MONROE - The Monroe Senior Legion baseball team received several strong performances in sweeping a doubleheader from Edgerton Saturday to remain unbeaten this summer.
Monroe's Dylan Cleveland lined a game-winning RBI single to center in the fifth inning of the first game to give Monroe a 4-3 victory. Monroe rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the second game, with Taylor Riese delivering a game-tying two-run single up the middle. Kris Rieder followed with a game-winning RBI infield single for a 4-3 win in the second game.
"We had some guys competing today," Monroe coach Eric Losenegger said. "That's the only thing I ask for. The first game it was Dylan Cleveland and Drew Nafzger coming in to shut the door. In the second game it was Micth Marty's pitching keeping us in the game and Taylor (Riese) came up with a big hit when he needed to."
Rieder's late game heroics capped the sweep.
"I really didn't hit good all day," Rieder said. "Someone has to do it. It was just nice to get the clutch hit."
Monroe (5-0-1, 4-0 in the Stateline League) is entering a key stretch with three games in three days. Monroe plays at McFarland today, hosts Albany Tuesday and is at Milton Wednesday.
"Hopefully, we can get some momentum going into next week," Rieder said.
Game 1
Monroe broke the first game of the doubleheader open with a three-run fourth. Edgerton pitcher Adam Gregory walked Austin Burandt. Mitch Riese reached on an error. Marty then lined a two-out single to right. Kramer Henning then ripped a two-run single to right center to give Monroe a 3-0 lead.
Edgerton rallied to tie the game in the fifth without a hit. Rieder walked six straight batters in the fifth, which included walking in three runs. He wiggled out of a bases loaded jam by rebounding to strike out the side. Rieder pitched five innings and gave up three unearned runs on one hit. He struck out nine and walked nine.
"He by no means pitched his best game," Losenegger said. "He's our stud. I was going to leave him out there to get out of it. He gutted it out and made some big pitches."
Monroe scored all four of its runs with two outs. Cleveland came through with a clutch two-out RBI single that gave Monroe a 4-3 win. Nafzger made sure Cleveland's go-ahead hit would stand up as he pitched two shutout innings to get the save.
"It felt really nice to get another hit," Cleveland said. "I was struggling throughout the game. I just pulled through that time. We were confident we could come back because they were throwing their best pitcher and didn't have much pitching."
Game 2
Henning helped Monroe jump out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the second game when he knocked in a run after grounding into a double play.
Edgerton rallied to take the lead in the third. Trevor Kinnett and Zach Nelson had back-to-back singles off of Marty. Edgerton scored its first run on a dropped fly ball. Kyle Johnson then followed with an RBI single to left to give Edgerton a 2-1 lead. Edgerton's Derek Fox had a bloop RBI single in the sixth. However, that wasn't enough insurance.
Monroe's Dylan Schwitz, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, led off with a single. Edgerton pitcher Bryant Schulte then hit Henning and walked Marty. Riese, who was 2-for-3, then delivered a two-run game-tying single up the middle. Rieder followed with a game-winning RBI single that he beat out to give Monroe a 4-3 win.
"We are playing good Legion ball," Taylor Riese said. "I was just looking to see a pitch I could drive somewhere. Luckily, I got one I could hit up the middle."
Marty pitched a complete game and he gave up just one earned run on five hits. He struck out 10 and walked three. Edgerton left 15 runners on base combined in both games of the doubleheader.
Monroe's Dylan Cleveland lined a game-winning RBI single to center in the fifth inning of the first game to give Monroe a 4-3 victory. Monroe rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the second game, with Taylor Riese delivering a game-tying two-run single up the middle. Kris Rieder followed with a game-winning RBI infield single for a 4-3 win in the second game.
"We had some guys competing today," Monroe coach Eric Losenegger said. "That's the only thing I ask for. The first game it was Dylan Cleveland and Drew Nafzger coming in to shut the door. In the second game it was Micth Marty's pitching keeping us in the game and Taylor (Riese) came up with a big hit when he needed to."
Rieder's late game heroics capped the sweep.
"I really didn't hit good all day," Rieder said. "Someone has to do it. It was just nice to get the clutch hit."
Monroe (5-0-1, 4-0 in the Stateline League) is entering a key stretch with three games in three days. Monroe plays at McFarland today, hosts Albany Tuesday and is at Milton Wednesday.
"Hopefully, we can get some momentum going into next week," Rieder said.
Game 1
Monroe broke the first game of the doubleheader open with a three-run fourth. Edgerton pitcher Adam Gregory walked Austin Burandt. Mitch Riese reached on an error. Marty then lined a two-out single to right. Kramer Henning then ripped a two-run single to right center to give Monroe a 3-0 lead.
Edgerton rallied to tie the game in the fifth without a hit. Rieder walked six straight batters in the fifth, which included walking in three runs. He wiggled out of a bases loaded jam by rebounding to strike out the side. Rieder pitched five innings and gave up three unearned runs on one hit. He struck out nine and walked nine.
"He by no means pitched his best game," Losenegger said. "He's our stud. I was going to leave him out there to get out of it. He gutted it out and made some big pitches."
Monroe scored all four of its runs with two outs. Cleveland came through with a clutch two-out RBI single that gave Monroe a 4-3 win. Nafzger made sure Cleveland's go-ahead hit would stand up as he pitched two shutout innings to get the save.
"It felt really nice to get another hit," Cleveland said. "I was struggling throughout the game. I just pulled through that time. We were confident we could come back because they were throwing their best pitcher and didn't have much pitching."
Game 2
Henning helped Monroe jump out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the second game when he knocked in a run after grounding into a double play.
Edgerton rallied to take the lead in the third. Trevor Kinnett and Zach Nelson had back-to-back singles off of Marty. Edgerton scored its first run on a dropped fly ball. Kyle Johnson then followed with an RBI single to left to give Edgerton a 2-1 lead. Edgerton's Derek Fox had a bloop RBI single in the sixth. However, that wasn't enough insurance.
Monroe's Dylan Schwitz, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, led off with a single. Edgerton pitcher Bryant Schulte then hit Henning and walked Marty. Riese, who was 2-for-3, then delivered a two-run game-tying single up the middle. Rieder followed with a game-winning RBI single that he beat out to give Monroe a 4-3 win.
"We are playing good Legion ball," Taylor Riese said. "I was just looking to see a pitch I could drive somewhere. Luckily, I got one I could hit up the middle."
Marty pitched a complete game and he gave up just one earned run on five hits. He struck out 10 and walked three. Edgerton left 15 runners on base combined in both games of the doubleheader.
