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Fort Atkinson loses finals opener

CROSS PLAINS — The Fort Atkinson Generals lost 7-0 to the Cross Plains Businessmen in the opening round of the Home Talent League round-robin baseball finals here Sunday.

Fort Atkinson committed six errors, while getting blanked on four hits by Shamus Terry, who worked eight innings and struck out eight. The Businessmen notched nine hits.

The Generals’ shaky defense puzzled coach Jim Roethel.

“We got here (in the tournament) on defense, and our defense didn’t show up,” said Roethel, whose team won the Southeast Section’s East Division championship and the section playoffs to reach the finals.

As for Fort’s troubles at the plate, Roethel praised Cross Plains’ pitching.

“The Cross Plains pitcher mixed it up just really well, and they had a very good infield,” Roethel said of the North Section champions. “He’d throw it low, and we’d hit the ball on the ground.

“They had a great shortstop, who had great range and a cannon for an arm,’’ Roethel said of Koedy Simon. “I think he should be playing up in competition.’’

Simon is a starting pitcher for Winona State University, plays shortstop, and is the Cross Plains’ closer.

Fort (26-6, 14-2 East) travels to Monona next Sunday for Game 2 in the final series.

Monona, the East Section champion, was a 4-1 loser to West Section champion Verona in Sunday’s other game.

Verona plays at Cross Plains next Sunday. The round robin concludes Sunday, Sept. 13, with Fort Atkinson at Verona, and Cross Plains at Verona.