MONROE - Senior Garrett Gogin is used to doing damage in baseball games with his bat for Monroe High School. He is unaccustomed to being on the pitcher's mound in tight games.
However, that's where he found himself Monday during a nonconference game against Darlington. The Cheesemakers used four pitchers, including Gogin, en route to the 7-5 win.
Gogin went 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI, and he threw 12⁄3 innings in relief, which marked his first pitching performance in three years.
"I haven't done that (pitched) in a long time," Gogin said. "They (Darlington) are a very good team. It was good to come out and win the game with a bunch of different people and have a lot of people contribute. It doesn't matter the team we are playing."
Monroe junior Jacob Ritschard pitched four innings and gave up two runs on three hits. He struck out two and walked four. Monroe's Nick Maple tossed one inning in relief to get the win and gave up one run. Monroe sophomore Hunter Ward struck out Hayden Hardyman in the seventh to end the Redbirds' comeback bid.
Monroe coach Dustin Huffman didn't hesitate going to Gogin in the sixth inning to pitch in relief even though he hadn't pitched in three years.
"When we have five games this week and four last week we are looking for anyone to go out on the mound," Huffman said. "We knew the moment wouldn't be too big for Garrett because he's been in big moments in baseball and football before. He's a really chill kid and he handles the big situations well."
Darlington (5-2, 2-0 SWAL) hit 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners stranded.
"We are a momentum team," Darlington coach Brad Solberg said. "When one guy starts hitting they all start hitting. We have to do a better job of hitting when no on else is. We played well early. Monroe put us in some situations we haven't seen this year."
Early on, Monroe (4-4, 1-2 Badger South) jumped out to a lead on Darlington starting pitcher Sam Cohen. Murray singled in the first and moved to second base on a passed ball. Gogin, who is now hitting .480, delivered an RBI double to stake the Cheesemakers to a 1-0 lead.
After the first, Cohen kept the Cheesemakers at bay with three shutout innings.
"The ump had a very big strike zone," Gogin said. "It would have been easy to chase. Once we got through the order once we knew we couldn't swing at those pitches even if they were called strikes."
The Redbirds battled back to tie the game at 1 in the fourth. Darlington's Tyler Osterday, who went 2-for-4, lined a single to left. Ritschard then walked two straight batters to load the bases. Darlington junior Ryan Glendenning came through with an RBI single over Edmunds' head at shortstop to tie the game at 1. Ritschard got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam by getting Cohen to fly out to Kuester in center. Kuester then tossed the ball to Murray at second base for an inning-ending double play with the Redbirds leading 2-1.
Darlington junior Jesse Sturtz delivered an RBI single in the fifth off Maple to extend the Redbirds' lead to 3-1. The Cheesemakers rallied in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs after two outs. Murray singled and Gogin crushed a double. Edwards drove in a run on a groundout to cut the Redbirds' lead to 3-2. Cohen then hit three straight batters to force in two runs, giving the Cheesemakers a 4-3 lead.
Cohen pitched five innings and gave up five runs on five hits. He walked two and hit four.
With Kuester being intentionally walked three times by the Redbirds, Edwards had a chance to drive in runs. Edwards is hitting over .400 this season.
"He continues to produce," Huffman said of Edwards. "He's a nice complement to Jaron and Gogin."
Solberg was leaning on Cohen to give the Redbirds a solid start. Darlington hosts Riverdale in a SWAL game today and didn't want to burn through several pitchers.
"I thought Sam Cohen threw well early on," Solberg said. "He pitched to contact and gave the defense a chance to help him out."
The Cheesemakers scored three insurance runs in the seventh. Cohen walked Monroe junior Carter Sawdey. Gogin then reached on an error on a dropped fly ball in center. Edwards and Edmunds both had RBI singles to help the Cheesemakers take a 7-3 lead.
The Redbirds battled back with two runs in the seventh off Gogin. Ward came in and ended the Redbirds' comeback with a strikeout.
