Craig, Parker to meet in sectional baseball
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Left-Craig's Trevor Foss is put out at third base by Milton's Riston Furseth in the 6th inning.
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Left-Craig's Zach Bayreuther is welcomed home after scoring the lead run in the 6th inning over Milton during a WIAA Division 1 regional final baseball game.
Janesville Craig and Janesville Parker both won WIAA Division 1 regional championship baseball games Friday afternoon to set up a sectional semifinal game Tuesday afternoon.
Here is what happened:
Be prepared.
It works for the Girl Scouts, and it works for Janesville Craig High School’s Brett Fredricks.
Fredricks provided a spark on the mound and at the plate to lead Craig to an 8-7 victory over Milton in a WIAA Division 1 regional baseball final here Friday.
As a result, Craig (13-8) will face Janesville Parker (8-13) in a sectional semifinal game at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Riverside Park.
Coming on in relief of Craig ace Trevor Foss in the fourth inning, Fredricks held the Red Hawks to one run on two hits. The junior also delivered a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning that pulled Craig from a 6-4 deficit to a tie game.
“I was ready,’’ Fredricks said of his call-up in the fourth inning from second base. “You always got to be positive.’’
Craig coach Victor Herbst was relieved his Cougars pulled through after trailing early in the game.
“You call that right there survival,” Herbst said. “Milton came today and hit everything hard.”
Craig scored three runs on three hits in the first inning, including Dylan Grall’s two-run homer for a 3-1 lead.
Milton jumped back big time on Foss in the third, scoring five runs on five hits and a Craig error to take a 6-3 lead. Nick Karleski, Chris Nelson and Jake Meyers each had RBI singles, and Derek Rucker delivered a bases-loaded, two-run single with two outs in Milton’s rally.
While Fredricks kept the lid on the Red Hawks, Craig scored twice in the sixth to take the lead for good at 8-6.
Foss bounced back with an RBI double to drive in Zach Bayreuther and give Craig what proved to be the winning run at 7-6. Zach Whalen then drew a bases-loaded walk.
“We had to come up with base hits with guys on base,” Milton coach Steve Heilman said. “But that’s the way baseball goes.”
CRAIG 8, MILTON 7
Milton (ab-r-h-rbi)—Nelson, 3b, 5-1-2-1; Ja. Meyers, cf, 5-1-3-1; Jo. Meyers, c, 3-1-0-0; Furseth, 2b, 2-1-1-1; Karleski, ss, 3-1-1-1; Stewart, 1b, 2-0-0-0; N. Meyers, cf-p, 4-0-1-0; Ledger, p-cf, 2-2-0-0; Rucker, dh, 4-0-1-2; Pelton, lf, 0-0-0-0. Totals: 30-7-7-6.
Craig (ab-r-h-rbi)—Bayreuther, ss, 3-1-1-1; Foss, p-cf, 4-0-1-1; Yaucher, rf, 4-1-1-0; Eichman, c, 4-0-3-1; Stavn, cr, 0-2-0-0; Grall, 1b, 3-2-2-2; Knott, 3b, 2-2-1-0; McCrone, dh, 2-0-0-0; Miller, cf, 0-0-0-0; Whalen, ph, 0-0-0-1; Fredricks, 2b-p, 3-0-1-2; Weber, lf, 1-0-0-0. Totals: 26-8-9-8.
Milton 105 000 1—7
Janesville Craig 300 122 x—8
E—Milton 1, Craig 3. LOB—Milton 11, Craig 9. DP—Milton 2, Craig 1. SB—Stewart, Fredrick.
Milton IP H R ER BB SO
Ledger 4 2-3 5 6 6 6 1
N. Meyers (L) 1 1-3 5 2 2 2 1
Janesville Craig
Foss 3 7 6 2 3 4
Fredricks (W) 4 2 1 0 2 4
It seems almost impossible that a baseball team with a 6-13 regular season record could dominate its first two tournament games, but that’s exactly what Janesville Parker High School has done.
Parker (8-13) has outscored its two playoff opponents 19-3, including a 13-3 thrashing of Big Eight rival Beloit Memorial in a WIAA Division 1 regional final here Friday at Pohlman Field.
