Upset Special in HTL playoffs

Upsets were plentiful during the Home Talent League playoffs this weekend.

In the Southeast Section, both favorites were unseeded.

In Utica, Jefferson managed only five hits, but scored enough runs to knock out the Association, 3-2.

Bowe Bushey hit a two-out double to plate two runs, including the go-ahead tally in the sixth inning to propel the Blue Devils to the Section finals. Click here for more game details.

On the other side of the bracket, McFarland stunned Fort Atkinson with five extra-base hits en route to winning, 11-4.

Joe Nartowicz hit a three-run bomb in a five-run second inning to help the Muskies down the top-seeded Generals.

More game details here.

In the Western Section, Platteville kept the upset-theme alive with a 12 inning win over No. 2 Monroe.

Jake Green hit a sac-fly to score the go-ahead run.

Verona wanted no part of an upset and they took care of business at home versus the sixth-seeded Ridgeway club. Verona crushed the visiting squad 25-5. With Fort’s loss, Verona now holds the best record among remaining playoff teams.

Black Earth beat Ashton, 6-1, in the Northern Section. Both teams pulled off upsets to reach their Section’s semi-finals and the No. 4 Black Earth team upended No. 3 Ashton to move a game away from the Final Four.

Black Earth will meet Sauk Prairie, which beat visiting Reedsburg, 6-4, Sunday. Chase Suchla cracked a grand slam to lead Sauk to the Section finals.

The Eastern Section ignored the trend Sunday. DeForest and Cottage Grove each advanced and will play for the Section title next weekend.

DeForest did not have an easy time with Monona, however. The teams played to a 2-2 tie after nine innings. Tyler Benzine, who also drove in the tying run in the eighth inning, drove in the winning run in the bottom of the tenth.

Cottage Grove blanked Sun Prairie, 5-0.

Next week’s Section finals break down like this:

Southeast Section

Jefferson at McFarland

Western Section

Platteville at Verona

Northern Section

Black Earth at Sauk Prairie

Eastern Section

Cottage Grove at DeForest

Verona's one-loss record is best among HTL

Another week of Home Talent Baseball has gone by and Verona remains atop all Sections with a 13-1 record.

Verona holds a three game lead over second place Monroe and a 3.5 game lead over Wiota. Whether it is Monroe or Wiota that comes away with second place, they are going to have a difficult time with Verona, whose only loss came at the hands of Monroe June 12.

Wiota defeated Monroe twice, however, and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

In the Southeast Section, the highly anticipated matchup between Division leaders Fort Atkinson and Utica was postponed again due to poor field conditions at Utica Park.

The two teams are eyeing an Aug. 3 makeup date, and the location may be moved to Jones Park in Fort Atkinson.

The Generals lost Sunday to Stoughton, 3-2. The Merchants took advantage of Fort Atkinson errors and played sound defense behind starting pitcher Ben Riffle.

With the win, Stoughton improved its outside chance of making the playoffs out of the West Division. The Merchants still trail McFarland by half a game and Albion by a full game for the last postseason spot in the West.

Elsewhere, the Jefferson Blue Devils, who had rocketed up the East Division standings, had a setback Sunday. Jefferson got blanked by Orfordville, 7-0. Because Lake Mills and McFarland was postponed, the Blue Devils now sit one game back of the Grays for second place, and the final playoff spot in the East Division.

In the Western Section, Ashton made the East Division race a little more interesting by defeating first-place Middleton, 4-1. Middleton still leads the East with a 12-3 record, but Ashton is close behind at 11-4.

In the West Division of the Western Section Reedsburg won twice this weekend, topping Mazomanie Saturday and Richland Center Sunday. Reedsburg improved to 12-2 and took a half game lead ahead of Sauk Prairie (12-3).

Sauk won a thriller over attempted spoiler Cazenovia (4-12).

Finally in the Eastern Section, DeForest gave itself some breathing room at the top of the standings when they defeated Cottage Grove, 5-1, Sunday. DeForest is a comfortable 13-3, but there is a log-jam of teams behind them.

With Monona’s win over Sun Praire the Eastern Section looks like this: DeForest 13-3, Sun Prairie 10-4, Cottage Grove 10-5, Lodi 10-5, Monona 10-5.

The race down the stretch should be a fun one to watch in the Eastern.

Fort bests Jefferson in rivalry game; Verona is tops in HTL

In the Southeast Section of the Home Talent League, Fort Atkinson is one win away from clinching the East Division title.

The Generals defeated their rival Jefferson Blue Devils, 3-1, thanks in part to Josh Crandall’s two-RBI double and Dan Dean’s 8.2 innings two-hit performance. Read a recap of the game here.

Elsewhere in the East Division, Lake Mills topped Cambridge, 9-4. Had the Grays lost, Fort would have clinched. Lake Mills and Fort Atkinson will play in a Night League matchup Thursday at Jones Park, which could be a preview of how the Sunday HTL contest will play out. Sunday’s game between the Generals and Grays will also be played at Jones Park. A win will guarantee Fort the best record in the Southeast Section East Division.

Fort is the only team in the Section with one loss after Utica was defeated by Evansville, 5-4, Sunday.

Utica is now 9-2 in Sunday League action, but is still in the driver’s seat to win the West Division. Utica is a full two games ahead of Stoughton (7-4) and 2.5 games ahead of McFarland and Albion.

A showdown between Fort Atkinson and Utica was rained out and was planned to be made-up July 17. The game has been moved back a week to July 24 at Utica Park.

In the Eastern Section, Cottage Grove moved into a tie for first place with DeForest. Cottage Grove spanked Waterloo, 13-1, and got some help from Rio. Rio handled DeForest, 3-2.

The best record in the Home Talent League still belongs to Verona in the western Section. The Cavaliers improved to 12-1 this weekend when they received a forfeit from New Glarus. The forfeit likely yielded the same result as if NG (1-11) had taken the field.

Wiota is doing its best to keep pace with Verona, defeating Ridgeway, 8-7, in 13 innings Saturday. Wiota is now 9-2 and a game better in the loss column ahead of Monroe (10-3).

Middleton picked up two wins this weekend to stay in first place in the Northern Section.

Middleton topped Plain, 13-3, and bounced Black Earth, 12-0.

Ashton remains in second place following a loss to Black Earth Saturday and a 9-3 victory over Pine Bluff Sunday.

Below are the current HTL standings.

Standings

Southeast

East Division

Fort Atkinson 10-1

Lake Mills 6-5

Jefferson 4-7

Whitewater 4-8

Cambridge 3-9

Deerfield 2-9

West Division

Utica 9-2

Stoughton 7-4

McFarland 7-5

Albion 7-5

Evansville 5-6

Orfordville 4-7

Eastern

Cottage Grove 10-3

DeForest 10-3

Sun Prairie 9-3

Monona 8-4

Lodi 9-5

Rio 8-7

Marshall 5-8

Poynette 4-10

Waterloo 4-12

Columbus 0-13

Western

Verona 12-1

Wiota 9-2

Monroe 10-3

Argyle 6-4

Platteville 6-5

Ridgeway 6-7

Dodgeville 5-7

Hollandale 4-9

New Glarus 1-11

Blanchardville 0-10

Northern

East Division

Middleton 11-2

Ashton 9-4

Black Earth 7-4

Cross Plaines 7-5

Waunakee 6-7

Pine Bluff 2-10

West Division

Reedsburg 9-2

Sauk Prairie 10-3

Plain 4-8

Cazenovia 3-9

Mazomanie 3-9

Richland Center 2-10