MONROE - It seemed improbable that the Monroe Brewers and Wiota Indians' paths would cross again in the Home Talent League's Western Section Sunday playoffs after Wiota was in danger of missing the playoffs a month ago following a demoralizing 5-1 loss to New Glarus.
But, on Sunday, Verona used some power hitting to beat the Brewers 7-2, and that loss coupled with Wiota's 14-5 win over Ridgeway punched the Indians' ticket to the playoffs, and a rematch with Monroe.
"If Wiota has everybody they are as good as anybody in the league," Brewers co-player manager Lon Scheuerell said. "They are capable of going to the final four. Verona is above everyone in the Western Section. After Verona, the second through seventh place teams can beat anyone on any given day. That will be a tough game."
Verona jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning off Monroe starting pitcher Justin Hahn. Verona's Derek Burgenske led off the first by lining a single to right. Burgenske then stole second and Zach Spencer singled. Hahn then walked Matt Peetz. Derek Prochaska then followed by blasting a towering grand slam to left to give Verona a 4-0 lead.
Hahn pitched 6 1/3 innings and gave up three earned runs on nine hits. The second through fourth hitters in Verona's lineup went a combined 7-for-14 with six RBI. Peetz went 3-for-4 to lead Verona. Prochaska finished 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI.
"Other than the first four batters, he threw a really great game," Scheuerell said. "I think some people thought it would be 10-0 after the first four batters. He really shut them down."
The Brewers (11-5) then rallied.
Ben Korth lined a double to left off Verona's Matt Niffenegger to lead off the third. Tyler Goninen then beat out an infield single. Finally, Hahn delivered a two-out RBI single to cut Verona's lead to 4-1.
Adam Siegenthaler, a 2001 Monroe graduate, went 3-for-4 to lead the Brewers.
"I have been really hitting the ball good lately," Siegenthaler said.
Siegenthaler said when he faced Niffenegger he was sixth in the order and he had a chance to watch teammates bat.
"I knew he was throwing a lot of first pitch fastballs," he said. "Once he got ahead, he was throwing his change-up and curveball. I was looking for the change-up and curveball. That is how I approached him."
The Brewers manufactured a run in the fifth. Adam Sherer led off with a single, followed by Goninen, who laid down a sacrifice bunt. Shaun Dascher then knocked in a run with a groundout to cut Verona's lead to 4-2.
Hahn buckled down after giving up four runs in the first. He shut down Verona for five more innings before running into a jam in the seventh. Spencer and Peetz singled off Hahn. The Brewers brought in Cody Boals in relief with two men on and one out. Boals got Prochaska to fly out to center and induced Justin Scanlon to ground out to end the threat.
Boals couldn't wiggle off the hook in the eighth after getting into a jam and surrendering three unearned runs. He walked Derek Murphy, then Nick Krohn, on hit-and-run, slapped a single to right. With runners on the corners, he walked Dan Koss to load the bases. He then walked in a run. The big blow came on Peetz's two-run single to push the lead to 7-2.
Now the Brewers must prepare for Wiota in the Sunday league playoffs. The Brewers will be without Boals and Mike Cleary who will be on a mission trip to New York and will miss the first round playoff game with Wiota.
"It really doesn't matter who we play in the playoffs," Siegenthaler said. "For a while, we didn't even know if Wiota would be in the playoffs. They have picked it up at the end of the season. Good for them. Of course, we want to play them tough."
Wiota 14, Ridgeway 5
Wiota (7-9) was able to reach the playoffs after winning three straight games as Dodgeville fell apart down the stretch losing four straight.
"Four weeks ago I didn't think we would make it (the playoffs)," Wiota manager Dick Schliem said. "Dodgeville had to win one game and then we would have been done. We kind of had lady luck with us too."
Wiota's Merrill Brunson went 2-for-4 and had two home runs and seven RBI to lead the Indians. Brunson crushed a grand slam in the seventh and had a three-run homer in the ninth.
Wiota pounded out 14 hits and jumped on Ridgeway when Aaron Lancaster hit a solo home run in the first. Brock Bidlingmaier hit a two-run homer in the second for the Indians. Bidlingmaier pitched eight innings and gave up five runs on eight hits. He struck out six and walked four.
"We have had all nine of our starters," Schliem said. "That has made a big difference in our hitting."
Wiota had three other players in addition to Brunson with multi-hit games including Lancaster 3-for-4, Brad Schliem (2-for-5) and Jeff Solberg (2-for-5).
New Glarus 3, Argyle 2
New Glarus (4-11) defeated Argyle (9-7) 3-2 in 13 innings on Stein Rear's game-winning RBI single off Argyle relief pitcher Bryan Ritschard.
"It was amazing because I had to catch 13 innings," Rear said. "I didn't want to play any more."
Rear said he had a couple of chances to drive in runs with runners in scoring position, but didn't come through.
"I had a chance at redemption," Rear said.
Lee Vlasak pitched nine innings and struck out 12 and walked one. Vlasak gave up two unearned runs in the third. Mike Rear, in relief, pitched four shutout innings and struck out six.