“We had been playing well toward the end of the regular season, winning two of our last three games, and our guys realize that this it and want to keep playing baseball,” Parker coach Brian Martin said.
Parker’s surprising post-season run sets up a Division 1 sectional semifinal battle with cross-town rival Janesville Craig It seems almost impossible that a baseball team with a 6-13 regular season record could dominate its first two tournament games, but that’s exactly what Janesville Parker High School has done.
Parker (8-13) has outscored its two playoff opponents 19-3, including a 13-3 thrashing of Big Eight rival Beloit Memorial in a WIAA Division 1 regional final here Friday at Pohlman Field.
“We had been playing well toward the end of the regular season, winning two of our last three games, and our guys realize that this it and want to keep playing baseball,” Parker coach Brian Martin said.
Parker’s surprising post-season run sets up a Division 1 sectional semifinal battle with cross-town rival Janesville Craig (13-8) at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Riverside Park.
The Cougars advanced by slipping past Milton, 8-7.
“Hopefully we can get them on the third try this season,” Parker center fielder Matt Beyer said of the Cougars. “I’m 0-5 in my career against Craig, so hopefully I can get one.”
Meanwhile, the heavy-hitting Vikings are still savoring their offensive outburst against the Purple Knights (10-11).
“I’ve got to give our kids some credit. They came out and they had a mission and wanted to score some runs early, which we talked about,” Martin said.
The Vikings carried out Martin’s plan to perfection, scoring eight first-inning runs, capped by David Jacobson’s two-run triple.
The Purple Knights tried to stay in contention with a three-run second inning, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Beyer refused to let up on Beloit, smacking four hits and driving in three runs to seal the 10-run Viking victory.
“I was seeing the ball really well today,’’ Beyer said. “Especially after the first at-bat, I got my confidence back because I haven’t been hitting the ball well lately.”
Beyer’s big day allowed Parker starting pitcher Garrett Morris to quietly post the victory, allowing three runs in five innings.
“Beloit is a pretty good team, but we just came out and swung the bat and threw well today and played pretty good defense,” Martin said.
PARKER 13, BELOIT 3
Parker (ab-r-h-rbi)—Beyer, cf, 4-3-4-3; Scharenbroch, 2b, 5-2-2-0; Morris, p, 5-2-2-2; Meehan, 2-1-1-0; Koel, rf, 4-2-3-2; Jacobson, ss, 4-1-1-2; Teubert, 4-1-1-1; Mauermann, dh, 2-1-0-0; McCann, 1-0-0-0; Larson, lf, 3-1-1-1. Totals: 34-13-15-11.
Beloit (ab-r-h-rbi)—J. Harris, ss/3b, 2-0-0-0; Lawver, c, 3-0-0-0; Mauel, p/ss, 2-0-0-0; Northrop, 2-1-0-0; Marshall, 3-1-2-0; Adkinson, 1-1-0-0; Collins, 1b, 2-0-1-1; Larson, lf, 1-0-0-0; Thomas, ph, 1-0-0-0; M. Harris, 2-0-1-1. Totals: 19-3-5-2.
Janesville Parker 812 101—13
Beloit Memorial 030 000—3
E—Parker 1, Beloit 4. LOB—Parker 5, Beloit 3. 2B—Beyer, Meehan. 3B—Jacobson, Beyer. SF—Beyer. SB—3. HBP—Mauerman, Mauel.
IP H R ER BB SO
Janesville Parker
Morris (W) 5 4 3 3 4 3
Scharenbroch 1 1 0 0 0 2
Beloit Memorial
Mauel (L) 2-3 7 8 6 1 0
Pena 5 1-3 0 0 0 0 0
May 31, 2008 at 6:10 p.m.
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Go get 'em Vikings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 31, 2008 at 10:15 a.m.
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That Matt Beyer kid is one heck of a ball player. He's one of those rare five tool players that can do it all. Also, the Gazette should keep quoting Beyer after each game because Coach Martin's cliches are getting tired and boring. I encourage every baseball fan out there to come to Riverside Park on Tuesday night for the Parker vs. Craig game. I'm going to get there early and hopefully get Matt Beyer's autograph.
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