MONROE - One of the biggest questions for the Monroe baseball team entering the season was pitching depth behind ace Logan Weckerly.
With just one experienced starting pitcher returning, Monroe coach Dustin Huffman knew there could be growing pains. With five games in six days, Monroe's 20-0 five-inning loss Monday to Beaver Dam was the first test of that depth.
"For many of these guys it's the best opportunity to throw them into the fire," Huffman said. "We are just trying to piece together a rotation and see if we have the right personnel up here. It's all hands on deck. They threw strikes for the most part. We just didn't make plays behind them."
The Cheesemakers (1-1) got off to a rocky start in the first inning, committing two errors that led to a big inning off Monroe sophomore starting pitcher Jaron Kuester. The Beavers scored their first run on a balk by Kuester. Beaver Dam's Parker Sandowski delivered an RBI double to extend the Beavers' lead to 2-0. Beaver Dam's Nick Klavekoske, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Quinn McCallum scored on a wild pitch by Kuester to give the Beavers a 4-0 lead. Kuester pitched just 2/3 of an inning and gave up four runs (two earned) on two hits and walked three.
The Cheesemakers used four pitchers. Monroe junior Desmond Ford came in as a relief pitcher and he got Tyler Baade to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning. The Beavers racked up 16 total hits and batted around the order three times including a five-run third off senior pitcher Isaiah Siemers and a four-run fourth. A dropped fly ball in left field opened the floodgates to a big inning in the third.
"Beaver Dam is a really good hitting team," Huffman said. "They had a good up the middle hitting approach."
The Cheesemakers played without starting shortstop Brent Edmunds and third baseman Mitch Swanson. Both Edmunds and Swanson missed the game due to illness.
"It forced us to shuffle our lineup," Huffman said. "We had a lot of guys out of position out of necessity. Guys are getting a chance to play different positions. We will see who will step up and make plays. Those will be the ones on the field."
Beaver Dam's Matt Berg and McCallum combined tossed a one-hit shutout. Monroe junior Brian Wang had the lone hit for the Cheesemakers - an infield single in the fourth. The Cheesemakers only had one runner reach second base.
"We took a lot of first pitch strikes that were very hittable pitches," Huffman said. "We looked a little tentative up there.
"Baseball isn't hard," Huffman said. "It's still see ball, hit ball."
With just one experienced starting pitcher returning, Monroe coach Dustin Huffman knew there could be growing pains. With five games in six days, Monroe's 20-0 five-inning loss Monday to Beaver Dam was the first test of that depth.
"For many of these guys it's the best opportunity to throw them into the fire," Huffman said. "We are just trying to piece together a rotation and see if we have the right personnel up here. It's all hands on deck. They threw strikes for the most part. We just didn't make plays behind them."
The Cheesemakers (1-1) got off to a rocky start in the first inning, committing two errors that led to a big inning off Monroe sophomore starting pitcher Jaron Kuester. The Beavers scored their first run on a balk by Kuester. Beaver Dam's Parker Sandowski delivered an RBI double to extend the Beavers' lead to 2-0. Beaver Dam's Nick Klavekoske, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Quinn McCallum scored on a wild pitch by Kuester to give the Beavers a 4-0 lead. Kuester pitched just 2/3 of an inning and gave up four runs (two earned) on two hits and walked three.
The Cheesemakers used four pitchers. Monroe junior Desmond Ford came in as a relief pitcher and he got Tyler Baade to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning. The Beavers racked up 16 total hits and batted around the order three times including a five-run third off senior pitcher Isaiah Siemers and a four-run fourth. A dropped fly ball in left field opened the floodgates to a big inning in the third.
"Beaver Dam is a really good hitting team," Huffman said. "They had a good up the middle hitting approach."
The Cheesemakers played without starting shortstop Brent Edmunds and third baseman Mitch Swanson. Both Edmunds and Swanson missed the game due to illness.
"It forced us to shuffle our lineup," Huffman said. "We had a lot of guys out of position out of necessity. Guys are getting a chance to play different positions. We will see who will step up and make plays. Those will be the ones on the field."
Beaver Dam's Matt Berg and McCallum combined tossed a one-hit shutout. Monroe junior Brian Wang had the lone hit for the Cheesemakers - an infield single in the fourth. The Cheesemakers only had one runner reach second base.
"We took a lot of first pitch strikes that were very hittable pitches," Huffman said. "We looked a little tentative up there.
"Baseball isn't hard," Huffman said. "It's still see ball, hit ball."