Ritschard walked Lee Vlasak with one out in the 13th. He stole second and Vance Vlasak, who was 3-for-6, then walked. Stein Rear then delivered a game-winning two-out walkoff RBI single.
But, on Sunday, Verona used some power hitting to beat the Brewers 7-2, and that loss coupled with Wiota's 14-5 win over Ridgeway punched the Indians' ticket to the playoffs, and a rematch with Monroe.
"If Wiota has everybody they are as good as anybody in the league," Brewers co-player manager Lon Scheuerell said. "They are capable of going to the final four. Verona is above everyone in the Western Section. After Verona, the second through seventh place teams can beat anyone on any given day. That will be a tough game."
Verona jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning off Monroe starting pitcher Justin Hahn. Verona's Derek Burgenske led off the first by lining a single to right. Burgenske then stole second and Zach Spencer singled. Hahn then walked Matt Peetz. Derek Prochaska then followed by blasting a towering grand slam to left to give Verona a 4-0 lead.
Hahn pitched 6 1/3 innings and gave up three earned runs on nine hits. The second through fourth hitters in Verona's lineup went a combined 7-for-14 with six RBI. Peetz went 3-for-4 to lead Verona. Prochaska finished 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI.
"Other than the first four batters, he threw a really great game," Scheuerell said. "I think some people thought it would be 10-0 after the first four batters. He really shut them down."
The Brewers (11-5) then rallied.
Ben Korth lined a double to left off Verona's Matt Niffenegger to lead off the third. Tyler Goninen then beat out an infield single. Finally, Hahn delivered a two-out RBI single to cut Verona's lead to 4-1.
Adam Siegenthaler, a 2001 Monroe graduate, went 3-for-4 to lead the Brewers.
"I have been really hitting the ball good lately," Siegenthaler said.
Siegenthaler said when he faced Niffenegger he was sixth in the order and he had a chance to watch teammates bat.
"I knew he was throwing a lot of first pitch fastballs," he said. "Once he got ahead, he was throwing his change-up and curveball. I was looking for the change-up and curveball. That is how I approached him."
The Brewers manufactured a run in the fifth. Adam Sherer led off with a single, followed by Goninen, who laid down a sacrifice bunt. Shaun Dascher then knocked in a run with a groundout to cut Verona's lead to 4-2.
Hahn buckled down after giving up four runs in the first. He shut down Verona for five more innings before running into a jam in the seventh. Spencer and Peetz singled off Hahn. The Brewers brought in Cody Boals in relief with two men on and one out. Boals got Prochaska to fly out to center and induced Justin Scanlon to ground out to end the threat.
Boals couldn't wiggle off the hook in the eighth after getting into a jam and surrendering three unearned runs. He walked Derek Murphy, then Nick Krohn, on hit-and-run, slapped a single to right. With runners on the corners, he walked Dan Koss to load the bases. He then walked in a run. The big blow came on Peetz's two-run single to push the lead to 7-2.
Now the Brewers must prepare for Wiota in the Sunday league playoffs. The Brewers will be without Boals and Mike Cleary who will be on a mission trip to New York and will miss the first round playoff game with Wiota.
"It really doesn't matter who we play in the playoffs," Siegenthaler said. "For a while, we didn't even know if Wiota would be in the playoffs. They have picked it up at the end of the season. Good for them. Of course, we want to play them tough."
Wiota 14, Ridgeway 5
Wiota (7-9) was able to reach the playoffs after winning three straight games as Dodgeville fell apart down the stretch losing four straight.
"Four weeks ago I didn't think we would make it (the playoffs)," Wiota manager Dick Schliem said. "Dodgeville had to win one game and then we would have been done. We kind of had lady luck with us too."
Wiota's Merrill Brunson went 2-for-4 and had two home runs and seven RBI to lead the Indians. Brunson crushed a grand slam in the seventh and had a three-run homer in the ninth.
Wiota pounded out 14 hits and jumped on Ridgeway when Aaron Lancaster hit a solo home run in the first. Brock Bidlingmaier hit a two-run homer in the second for the Indians. Bidlingmaier pitched eight innings and gave up five runs on eight hits. He struck out six and walked four.
"We have had all nine of our starters," Schliem said. "That has made a big difference in our hitting."
Wiota had three other players in addition to Brunson with multi-hit games including Lancaster 3-for-4, Brad Schliem (2-for-5) and Jeff Solberg (2-for-5).
New Glarus 3, Argyle 2
New Glarus (4-11) defeated Argyle (9-7) 3-2 in 13 innings on Stein Rear's game-winning RBI single off Argyle relief pitcher Bryan Ritschard.
"It was amazing because I had to catch 13 innings," Rear said. "I didn't want to play any more."
Rear said he had a couple of chances to drive in runs with runners in scoring position, but didn't come through.
"I had a chance at redemption," Rear said.
Lee Vlasak pitched nine innings and struck out 12 and walked one. Vlasak gave up two unearned runs in the third. Mike Rear, in relief, pitched four shutout innings and struck out six.
Ritschard walked Lee Vlasak with one out in the 13th. He stole second and Vance Vlasak, who was 3-for-6, then walked. Stein Rear then delivered a game-winning two-out walkoff RBI single.
