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Jacob Sanders scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning via error for Utica, which knocked off Fort Atkinson 5-3 in Home Talent League Baseball at Jones Park on Sunday.
Winning pitcher Brock Wanninger singled to left to open the Utica ninth and was courtesy run for by Sanders, who took second on Alec Tomczyk’s sacrifice bunt and reached third on third baseman Skyler Schmuck’s error.
Saxton Shore then hit a ground ball to first base, reaching safely on Camron Wolter’s error to bring Sanders around. Ethan Yahn followed by lining a run-scoring single up the middle.
Josh Crandall relieved Austin Paul and induced a double play off Derek Karlen’s bat to end the inning.
Wanninger worked around a two-out single by Wolter, who was 3-for-4, in the ninth and punched out Kroix Kucken looking to end it.
Wanninger struck out 10 and walked four in a complete-game decision, throwing 103 of his 164 pitches for strikes. He permitted three runs (one earned) on eight hits.
Kucken started for Fort (3-2), allowing three runs, one of which was earned, on three hits with seven strikeouts in five frames. Paul, who took the loss, allowed two earned runs on three hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Branden Zastrow singled to lead off the Fort first, stole second and scored on an error by shortstop Carson Knapp. Crandall, who reached on that error, came around on a two-out passed ball.
Yahn doubled to lead off the third for Utica (5-0). An error by right fielder Drew Dunkleberger put two men in scoring position with one away before shortstop Isaac Heederik committed an error on a ground ball off Ben Hildebrandt’s bat, allowing Utica to score twice and make it a 2-2 game.
Tyler Soule doubled home a one-out run in the Utica fifth.
Crandall walked to open the Fort fifth, stole second and scored from there on Wolter’s one-out line shot single to right that made it 3-all.
Owen Ernest was caught stealing second to end the Utica sixth while Paul picked Yahn off first for the final out of the seventh.
Fort has a home doubleheader next Sunday versus Cambridge beginning at noon, while Utica travels to face Albion at 1 p.m.
UTICA 5, FORT 3
Utica 002 010 002 — 5 6 2
Fort 200 010 000 — 3 8 5
Utica (ab-r-h-rbi) — Hildebrandt 4-0-0-2, Gartzke 4-0-0-0, Wanninger 4-0-1-0, Tomczyk 2-0-0-0, Ernest 4-1-0-0, Ellingson 3-0-0-0, Shore 1-0-0-1, Yahn 4-1-3-1, Karlen 4-1-1-0, Soule 3-1-1-1. Totals 33-5-6-5.
Fort Atkinson (ab-r-h-rbi) — Zastrow 5-1-2-0, Crandall 4-2-0-0, Hansen 4-0-1-0, Wolter 4-0-3-1, Kucken 4-0-0-0, Dunkleberger 4-0-1-0, Bovre 3-0-0-0, Paul 1-0-0-0, Schmuck 3-0-1-0, Heederik 4-0-0-0. Totals 36-3-8-1.
2B — Yahn (U), Soule (U).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — FA: Kucken 5-3-3-1-1-7, Paul L; 3.1-3-2-0-0-1, Crandall 0.2-0-0-0-0-0; U: Wanninger W; 9-8-3-1-4-10.
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