MONROE - Missed opportunities to close the door came back to haunt Monroe with Mount Horeb sweeping a doubleheader from the Cheesemakers Saturday.
Monroe (1-5, 0-2 Badger South) lost a heartbreaking first game 7-4 in nine innings and lost the second game of the twinbill 6-1.
"Any time when you have a chance to close the door and win the game in regulation or twice in extra innings you have to do it," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "We just didn't make a play."
With the Cheesemakers leading 4-3 with two outs in the seventh inning of the first game, it appeared like junior starting pitcher Logan Weckerly induced the ground ball he needed. However, a low throw by Brent Edmunds led to the Vikings scoring the game-tying run to force extra innings.
The Cheesemakers had a golden opportunity in the eighth inning for a walk-off win. Monroe junior Mitch Swanson singled and stole second. Sophomore Jaron Kuester lined a single to center and stole second. Brian Wang, who went 3-for-4, was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With the bases loaded and just one out, the Cheesemakers couldn't push across the game-winning run. Mount Horeb starting pitcher Klayton Krantz worked out of the jam by striking out Monroe's Sean Saxby and Chase Hellenbrand.
"When you have your No. 3 and No. 4 hitters coming up, you have to like your chances," Huffman said.
After Weckerly walked two to load the bases in the ninth, Huffman went to the bullpen and brought in sophomore Taylor Meir. Mount Horeb's Jordan Haag crushed a three-run double to center to win the game for the Vikings.
"He (Weckerly) got over the pitch count (90 pitches)," Huffman said. "Logan pitched well enough to win the game. We brought Taylor up to get him some innings on the varsity. I told him (Meir) he would pitch. It just happened to be in a big situation."
Weckerly pitched 8 2/3 innings and gave up six earned runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked four.
The Cheesemakers out-hit the Vikings 14-7 in the first game. In addition to Wang, three other players had multi-hit games including Saxby (2-for-5), junior Matt Coplien (2-for-5) and Swanson (2-for-5).
Meir started the second game and he pitched three innings. He gave up five runs on five hits. He struck out two and walked two. Junior Carter Adkins pitched two innings and gave up two hits and Edmunds pitched one inning and had one strikeout. With five games in six days, the Cheesemakers' pitching depth was challenged.
"We are trying to figure out guys we can slot in as starters," Huffman said. "Logan and Luke (Neuenschwander) compliment each other well. Logan has a lot more velocity and Luke locates well down in the zone."
The Vikings broke the second game of the doubleheader open with a three-run second. Meir gave up two hits, walked two and hit one. Two of the three runs that scored were unearned.
The Cheesemakers' lone run came on senior Isaiah Siemers' RBI single in the fourth. Hellenbrand and Saxby were each 1-for-2 and Wang and Siemers were 1-for-3. Huffman is excited by how much the Cheesemakers have improved their hitting approach in one week. After losing to Beaver Dam 20-0, Monroe has lost two close Badger South Conference games - 3-2 to Fort Atkinson and 10-7 to Monona Grove.
"For the most part their approach (to hitting) has got better from the beginning of the year," Huffman said. "They have got better as the week went on."
Huffman said whether it's defensively or at the plate, the Cheesemakers have to find ways to close out games.
"Hopefully, they will learn from it," he said. "We will keep teaching them and coaching them. Hopefully, they will get better."
Monroe (1-5, 0-2 Badger South) lost a heartbreaking first game 7-4 in nine innings and lost the second game of the twinbill 6-1.
"Any time when you have a chance to close the door and win the game in regulation or twice in extra innings you have to do it," Monroe coach Dustin Huffman said. "We just didn't make a play."
With the Cheesemakers leading 4-3 with two outs in the seventh inning of the first game, it appeared like junior starting pitcher Logan Weckerly induced the ground ball he needed. However, a low throw by Brent Edmunds led to the Vikings scoring the game-tying run to force extra innings.
The Cheesemakers had a golden opportunity in the eighth inning for a walk-off win. Monroe junior Mitch Swanson singled and stole second. Sophomore Jaron Kuester lined a single to center and stole second. Brian Wang, who went 3-for-4, was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With the bases loaded and just one out, the Cheesemakers couldn't push across the game-winning run. Mount Horeb starting pitcher Klayton Krantz worked out of the jam by striking out Monroe's Sean Saxby and Chase Hellenbrand.
"When you have your No. 3 and No. 4 hitters coming up, you have to like your chances," Huffman said.
After Weckerly walked two to load the bases in the ninth, Huffman went to the bullpen and brought in sophomore Taylor Meir. Mount Horeb's Jordan Haag crushed a three-run double to center to win the game for the Vikings.
"He (Weckerly) got over the pitch count (90 pitches)," Huffman said. "Logan pitched well enough to win the game. We brought Taylor up to get him some innings on the varsity. I told him (Meir) he would pitch. It just happened to be in a big situation."
Weckerly pitched 8 2/3 innings and gave up six earned runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked four.
The Cheesemakers out-hit the Vikings 14-7 in the first game. In addition to Wang, three other players had multi-hit games including Saxby (2-for-5), junior Matt Coplien (2-for-5) and Swanson (2-for-5).
Meir started the second game and he pitched three innings. He gave up five runs on five hits. He struck out two and walked two. Junior Carter Adkins pitched two innings and gave up two hits and Edmunds pitched one inning and had one strikeout. With five games in six days, the Cheesemakers' pitching depth was challenged.
"We are trying to figure out guys we can slot in as starters," Huffman said. "Logan and Luke (Neuenschwander) compliment each other well. Logan has a lot more velocity and Luke locates well down in the zone."
The Vikings broke the second game of the doubleheader open with a three-run second. Meir gave up two hits, walked two and hit one. Two of the three runs that scored were unearned.
The Cheesemakers' lone run came on senior Isaiah Siemers' RBI single in the fourth. Hellenbrand and Saxby were each 1-for-2 and Wang and Siemers were 1-for-3. Huffman is excited by how much the Cheesemakers have improved their hitting approach in one week. After losing to Beaver Dam 20-0, Monroe has lost two close Badger South Conference games - 3-2 to Fort Atkinson and 10-7 to Monona Grove.
"For the most part their approach (to hitting) has got better from the beginning of the year," Huffman said. "They have got better as the week went on."
Huffman said whether it's defensively or at the plate, the Cheesemakers have to find ways to close out games.
"Hopefully, they will learn from it," he said. "We will keep teaching them and coaching them. Hopefully, they will get better."
