West Bend, WI – For seven innings Friday night, Jonathan Dominguez was practically unhittable under the lights at Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field.
The Monches Irish right-hander was masterful in his final start of the 2025 Land O’ Lakes regular season, scattering just one hit while striking out 12 Spirits batters in a dominant performance that carried his team to a 5-3 victory over West Bend in the Spirits’ season home finale.
“That Dominguez kid was really dealing tonight,” said Spirits manager Willie Mueller. “He had everything working – fastball, change-up, and especially his slider. He was efficient, getting ahead in counts. When a pitcher throws like that, you’re in for a long night.”
Despite trailing 5-0 heading into the eighth inning, the Spirits showed the fighting spirit that has defined this club, mounting a three-run rally that had the intermission crowd on their feet before falling short of completing the comeback.
The trouble started early for West Bend starter Jayden Hoffmann, who battled command issues from the opening pitch. The Irish struck first in a chaotic first inning when Evan Nyhouse scored on a passed ball, capping a frame that saw Hoffmann walk three batters and hit another.
“Jayden was battling his control from the get-go,” Mueller said. “He walked six guys tonight, and when you’re behind in counts that much against one of the top offensive teams in the state, you’re asking for trouble. But I’ll give him credit – he competed out there and kept us close enough to have a chance.”
Monches extended their lead to 3-0 in the third inning with clutch two-out hitting. Jacob Lorbecki drove home Nyhouse with a fly ball off the right field fence, and Will Hess followed with a line drive single that plated Lorbecki.
The Irish appeared to put the game away in the sixth, adding two more runs to build a commanding 5-0 cushion. Nate Loomis scored on an RBI single by former West Bend Spirits player Michael Szeszol, and Nyhouse capped the rally with another run-scoring hit.
The bright spot for the Spirits came when Matt Parrent entered in relief, making his 2025 season debut after Mueller convinced the legend to help the short-handed pitching staff save arms for Sunday’s crucial doubleheader. The three-time league MVP and five-time pitcher of the year showed no signs of rust despite his extended layoff.
“Matt looked great out there,” Mueller said. “You wouldn’t have known he hadn’t pitched all season. He was locked in from the first pitch like he’s been throwing all year, throwing all three of his pitches wherever he wanted.”
Hoffmann took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits while walking six and striking out five in 5⅔ innings of work.
“We’ve been working with Jayden on attacking the strike zone more consistently and getting ahead in counts,” Mueller noted. “We’re going to keep handing him the baseball because he’s an important part of our future.”
Down by five runs with just six outs remaining, the Spirits finally broke through against Irish reliever Hess in dramatic fashion.
Shortstop Colyn Lessila sparked the rally with a leadoff triple to right field that immediately energized both the Regner Fest crowd and the Spirits bench. Lessila scored when Hess uncorked a wild pitch, putting West Bend on the board for the first time all evening.
What followed was a masterclass in plate discipline. The Spirits worked four consecutive walks with the bases loaded, showing remarkable patience after striking out repeatedly against Dominguez earlier in the game.
Quinn Zills drew a walk after Lessila’s triple, Luke Heinkel singled to put runners on the corners, and Al Lausten walked to load the bases. Camden Hoier then coaxed a bases-loaded walk to score Zills, and Adam Lukas delivered another RBI free pass to slice the deficit to 5-3.
“At times I wish we were more aggressive with the bats, but to have that kind of plate discipline especially after striking out, what, a dozen times against Dominguez,” Mueller said. “We showed great discipline and made their pitcher work. Quinn had three more walks tonight, and as a team we drew nine free passes. That’s the kind of approach that can string together offensive rallies and win ballgames when you add clutch hits into the mix.”
The comeback bid stalled in the ninth when Hess regrouped to retire the Spirits in order, despite issuing a leadoff walk to Heinkel to end the threat.
Lessila paced the Spirits offense with a 2-for-5 performance from the leadoff spot, with his eighth-inning triple serving as the catalyst for the late rally.
“Colyn’s been on the verge of busting out offensively,” Mueller observed. “When he gets on base, good things happen for us. That triple really added a boost of adrenaline to the team.”
For Monches, the offensive attack was balanced throughout their lineup. Szeszol, Lorbecki, Hess, Loomis and Nyhouse each collected a hit, while four different players drove in runs. The Irish also applied constant pressure with aggressive baserunning, stealing five bases with Loomis leading the way with two thefts.
“They played a complete game,” Mueller said of the visitors. “Good pitching, timely hitting, and they put pressure on us with their running game.”
Defensively, the Spirits turned in an error-free performance – a bright spot that helped prevent the game from getting completely out of hand despite Hoffmann’s control struggles.
“That’s something we can build on,” Mueller said. “When you’re walking guys, you need your defense to help you out, and they did that tonight. Camden made some nice plays at first base.”
Despite the setback, Mueller found plenty of reasons for optimism in his team’s never-say-die attitude.
“I liked the way we competed in that eighth inning,” the manager said. “We could have folded when we were down 5-0, but these guys kept battling. That’s the kind of fight we need to show every game here moving forward. If we can start games the way we finished tonight, we’ll be in good shape.”
The Spirits now turn their attention to a make-or-break Sunday doubleheader against Menomonee Falls that will determine their postseason fate. If West Bend can sweep both contests, they’ll back into the division championship and earn a coveted double bye.
The day begins with the completion of a suspended contest from July 11th that was halted by lightning in the sixth inning with the score tied 3-3. The regularly scheduled game will follow immediately after.
Mueller hopes his team can carry the momentum from Friday’s patient eighth-inning approach into Sunday’s crucial games.
“Sometimes you face a pitcher like Dominguez who’s really locked in, and you have to try and find any silver lining you can find,” Mueller reflected. “We showed we can work counts and put pressure on opposing pitchers. That’s a skill that will hopefully serve us well going forward.”
First pitch for the completion of the suspended game is set for 11 a.m. at Trenary Field in Menomonee Falls, with game two starting 20 minutes after.
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Box Score
Monches Irish 5, West Bend Spirits 3
Game Info:
● Date: Friday, July 19, 2025
● Location: Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field, West Bend, Wisconsin
● Weather: Clear – 74 degrees
● Records: Monches Irish (16-2), West Bend Spirits (11-6)
Line Score
