Baseball: Fort loses conference finale to Waunakee, 12-4

WAUNAKEE — Leadoff man Danny Cotter went 4-for-4 and Cole Krause added three hits as Waunakee topped the visiting Fort Atkinson baseball team 12-4 in Badger Large play on Thursday.

The Blackhawks (6-17, 4-10 in conference) started the game by rallying for three runs. Braden Hausen, who had two hits and reached safely in three of his four plate appearances, singled to open the game. Jordan Zahn was hit then by a two-out pitch followed by a walk to Cam Haagensen. Gavin Kanters dug in next, producing a bases-clearing double on a line shot to center.

Waunakee (10-13, 7-7) used six hits to plate six runs in the second. Oliver Lee singled to open the inning and later scored on Wes DuCharme’s base knock. Krause added an RBI single before Cotter doubled home a pair. Brady Barman and Tate Schmidt also chipped in run-scoring hits.

Fort scratched to within 6-4 in the third, when Trent Wilson led off the inning with a single and scored on Kanters’ one-out double.

The Blackhawks would manage just two more baserunners — one via error and another on a walk — the rest of the way.

Waunakee scored three times in the fourth and fifth innings to break it open.

Wilson started for Fort and took the loss, surrendering eight runs (three earned) on nine hits in three innings.

“This was a frustrating loss after how well we played Tuesday night (in a 6-0 win over Waunakee),” Fort Atkinson baseball coach Andy Schwantes said. “Trent competed well enough to give us a chance, but some costly errors let them break the game open and we had a hard time getting our energy back after the second inning. We will keep working hard at practice to clean things up.”

Fort hosts Westosha Central on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

WAUNAKEE 12, FORT 4Fort 301 000 0 — 4 5 4

Waunakee 060 330 x — 12 15 1

Leading hitters — FA: Kanters 2x3 (2 2B), Hausen 2x3; WA: Cotter 4x4 (2 2B, 3B), Schmidt 2x4 (2B, 3B), DuCharme 2x4, Krause 3x3.

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — FA: Wilson L; 3-9-8-3-1-1, Block 1.1-5-4-4-0-2, Schrader 1.2-1-0-0-1-2; WA: King 2-3-3-3-2-0, Solverson W; 2-2-1-1-0-0, Krause 3-0-0-0-1-7.