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Janesville Craig win features walks, bobbles

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Parker vs Craig Baseball

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JANESVILLE — At times, Tuesday’s Big Eight Conference baseball game between Janesville Craig and Janesville Parker was entertaining.

Other times, it was like watching the Bad News Bears play. The two teams combined for 15 walks and nine errors in a sloppily played game for this point of the season.

In the end, Craig’s Nick Blomgren proved to be the difference-maker. He drove in four runs and threw 2 2/3 shutout innings in relief to lift the Cougars to a 14-6 win over their crosstown rival at Riverside Park and a sweep of the regular-season series.

Neither Craig coach Vic Herbst or Parker coach Brian Martin was too pleased afterward, but Herbst could at least take consolation in a win.

“It’s a good thing we came and swung the bats tonight because the two things we’ve done well all season—good pitching and playing solid defense—just weren’t there tonight,” Herbst said. “And at this point of the season, I shouldn’t have to tell guys to back up plays or run hard, and yet there were at least half a dozen times tonight where those types of things happened.

“But we got a win. That’s the most important thing.”

Craig (18-6, 13-4) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Riley Quinn’s two-run double highlighted the rally as the Cougars chased Parker starter Adam Greene after only 1/3 of an inning.

Parker (6-19, 4-13) trailed 5-1 in the third before trimming the lead to one with three runs. Two of the three runs were unearned as the Cougars committed two errors in the inning.

The score was 8-6 after five before Craig pulled away with a six-run sixth. The Cougars scored all six runs with two outs, including Blomgren’s two-run single. Parker proved charitable, as well, with three errors in the inning.

“It was terrible baseball for this point of the season,” Martin said. “We were just uglier than they were.

“And it’s too bad we couldn’t have given the fans a better game because we played very well last weekend against some very good teams. It’s just very disappointing to have a game like this at this point of the season.”

Blomgren, a freshman, replaced Troy Malmanger with one out in the fifth and the Cougars clinging to an 8-6 lead. The righthander struck out the first batter he faced before picking off Mike Heyerdahl at first for the third out. Colin Frey earned the win for Craig, despite struggling with his control in four innings of work.

Craig finished with 14 hits, with Cameron Wright and Ryan Luebke scoring three runs each.

Aric Bobzien scored three times for Parker.

Craig and Parker wrap up the Big Eight and regular-season Thursday. Parker is at Madison La Follette, while Craig hosts Madison East at Riverside Park.

CRAIG 14, PARKER 6

Craig (ab-r-h-rbi)—Wright, cf, 4-3-2-0; Feggestad, cr-ph, 0-1-0-0; Luebke, 1b, 3-3-2-1; McKee, ph, 1-0-0-0; Hughes, dh, 5-1-2-1; Marro, c, 0-0-0-0; T. Hoskins, ph, 1-0-0-0; Blomgren, ss-p, 5-1-2-4; Quinn, 2b, 4-2-1-2; D. Hoskins, 3b-ss, 3-0-1-0; Campbell, rf, 2-0-0-1; Johns, rf, 1-0-0-0; Hoag, lf, 2-1-1-1; Olson, lf, 2-0-1-1; Frey, p-3b, 5-2-2-0. Totals: 38-14-14-11.

Parker (ab-r-h-rbi)—Brooks, rf, 4-0-0-0; Theisen, ss, 3-0-0-0; Bailey, ph, 1-0-1-0; Welch, c, 3-0-0-0; Brandt, dh-p, 3-1-1-0; Powers, p, 1-0-1-0; Greene, p, 0-0-0-0; Bobzien, 3b, 2-3-1-0; Zane, ph, 1-0-0-0; Franklin, cf, 2-1-1-0; Marshall, 2b, 3-1-2-0; Coleman, 1b, 3-0-1-1; Fosmoen, ph, 1-0-0-0; Heyerdahl, rf, 4-0-2-1. Totals: 30-6-10-2.

Janesville Craig 410 036 0—14

Janesville Parker 010 320 0—6

E—Craig 4, Parker 5. LOB—Craig 14, Parker 9. DP—Craig 1. SB—Wright 2, Luebke, Blomgren, Frey. 2B—Blomgren.

IP H R ER BB SO

Craig

Frey (W) 4 5 5 3 3 4

Malmanger 1/3 0 1 1 2 1

Blomgren 2 2/3 5 0 0 0 3

Parker

Greene (L) 1/3 1 4 3 4 0

Osmond 3 2/3 7 4 4 4 4

Brandt 1 2/3 5 6 0 0 1

Powers 1 1/3 1 0 0 2 1