Monroe 10u delivers strong weekend performance in Ohio
The Monroe 10u All Stars were in action at the 2023 Don Bachman Memorial Tournament in Van Wert, Ohio. Monroe played one game each across the three-day event, going 1-1-1.
The tournament began on Friday night with Monroe picking up a 3-1 win over Celina.
After being hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the first, Brogan Bluhm progressed to second on a passed ball. He scored when Luke Linder singled to center field, giving Monroe the first run of the evening.
Linder successfully stole home later in the inning for what turned out to be the winning run.
Monroe benefitted from outstanding pitching to win the low-scoring affair.
Linder pitched the first three innings, allowing only one hit while striking out half-a-dozen. The latter half of the game was pitched by T.J. Tomkinson. He allowed only one run but fanned five batters for what became a nine-out save.
Monroe added a third run in the second inning when an error allowed
Cole Baker to cross home plate.
Though Celina got on the board courtesy of a fourth inning base hit, Tomkinson shut down any hope of a rally. He struck out the side in the sixth to end the game.
The squad went home for rest then returned to Van Wert for a wild Saturday.
Off-and-on misty rain filled the morning and a gray sky hung over Jubilee Park in Van Wert. Both the frequency and severity of the rain continued through the early innings of Monroe’s lunchtime game against Archibold.
While the sun may not have shined during the Saturday contest, the scoreboard was lit up early.
Monroe surged in front with a four-run top of the first.
Deacon Meade drew a walk, Linder singled, and with two outs, Kellen Shane smacked a line drive into right field. Meade and Linder scored as Shane raced to third for a two-RBI triple.
Still batting with two outs, Bluhm and Leyton Chamberlain both walked to load the bases. Shane swiped home to put Monroe up by three, and a walk drawn by Logan Chamberlain loaded the bases once more.
With no bases available, Tomkinson was the next to receive a free pass bringing in Leyton Chamberlain.
Up 4-0 after one inning, it began to feel as though Monroe might run away with the game. But Archibold answered in their half of the first by producing plenty of offense of their own.
The ball got away on a third strike and two errant throws allowed a trio of Archibold runners to score in a stunning turn of events. They tied the game later in the inning on a passed ball.
With momentum solidly in their favor, three walks in the second inning allowed Archibold to load the bases with no outs. A pop fly was caught on the infield for an out, but Monroe was still far from out of danger.
Another walk forced in a run to give Archibold the lead while keeping the bases full. Remarkably, Monroe escaped the inning without any further damage being done.
The game had been unpredictable to that point, but even more peculiarly, the offense grinded to a halt after that.
Neither team scored again until the top of the fourth. A bases loaded walk drawn by Linder forced in the tying run.
In the top of fifth, the weather would take over as the drizzle would become heavier rain, forcing the game to enter a rain delay. The game would not resume and ended in a 5-5 tie.
The weekend ended on a sour note for Monroe. In a rematch of their game on Friday, Celina posted seven runs in the sixth inning and held on for an 8-2 win.
Monroe 10u will be on their home field this weekend for the 2023 Monroe Brickhouse Boys Tournament.
In pool play, Monroe will take on Norwell on Friday night before Saturday contests versus New Haven, Bluffton and New Bremen.
Bracket play will take place on Sunday with a champion to be crowned in the late afternoon.