Janesville Parker beats Madison East in Big Eight rematch

After an uninspiring loss to Madison East on Wednesday afternoon, Janesville Parker bounced back and played error-free defense to beat the Purgolders 9-0 on Thursday night.

“It’s very refreshing to play a good, solid baseball game,” Parker coach Kerry Michaels said. “We had a couple of walks and a hit batsman. Those were the only freebies we gave up.”

Carter Smalley threw 90 pitches in a complete-game victory, and a trio of double plays helped him along the way. He allowed just three hits, three walks and struck out three.

“That’s where it all starts, on the mound,” Michaels said. “It was almost an identical pitching performance (to Wednesday), but we made the plays behind him tonight.”

The Vikings took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with an RBI single from Nathan Hach and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch for Henry Simmons, but a double play let the Purgolders off the hook momentarily.

Parker started the third inning with a walk sandwiched between two outs, but the Vikings took off from there.

Simmons hit an RBI single after another walk, and Tavyne Schnuck’s single to center field two hitters later brought two more Vikings home with the help of an East error in the outfield.

Jjaquari Douglas reached on an error next, and another error in the field allowed two more to cross the plate. Keegan Skrzypchak capped the six-run rally with an RBI triple.

“That’s the thing we’ve been lacking, that knockout punch,” Michaels said.

Skrzypchak went 2 for 5 on the day, while Simmons finished 2 for 3 with two runs batted in.

The Vikings got one more run in the sixth, and in the quirky way of baseball, each spot in the Parker lineup scored exactly one run.

Parker’s next game will be a postseason contest against Janesville Craig at Riverside Park at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The Vikings beat the Cougars back on May 11, and Craig hasn’t lost since.

“After the first pitch is thrown, it’s going to be about who plays better,” Michaels said. “I hope both teams play great, and we’ll see where the chips fall.”

JANESVILLE PARKER 9, MADISON EAST 0

Parker 206 001 0 — 9 7 0

East 000 000 0 — 0 3 9

Leading hitters — Skrzypchak (JP) 2x5, Simmons (JP) 2x3. 3B — Skrzypchak (JP), Miller (ME).

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) — JP: Smalley W, 7-3-0-0-3-3. ME: Dederich L, 3-5-8-4-4-2; Kubisz 4-2-1-0-2-3.