By Adam Krebs
sportseditor@themonroetimes.com

MADISON — The East-Southeast division picked up an eight-inning, 8-3 win over the North-West division in the second annual Home Talent League All Star game at The Duck Pond at Madison’s Warner Park.

Several area players got a chance to play in the game for the North-East team, including Monroe co-player-manager Lon Scheuerell.

“It’s neat, because a lot of guys you play with in your section you get to play with in this game,” Scheuerell said. “And to get all the best players from each section here, people can see that we have some very talented ball players in Home Talent.”

In the first inning, Argyle’s starting pitcher Ben Wallace went scoreless. In the game, he didn’t allow a run and picked up a strikeout.

“It’s a good feeling to go out there and play other players in the league. As a starter, you know you’re going to face some of the best hitters in the league in the other sections. It’s a great feeling knowing that you have to bring your game and have your best stuff,” Wallace said.

Also starting were Wiota’s Kory Tuescher at second base and Aaron Lancaster at third.

“It’s great to be here. And it’s a fun crowd with a good atmosphere,” Tuescher said. “Reading the names in the paper, now you can put a face to the player. It’s fun to cheer with the guys tonight, because on Sunday you probably will be cheering against them.”

Tuescher had a single in his only at bat.

“Being the Half-price beer guy (Mallards promotion), I felt like I had to strike out to get everyone half-priced beer, but I was trying to put the ball in play. To get a hit in the only at bat of my first all star game – I’ll take that,” Tuescher said.

“This is the first time I’ve been around in the past 18 or 19 years,” Lancaster said. “It’s exciting playing against the best players from the other side.”

Lancaster also had a hit, but was tossed out trying to stretch a single into a double. “I’m slow.”

North-West scored a run in the bottom of the first, but in the top of the third, East-Southeast came back to plate two runs. The E-SE team would not trail again in the game.

Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Reedsburg’s Kris Rosholt hit a towering home run out of the park to left field. The bomb was one of two homers in the game, the second coming off the bat of B.J. Cook of Orfordville, also to left.

Monroe’s co-player-manager Rooney Janecke and New Glarus infielder Wade Hanna each entered the game in the third to play defense, and went all the way to the end.

“I didn’t really know what I was expecting, but you kind of feel like you don’t really belong,” Hanna said with a smile. “But you get the nerves out quick. I didn’t really think about having 2,000 people behind you when you’re hitting.

Most of us can put up with it. I guess that just comes with playing up at Ridgeway, tuning out the fans.

“I didn’t expect to play that long, either. I turned to Aaron (Lancaster) and said that he should probably just go back in. It was like a Major League all star game, because it’s the reserves that seem to always play more.”

Janecke made two nifty plays at short before committing one of the N-W’s four errors.

“I was playing good defensively until that inning (the eighth),” Janecke said. “But you’re playing with 30 other good players, and you kind of put that pressure on yourself to make every play.

“I’ve never played in front of this many people. They are all nice, good guys.
It’s good to be here.”

The E-SE team scored a run in the fourth, sixth and seventh and  two in the third and the fifth.

“It’s just great for Home Talent to have a game like this. There is a lot of people out here tonight, a few more than I suspected,” Janecke said.

Blanchardville’s Tim McKeon, likely one of the eldest players in the game, said he enjoyed his time on the field, including reaching base on an error in the bottom of the fifth. He also said that he thought having an all star game would be good for the league.

“It’s a lot of fun. It was a nice crowd. It’s a great thing. Everybody gets to come together and see the great talent from around southern Wisconsin.”