MONROE — Monroe is the defending champion of the Monroe County Fair Baseball Tournament.
The 2025 squad looks a lot different from the championship team.
“We’ve got four kids back from last year,” coach Jeff Ball said. “We’ve got a lot of younger guys.”
Those younger guys gained some experience on the Fairgrounds Diamond last summer because Monroe entered two teams.
Ball’s squad looked like a veteran unit on the opening day of the 65th annual event on Sunday, July 13.
Monroe opened with a 5-1 win over Bedford 12U then clipped Ida 7-5 in the final game of the day.
“We beat two of the better teams, but Frenchtown and a real good team,” Ball said.
Frenchtown, which held off a stiff challenge from Maybee to win its opener 8-6, will take on Monroe in the winners’ bracket finals of the double-elimination event at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Paxton Geierman hit two homers and Brexton Runyon cleared the fences once for Frenchtown.
“I am really happy,” Frenchtown coach Leah Tolliver said. “All the boys hit the ball and played together as a team.”
Maybee 13, Bedford 11U 1
The top of the batting order did most of the damage for Maybee with lead-off man Seth Jaskot and No. 2 hitter Ben Illes each getting on base three times and scoring three runs.
Camden Grubb tripled to key a seventh-run third inning. He finished with two hits and Brayden Boldt and Deagan Pieron each crossed the plate twice.
Jace Albert had the lone hit for Bedford and Myles Golightley scored a run.
Monroe 5, Bedford 12U 1
An RBI double by Jaycee Hughes in the first inning staked Bedford to an early lead, but Monroe pitchers only gave up two hits the rest of the way.
Charles Bailey doubled home Monroe’s first run, then later added a single as Ball’s team scored a pair of insurance runs in the fifth.
Easton Alberts also doubled and Seager Stark added a key hit.
Beau Sanders doubled and Caleb McMann singled for Bedford.
Ida 14, Dundee 4
Ida was scoreless before plating 14 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Trale Toeppe slammed a pair of doubles to spark the key inning. Camden Ryder, Grant Letellier and Brylen Powers also had a pair of hits in the frame.
Griffin Sortor went 2-for-2 with a double in the game.
Blake Decatur walked twice, singled and scored two runs for Dundee. Slate Redmon cracked a double.
Frenchtown 8, Maybee 6
Tolliver knew Geierman and Runyon were capable of hitting homers.
“I was not surprised, but I honestly didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “I am used to softball.”
Frenchtown had plenty of other offense to supplement its three homers.
Runyon also had a double, Everett Willis was 2-for-3 with a double and 2 runs and Peter Keen and Nolan Tolliver each finished 2-for-2.
Lead-off hitter Bobby Jones went 4-for-4 to lead Maybee.
Monroe 7, Ida 5
Tad Schuyler doubled twice to lead the winners.
Michah Krieger and Seager Stark also had two-baggers and Krieger scored three runs.
“This was a great way to get going,” Ball said of the two wins on opening day.
Skyler Weeman singled and doubled to lead Ida.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe, Frenchtown advance to winners’ bracket finals at Fair
Reporting by Niles Kruger, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
