By ANDY WOLF
SPORTS WRITER
MONROEVILLE — First, it was two straight walks.
Next, it was two straight wild pitches
Lastly, it was two straight errors.
It all added up to trouble for St. Wendelin, which allowed a six-run fifth inning en route to a 10-4 loss to Monroeville in a Division IV sectional semifinal Saturday at Clark Park.
The Mohawks trailed just 3-2 heading into the fifth, before starter Brad Buhrow gave up a leadoff single and walked the next two batters.
Two straight wild pitches boosted Monroeville’s lead to 5-2, Nathan Watt’s RBI single brought in another run, a throwing error plated two more runs for the Eagles.
Another error kept the inning alive and set up Brandon Hayes’ RBI single, making it 9-2.
Overall, the Mohawks (2-20) committed seven errors to just one from the Eagles.
Monroeville advances to take on Toledo Christian in Wednesday’s sectional final at 5 p.m. Toledo Christian.
Watt earned the win for the Eagles (7-14), racking up 11 strikeouts while allowing three earned runs on six hits and six walks in a complete game.
“His control was dialed in,” Monroeville coach Adam Gerber said. “Every game he pitches, he does better. This was the best game he’s pitched for us.”
Hayes had two RBI singles and Watt and Dakota Hanlon had two hits and an RBI each.
Buhrow took the loss after allowing two earned runs on seven hits. He walked six and struck out four in five innings.
“I thought our pitching was great,” Mohawks coach Nate Viets said. “We threw strikes, got ground balls and fly balls, and there’s nothing more we can do about that.”
At the plate, Buhrow also doubled, singled and drove home a run, while Trent Whetsel collected three singles and two RBIs.
Just two batters into the game, Buhrow doubled home Brady Rutte. Whetsel then singled home Buhrow to give the Mohawks a quick 2-0 lead.
“We jumped off to a good start,” Viets said. “We were hitting the ball as well as we have been.”
Watt got out of the innning with a pair of strikeouts to bring the Eagles up to the plate.
“I got my confidence up, going in,” Watt said. “Once I found my spot, I started unloading and just blowing it past them.”
St. Wendelin rallied for two runs in seventh inning, but the deficit was too much.
St. Wendelin 200 000 2 – 4 6 7 Monroeville 200 161 x – 10 8 1
WP — Watt. LP — Buhrow. top hitters: (Mon) Hayes 2-1B, 2 RBI; Hanlon & Watt 2-1B, RBI. (SW) Buhrow 2B, 1B, RBI; T. Whetsel 3-1B, 2 RBI.
records: St. Wendelin 2-20, Monroeville 7-14.