BELOIT - Lightning struck twice to end the Monroe baseball team's season Friday.
The first lightning strike was a six-run second inning by the Beloit Turner Trojans. The second was the flash of lightning from a thunderstorm that stopped the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.
After a 30-minute wait the storm persisted, and the game was called. That made No. 3-seeded Turner an 8-0 winner over sixth-seeded Monroe in a WIAA Division 2 regional quarterfinal.
The Trojans scored six runs against Monroe junior pitcher Ryan Erickson in the second inning - all with two outs. Turner added two more runs in the third.
Monroe's only threat came in the fourth when junior Mitch Riese led off with the Cheesemakers' only hit. Junior Kevin Klopfenstein drew a one-out walk to put runners at first and second with senior Austin Burandt at the plate.
The threat quickly ended as Riese was picked off second base and Burandt grounded out to end the inning.
Both teams scored two runs in the sixth inning to make the score 10-2, but the thunderstorm halted play at approximately 6:45 p.m. with Beloit Turner batting in the bottom of the sixth. After a mandatory 30-minute wait, lightning remained in the area. With darkness approaching and no lights at Beloit Turner's field, the umpires called the game.
The game is declared official as of the last completed inning, which was the fifth. That made the final score 8-0.
Monroe finished its season 2-22. Turner advances to face No. 2 seed Clinton in the regional semifinal Tuesday.
"We had a lot of kids work very hard this year," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said.
"We need to develop some pitchers. We need to teach them to pitch to make them more competitive next year. We told the kids that, and I hope they take that to heart."
The first lightning strike was a six-run second inning by the Beloit Turner Trojans. The second was the flash of lightning from a thunderstorm that stopped the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.
After a 30-minute wait the storm persisted, and the game was called. That made No. 3-seeded Turner an 8-0 winner over sixth-seeded Monroe in a WIAA Division 2 regional quarterfinal.
The Trojans scored six runs against Monroe junior pitcher Ryan Erickson in the second inning - all with two outs. Turner added two more runs in the third.
Monroe's only threat came in the fourth when junior Mitch Riese led off with the Cheesemakers' only hit. Junior Kevin Klopfenstein drew a one-out walk to put runners at first and second with senior Austin Burandt at the plate.
The threat quickly ended as Riese was picked off second base and Burandt grounded out to end the inning.
Both teams scored two runs in the sixth inning to make the score 10-2, but the thunderstorm halted play at approximately 6:45 p.m. with Beloit Turner batting in the bottom of the sixth. After a mandatory 30-minute wait, lightning remained in the area. With darkness approaching and no lights at Beloit Turner's field, the umpires called the game.
The game is declared official as of the last completed inning, which was the fifth. That made the final score 8-0.
Monroe finished its season 2-22. Turner advances to face No. 2 seed Clinton in the regional semifinal Tuesday.
"We had a lot of kids work very hard this year," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said.
"We need to develop some pitchers. We need to teach them to pitch to make them more competitive next year. We told the kids that, and I hope they take that to heart."
