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Janesville Parker baseball gets another shot

COTTAGE GROVE — Janesville Parker’s baseball team wanted another shot at Madison La Follette.

The Vikings lost two extra-inning games to the Lancers during the Big Eight Conference season.

On Tuesday, the Vikings got their wish.

Parker rallied for four runs in the fifth inning and hung on for a 6-5 win over Monona Grove in a WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal game. Parker (7-20) plays La Follette in a regional final game Thursday.

“We’ve lost more than our share of games this season when we were leading in the seventh, so it was nice to win today,” Parker coach Brian Martin said. “Adam (Greene) kept us in the game, and then Cullen (Osmond) came in and threw strikes and shut the door.

“Now we get another game with La Follette. We’ve played them tough twice.”

Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Parker took the lead for good with four runs. Will Theisen’s sacrifice fly tied the game, and Tyler Brooks’ two-run double gave the Vikings a 4-2 lead. Zach Bailey’s RBI single pushed the lead to 5-2.

The Vikings got a key insurance run in the seventh when Hunter Marshall executed a perfect hit-and-run to score Mike Heyerdahl.

Parker finished with 12 hits and only one error, two areas where the Vikings have struggled, at times, this season.

“We should be confident playing La Follette,” Martin said. “Even though we lost twice, we proved we could hit their No. 1 pitcher.

“It comes down to being aggressive at the plate, and for our pitchers to throw strikes.”

PARKER 6, MONONA GROVE 5

Janesville Parker 010 040 1—6 12 1

Monona Grove 100 112 0—5 9 2

Greene, Osmond (6) and Welch; Choate, Bauer (6) and Kelscheur.

Leading hitters—Brooks (P) 2x5, Welch (P) 3x4, Franklin (P) 2x3, Elbe (MG) 2x3. 2B—Brooks (P), Bobzien (P), Elbe (MG), Krueger (MG). 3B—Welch (P), Elbe (MG).

SO—Greene (P) 1, Osmond (P) 2, Choate (MG) 5, Bauer (MG) 1. BB—Greene 2, Choate 2.