29ers take care of Business(men)

One big swing of the bat provided the spark.

After that, Middleton’s Home Talent League team continued putting logs on the fire.

Shortstop Hayden Hellenbrand led off Sunday afternoon’s game at rival Cross Plains with a solo homer, the first of three runs in the top of first inning for the 29ers. Middleton then scored at least a run in all but three frames, resulting in a sizzling 9-1 victory over the Businessmen at Baer Park.

The 29ers improved to 10-2 and will play at Ashton (11-1) on July 26 for the East Division championship in the HTL’s Northern Section. Middleton defeated the A’s, 7-4, in their first meeting on June 28.

For the rematch to have championship ramifications, though, the 29ers knew they couldn’t look past Cross Plains (4-8). And the key was taking it one at bat at a time.

“Good communication between at bats, just kind of getting ready for a fastball,” said Dylan Klock, who was 3-for-6 with an RBI single in the seventh and a double in the ninth. “We knew with these pitchers we were going to see some breaking balls, so just staying on the fastball and having good approaches.”

Klock, Middleton’s No. 2 hitter in the order, grounded out following Hellenbrand’s leadoff homer.

But he said striking early against the upset-minded Businessmen was key not only for the 29ers’ offense, but also for standout Brady Schmitt on the mound.

“It’s huge,” Klock said. “It’s a good way to get your starting pitcher to go out there with a clean slate. And then just getting hot and staying hot all game.”

Middleton did exactly that. And a good luck bounce in the third inning provided another spark in the fourth inning.

Michael Monson drew a two-out walk to keep that frame alive, then scored from first when Nolan Smith’s single up the middle turned into a double because the ball took a bad hop over the head of center fielder Garrett Pertzborn and rolled to the warning track.

Klock led off the top of the fourth with a single, moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch, then scored on Andrew Zimmerman’s RBI double to the gap in right center to make it 5-0.

Zimmerman then came home on Jackson Guerrero’s RBI groundout to make it 6-0.

That was more than enough support for Schmitt, who didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning and went seven innings, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out four.

“Just mixing pitches in all different counts and letting the defense work behind me,” Schmitt said of the key to keeping Cross Plains from mounting any momentum at the plate.

“He is a pitcher’s pitcher,” Tim Cleary, one of Middleton’s coaches, said of Schmitt. “He’s a cerebral pitcher — he has a mental book on the guys he’s facing, and he’s unflappable.

“He’s in his mode and singularly focused on the task at hand. He does not get overly excited about anything that goes on. He knows what he wants to do, he knows when he wants to do it and then he’s extremely accurate.”

The Businessmen, who gave the 29ers all they could handle in a 2-1 Middleton win in the season opener on May 23, made the most of that first hit against Schmitt by manufacturing their only run of the afternoon.

Porter Blaha, who reached on a fielder’s choice following Drew Meinholz’s walk to lead off the bottom of the fifth, moved into scoring position on Drew Romine’s single. Blaha then scored on an RBI groundout by Hunter Schram.

Cross Plains also threatened in the bottom of the eighth when Pertzborn led off with a single against relief pitcher Drew Farrell followed by a double by Kyle Pape, putting runners at second and third with one out.

But Farrell struck out Will Doherty, the Businessmen’s No. 3 hitter, then got clean-up hitter Bryce Duhr to line out to left to end the frame.

Ultimately, the six-run deficit through five innings combined with Schmitt’s effectiveness on the mound were too much for Cross Plains to overcome.

“I thought if we got going, maybe we could get him knocked out of there,” Cross Plains manager Randy Meinholz said of Schmitt. “But we just couldn’t get anything started. We were playing in the hole all day — we just didn’t have an answer.

“Brady’s a great pitcher. He’s tough — sometimes you just can’t hit him. Today we just couldn’t get anything going against him.”

Meanwhile, Middleton had no trouble getting things going against Cross Plains’ pitching staff.

The 29ers produced up and down the order, with only three batters in the starting line-up not getting hits.

“The value of putting the ball in play,” Cleary said of the key to Middleton’s offense. “Minimize the strikeouts, and put the ball in play — put pressure on the defense.

“We’re a good base running team, too, so if we can get guys on, hopefully we can create pressure.”

On this day, there wasn’t just hoping. There was also realization.

 “Just get our pitch and find a barrel,” said Schmitt, who was 1-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI. “We know we’re not going to be hitting home runs all over the park, so just put good swings on it.”

