Monroe broke loose for a seven-run inning to clinch a spot in the Monroe County Fair Baseball Tournament finals moments before the skies broke loose.
MONROE – Did they see the rain coming?
Monroe was locked in a tight game against Frenchtown in the winners’ bracket finals of the 65th annual Monroe County Fair Baseball Tournament on Wednesday, July 16.
As soon as the skies started to look threatening, the Monroe bats began to thunder.
A seven-run third inning turned the tight battle into a 12-1 mercy-rule win. Moments after the teams shook hands following the game, heavy rain came down.
“I don’t know,” Monroe coach John Bailey said of the sudden offensive outburst. “Everything just started clicking. They started doing the things we have been working on in practice. They have been working hard.”
The offense started at the top for Monroe as the top two batters in the order – Michah Krieger and Tad Schuyler – each collectd two hits and scored three times.
Charles Bailey tripled and Alex Carr doubled in the big third inning. Easton Alberts finished with two hits.
Nine of the 14 players on the Monroe roster have experience playing in the Fair Tournament, including two that were members of last year’s championship team.
“I’ve coached most of them for quite a few years,” Bailey said. “They handled the pressure well.”
Monroe advances to the championship game at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Whoever comes out of the other side of the bracket would have to beat Monroe twice to prevent a title repeat.
Paxton Geierman just missed hitting a home run for Frenchtown. His long drive bounced off the top of the fence in rightfield and bounced back into the field of play.
He legged out a triple and was driven in by Nolan Tolliver.
Frenchtown will play in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Thursday against Ida.
Ida reached the semifinals by clipping Bedford 12U 5-1 Wednesday.
Brylen Powers was in the middle of both Ida rallies, scoring the first run of the game in a two-run second inning and crossing the plate as the final tally of a three-run third.
Logan Fox doubled home Bedford's lone run.
Tuesday’s Games
Dundee 14, Bedford 11U 3
Braxton Zavala led off the third inning with a home run to spark Dundee.
Owen Foor, and Slate Redmon scored three runs each. One of Redmon’s three hits was a triple.
Tyler Birkle went 2-for-2 for Bedford.
Bedford 12U 17, Maybee 13
Kyle Dec rang up three hits, including a home run, and scored three times for Bedford.
Hudson McKibbon, Bubba Gariety and Logan Fox added two hits apiece.
Deagan Pieron went 3-for-4 and scored twice for Maybee. Bobby Jones, Seth Jaskot and Weston Schenavar added two hits apiece.
Monroe’s Games
Bedford 12U 13, Dundee 12
Kyle Dec doubled home Jaycee Hughes with the winning run in the sixth inning to give Bedford a wild, walk-off win.
It was the second double of the game for Dec.
Caleb Hetrick and Clay Ovall also had a pair of hits and scored three times for the winners.
Carter McCart slammed two home runs while Slate Redmon and Donnie Fowler added on each for Dundee.
Owen Foor and Will Salenbien also finished with two hits each.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe beats rain, advances to finals of Fair Baseball Tournament
Category: General Sports
