to 4-2.
With Weckerly at the plate, Rackow scored on a passed ball, but was called out by the home plate umpire.
From there, the problems mounted for Monroe. Lena went on to score 10 runs after the fifth inning to end the game early.