That approach was more than enough to doom Cross Plains’ taxed pitching staff.

“We’re not real deep on pitching,” Randy Meinholz said. “Our guys just didn’t quite have it today, and Middleton’s a heck of a good team. They’re tough to beat, and if you’re not on your game, you’re going to get beat. It’s almost as simple as that. They kind of took it to us and kept their foot on our neck.”

Cross Plains did have a couple of highlights in the loss.

For one, Drew Meinholz struck out Alden Cleary with the bases loaded in the second to give the Businessmen a shot of adrenaline heading into the home half of the frame.

And a diving catch by Blaha in left field retired Klock to make it a 1-2-3 fifth for the Businessmen in the field, their only such frame of the game.

Randy Meinholz acknowledged that it’s been a rough summer for his squad, but also knows that if the Businessmen can take care of Black Earth (6-6) in the season finale and reach the playoffs, anything can happen.

“Our team is just not in a good spot right now,” Randy Meinholz said. “You never know, maybe we can make a run.”

The 29ers, who won last year’s championship, don’t have to hope for such a miracle.

For them, another deep August run is a dream that very well might come true.

And it starts Sunday against Ashton in a match-up for the section championship and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

First, they had to avoid a misstep against Cross Plains.

“It’s a team we know well, but they know us just as well,” Klock said. “It’s never an easy game playing Cross Plains, so just having respect for them and coming in and trying to take care of business. Both teams want to beat each other, so it’s always a coin toss.”

Now, Middleton will face the A’s at Church Field on what should be a Sunday after-noon made for a Norman Rockwell painting.

“We are absolutely going to find out next Sunday where we’re at measured against where Ashton’s at,” Tim Cleary said. “They’re having an incredible run right now, so our toughest game of the year is going to be in seven days.”

“We’ll be ready for it,” Schmitt added. “We know what it’s like playing out there, and what it means going into the playoffs. So we’ll be ready.”

MIDDLETON 9,

CROSS PLAINS 1

Midd ...... 301 200 111 — 9 10 1

XP ........... 000 010 000 — 1 4 0

Pitchers (ip-h-r-er-bb-k): Middleton — Brady Schmitt (W, 7-2-1-1-1-4), Drew Farrell (2-0-0-1-1); Cross Plains — Drew Meinholz (L, 4-6-6-5-5-3), Devin Romine (5-4-3-3-3-1).

Leading hitters: Middleton -- Dylan Klock 3x6, Alden Cleary 2x5. HR: Hayden Hellenbrand. 2B: Cleary, Andrew Zimmerman, Schmitt, Klock, Nolan Smith. Cross Plains: Romine 2x3. 2B: Kyle Pape.

• Ashton 16, Black Earth 2 (8) — The visiting A’s routed the Bombers in a game stopped after eight innings on Sunday.

Ashton’s Dylan Carrington and Luke Ballweg both homered to lead a 17-hit attack. Jacob Carney added two doubles, while Carson Gehrke, Cooper Holewinski, Keegan Fleischman and Kyle Sagan all doubled, as well.

Ballweg finished with four RBIs and two runs scored, while Gehrke had three RBIs. Carney went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Sagan scored three runs and added two RBIs.

Fleischman, Carrington and Gehrke all had two hits, as well.

Treyden Hewuse threw the first five innings — when Ashton built a 9-1 lead — and picked up the win. Bryce Hopwood gave up nine runs in 2 2/3 innings for Black Earth and took the loss.

• Sauk Prairie 18, Mazomanie 8 — The Twins (4-8) rolled past the Mustangs (7-5) on July 18.

Sauk Prairie, which began the year 0-7, won its fourth game in five outings. The Twins scored 17 runs in their final five at bats to rally from a 3-1 deficit.

Dylan Andrews, Lucas Koenig, Mike Jordahl and Sam Koenig all homered for the Twins. Kyle Breunig and Andrews also doubled.

Andrews finished his big day with five RBIs, while Lucas Koenig went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and scored three runs. Sam Koenig also had three RBIs and scored three runs, while Jordahl had two hits and scored three runs.

Chucky Schara went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Kyle Breunig had two RBIs and Bryan Breunig scored three runs.

Bryan Breunig worked two innings of middle relief and earned the win, while Sam Koenig threw the final four innings.

Hudson Barsness homered for Mazomanie and scored three runs, while Drew Barsness had two RBIs and Quinn Payne scored two runs.

Hudson Barsness took the loss for the Mustangs.