Janesville Craig surged to an 11-1 mercy-rule win over Madison La Follette with three runs each in the fifth and sixth innings at Veterans Field at Riverside Park in Janesville on Tuesday night.
The Cougars led 5-1 going to the fifth thanks to a four-run first inning in which Charlie Claas, Nick Gregg, Drayton Lou and Tony Greco drove in runs on four consecutive plate appearances.
Craig’s half of the fifth started with Lou getting hit by a pitch, but La Follette’s Hengst retired the next two Cougars and appeared like he would escape the inning.
Carson McCormick hit a two-out single to extend the inning and get Ben Schaffner to the plate with two on. Schaffner hit a liner into center field and motored all the way around for a triple, sending Lou and McCormick home in the process.
Leadoff hitter Paul Platts batted next and also hit a triple, scoring Schaffner and making the score 8-1.
The game-ending runs came in the sixth, and the damage was mostly self-inflicted for the Lancers.
Craig’s first three hitters walked in the inning, and Claas scored on a passed ball during the third plate appearance.
Greco hit a sac fly to make it 10-1, then Tyler Horkan walked and McCormick singled to load the bases with one out. Schaffner worked yet another walk to bring the game-ending run home.
Schaffner had just the one hit but drove in three runs, while Platts went 3 for 4 with a run batted in.
Easton Zastrow earned the win on the mound, pitching three innings and allowing one earned run. George Greene pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings, and Michael Zink struck out a pair in the sixth.
Craig is scheduled to host up-the-road rival Milton at Riverside Park at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
This story was updated to correct Craig's starting pitcher.
JANESVILLE CRAIG 11, MADISON LA FOLLETTE 1 (6)
La Follette 100 000 — 1 5 2
Craig 401 033 — 11 12 0
Leading hitters — Fitz (MLF) 3x3, Johnson (MLF) 2x3, Platts (JC) 3x4, Claas (JC) 2x3, Greco (JC) 2x3, McCormick (JC) 2x3. 2B — Johnson (MLF). 3B — Fitz (MLF), Platts (JC), Schaffner (JC).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) — MLF: Hengst L, 4 2/3-10-8-8-3-3; Powell 2/3-2-3-3-5-0. JC: Zastrow W, 3-4-1-1-1-4; Greene 2 1/3-1-0-0-4-2; Zink 2/3-0-0-0-0-2.
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