HTL: Generals unable to find clutch hit, lose to Merchants on walk-off single, 1-0

STOUGHTON — Devin Gudenschwager drove home the walk-off run in the ninth inning as Stoughton edged visiting Fort Atkinson 1-0 in Home Talent League baseball action on Sunday, snapping the Generals’ four-game win streak.

Connor Blaney led off the Stoughton ninth by drawing a walk on a full count pitch versus Fort starter Austin Paul. Blaney moved up to second on Trevor Wallace’s sacrifice bunt. Gudenschwager, the team’s No. 3 hitter, quickly fell behind 1-2 in the count before, on a 3-2 offering, singling on a fly ball to right field to end it.

Alex Bailey tossed eight shutout innings of five-hit ball to earn the win for the Merchants. He struck out four and walked none.

Paul was equally effective on the bump, allowing an earned run on five hits in 8 1/3 innings with eight punch outs and two walks.

The Generals’ best chance to score came in the fourth, when Isaac Heederik doubled to left to lead off the inning. Bailey, however, recorded a strikeout and two fly outs to end the threat.

Fort’s Jay Rueth doubled with two outs in the fifth but was stranded when Bailey tallied a three-pitch strikeout.

In the sixth, Josh Crandall doubled with two outs and took third when Branden Zastrow reached on an error at shortstop. After Zastrow stole second, Jake Hansen’s ground out ended the frame. The Generals also had two men aboard with one away in the seventh.

Fort plays at Cambridge on Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by a noon start against Utica on the road next Sunday to close out the regular season. The Generals (7-5) are vying for the final wildcard berth in the Southeast Section playoffs, which begin on Aug. 4, along with Evansville (8-5), Stoughton (6-7) and Albion (5-7).

STOUGHTON 1, FORT 0

Fort 000 000 000 — 0 5 0

Stoughton 000 000 001 — 1 5 1

WP: Bailey

LP: Paul

Fort Atkinson (ab-r-h-rbi) — Heederik 4-0-1-0, Crandall 4-0-1-0, Zastrow 4-0-0-0, Hansen 4-0-0-0, Kienbaum 4-0-0-0, Wolter 4-0-1-0, Rueth 3-0-2-0, Dunkleberger 3-0-0-0, Paul 3-0-0-0. Totals 33-0-5-0.

Stoughton (ab-r-h-rbi) — Blaney 3-1-0-0, Wallace 3-0-1-0, Gudenschwager 4-0-2-1, Bogucki 3-0-0-0, Brewer 3-0-1-0, Wilberg 3-0-0-0, Estervig 3-0-1-0, Johnson 3-0-0-0, Herbst 2-0-0-0. Totals 27-1-5-1.

2B — Heederik (FA), Crandall (FA), Rueth (FA)

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — FA: Paul 8.1-5-1-1-2-8; S: Bailey 8-5-0-0-0-4.