HTL: Fort Generals turn back Cambridge Blues to keep playoff hopes intact

The Fort Atkinson Generals doubled up the Cambridge Blues, 4-2, in Home Talent League baseball at Jones Park on Saturday afternoon.

The win was instrumental for the Generals, who pushed their Sunday League record to 8-5 and are now tied with Jefferson and Evansville with one regular season game remaining. Those three teams are vying for the two Southeast Section wildcard berths.

The Southeast North Division rivals traded runs to start the game as Fort's Conner Kienbaum singled home a two-out run in the top of the first inning. Connor O'Brien led off the Blues' first by drawing a walk, stole second, reached third on Denver Evans' single before scoring on a double steal play.

Fort scored the go-ahead run in the fifth, when Jay Rueth lined a two-out double to center and later came around on an outfield error.

The Generals took advantage of no-out walks to Rueth and Cole Bovre to open the eighth. After both runners moved up on the same wild pitch, Isaac Heederik's sacrifice fly brought Rueth home to make it 3-1. With two away, Branden Zastrow lined an RBI double up the middle.

O'Brien, the leadoff man for North Division champion Cambridge, reached on a no-out error in the eighth, stole third and scored on Carter Lund's sacrifice fly.

Cambridge threatened in the ninth against Fort newly-inserted reliever Josh Crandall, who allowed no-out singles to Logan Koch and Jared Marty to start the frame. Crandall needed just four pitches to close it out, retiring Sam Mickelson on a bunt attempt, Jake Willey on a ground ball and O'Brien on a fly ball to center.

Fort had three pitchers combine on a five-hitter. Kroix Kucken started and earned the decision, allowing a run on two hits with seven punch outs before turning it over to Isaac Heederik, who threw three innings of one-hit ball.

JT Parish started for the Blues, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits in five innings with four punch outs. Marty allowed two earned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts, four walks in four innings and was saddled with the loss.

Fort travels to face Utica on Sunday at noon while Cambridge (10-3) plays at McFarland on Sunday at 1 p.m. Cambridge needs a win and Utica loss to secure the No. 1 overall seed for next weekend's semifinal round of the HTL playoffs. Fort improves its playoff chances with a win versus Utica, but would not necessarily get eliminated with a loss depending on the results of the other games.

FORT ATKINSON 4, CAMBRIDGE 2

Fort 100 010 020 -- 4 4 2

Cambridge 100 000 010 -- 2 5 1

WP: Kucken

LP: Marty

Fort Atkinson (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Heederik 4-0-0-1, Crandall 3-1-0-0, Zastrow 4-0-1-1, Kienbaum 3-0-1-1, Wolter 3-0-0-0, Haagensen 4-0-1-0, Kucken 4-0-0-0, Rueth 2-2-1-0, Bovre 2-1-0-0. Totals 29-4-4-3.

Cambridge (ab-r-h-rbi) -- O'Brien 2-2-0-0, Kledzik 3-0-0-0, Evans 4-0-1-0, Lund 3-0-0-1, Jarlsberg 4-0-0-0, Koch 4-0-1-0, Bernhardt 3-0-0-0, Marty 1-0-1-0, Mickelson 4-0-2-0, Willey 4-0-0-0. Totals 32-2-5-1.

2B -- Zastrow (FA), Rueth (FA)

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- C: Parish 5-2-2-1-2-4, Marty 4-2-2-2-4-7; FA: Kucken 5-2-1-1-3-7, Heederik 3-1-1-0-0-0, Crandall 1-2-0-0-0-0.