"He (Ward) came into a big situation to get us out of the game," Huffman said.
However, that's where he found himself Monday during a nonconference game against Darlington. The Cheesemakers used four pitchers, including Gogin, en route to the 7-5 win.
Gogin went 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI, and he threw 12⁄3 innings in relief, which marked his first pitching performance in three years.
"I haven't done that (pitched) in a long time," Gogin said. "They (Darlington) are a very good team. It was good to come out and win the game with a bunch of different people and have a lot of people contribute. It doesn't matter the team we are playing."
Monroe junior Jacob Ritschard pitched four innings and gave up two runs on three hits. He struck out two and walked four. Monroe's Nick Maple tossed one inning in relief to get the win and gave up one run. Monroe sophomore Hunter Ward struck out Hayden Hardyman in the seventh to end the Redbirds' comeback bid.
Monroe coach Dustin Huffman didn't hesitate going to Gogin in the sixth inning to pitch in relief even though he hadn't pitched in three years.
"When we have five games this week and four last week we are looking for anyone to go out on the mound," Huffman said. "We knew the moment wouldn't be too big for Garrett because he's been in big moments in baseball and football before. He's a really chill kid and he handles the big situations well."
Darlington (5-2, 2-0 SWAL) hit 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners stranded.
"We are a momentum team," Darlington coach Brad Solberg said. "When one guy starts hitting they all start hitting. We have to do a better job of hitting when no on else is. We played well early. Monroe put us in some situations we haven't seen this year."
Early on, Monroe (4-4, 1-2 Badger South) jumped out to a lead on Darlington starting pitcher Sam Cohen. Murray singled in the first and moved to second base on a passed ball. Gogin, who is now hitting .480, delivered an RBI double to stake the Cheesemakers to a 1-0 lead.
After the first, Cohen kept the Cheesemakers at bay with three shutout innings.
"The ump had a very big strike zone," Gogin said. "It would have been easy to chase. Once we got through the order once we knew we couldn't swing at those pitches even if they were called strikes."
The Redbirds battled back to tie the game at 1 in the fourth. Darlington's Tyler Osterday, who went 2-for-4, lined a single to left. Ritschard then walked two straight batters to load the bases. Darlington junior Ryan Glendenning came through with an RBI single over Edmunds' head at shortstop to tie the game at 1. Ritschard got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam by getting Cohen to fly out to Kuester in center. Kuester then tossed the ball to Murray at second base for an inning-ending double play with the Redbirds leading 2-1.
Darlington junior Jesse Sturtz delivered an RBI single in the fifth off Maple to extend the Redbirds' lead to 3-1. The Cheesemakers rallied in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs after two outs. Murray singled and Gogin crushed a double. Edwards drove in a run on a groundout to cut the Redbirds' lead to 3-2. Cohen then hit three straight batters to force in two runs, giving the Cheesemakers a 4-3 lead.
Cohen pitched five innings and gave up five runs on five hits. He walked two and hit four.
With Kuester being intentionally walked three times by the Redbirds, Edwards had a chance to drive in runs. Edwards is hitting over .400 this season.
"He continues to produce," Huffman said of Edwards. "He's a nice complement to Jaron and Gogin."
Solberg was leaning on Cohen to give the Redbirds a solid start. Darlington hosts Riverdale in a SWAL game today and didn't want to burn through several pitchers.
"I thought Sam Cohen threw well early on," Solberg said. "He pitched to contact and gave the defense a chance to help him out."
The Cheesemakers scored three insurance runs in the seventh. Cohen walked Monroe junior Carter Sawdey. Gogin then reached on an error on a dropped fly ball in center. Edwards and Edmunds both had RBI singles to help the Cheesemakers take a 7-3 lead.
The Redbirds battled back with two runs in the seventh off Gogin. Ward came in and ended the Redbirds' comeback with a strikeout.
"He (Ward) came into a big situation to get us out of the game," Huffman said.
