MONROE - In stunning fashion, Monroe senior Taylor Riese capped an improbable comeback, delivering a game-winning RBI single as the Cheesemakers beat Madison Edgewood 9-8 Friday.
"I'm sure that's what a lot of kids dream about in their backyards," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said.
Monroe juniors Mitch Marty and Dylan Schwitz walked in the bottom of the seventh. Edgewood then walked senior Matt Whipple. With two outs and the bases loaded, junior Logan Wells picked up the game-tying RBI when he was drilled by a pitch. That set the stage for Riese, who came through with a walkoff hit to beat the Crusaders, ranked fourth in the Division 2 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association preseason poll.
Riese was 2-for-5 and senior Justin Rackow was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Fellow senior Cory Kundert was 1-for-3 and had three RBI.
It was an unforgettable home opener for Huffman, in his first year as Monroe's coach.
"It feels great to beat the defending Division 2 state champions," Huffman said. "We talked all summer long about how we knew we had to open with Edgewood. They came in and worked hard in the summer."
Monroe (2-0) stormed back after digging a 6-0 first-inning deficit.
Monroe senior Kris Rieder started and gave up four hits in the first, but the Crusaders took advantage of three Cheesemakers' errors, three walks and one hit batter. Five of the Crusaders' six runs in the first were unearned.
"It was ugly in that first inning," Huffman said. "They came out kind of tight. After that first inning, we settled down."
Rieder pitched four innings and gave up just three earned runs. He walked five and struck out four. Wells came in and pitched two innings in relief to get the win. He gave up just two hits and one earned run.
The Cheesemakers took the lead in the sixth. Whipple walked and Wells singled. Kundert then had a clutch two-out, two-run double that gave the Cheesemakers a 7-6 lead.
"That was a huge hit," Huffman said.
"I'm sure that's what a lot of kids dream about in their backyards," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said.
Monroe juniors Mitch Marty and Dylan Schwitz walked in the bottom of the seventh. Edgewood then walked senior Matt Whipple. With two outs and the bases loaded, junior Logan Wells picked up the game-tying RBI when he was drilled by a pitch. That set the stage for Riese, who came through with a walkoff hit to beat the Crusaders, ranked fourth in the Division 2 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association preseason poll.
Riese was 2-for-5 and senior Justin Rackow was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Fellow senior Cory Kundert was 1-for-3 and had three RBI.
It was an unforgettable home opener for Huffman, in his first year as Monroe's coach.
"It feels great to beat the defending Division 2 state champions," Huffman said. "We talked all summer long about how we knew we had to open with Edgewood. They came in and worked hard in the summer."
Monroe (2-0) stormed back after digging a 6-0 first-inning deficit.
Monroe senior Kris Rieder started and gave up four hits in the first, but the Crusaders took advantage of three Cheesemakers' errors, three walks and one hit batter. Five of the Crusaders' six runs in the first were unearned.
"It was ugly in that first inning," Huffman said. "They came out kind of tight. After that first inning, we settled down."
Rieder pitched four innings and gave up just three earned runs. He walked five and struck out four. Wells came in and pitched two innings in relief to get the win. He gave up just two hits and one earned run.
The Cheesemakers took the lead in the sixth. Whipple walked and Wells singled. Kundert then had a clutch two-out, two-run double that gave the Cheesemakers a 7-6 lead.
"That was a huge hit," Huffman said.
