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Fast start sparks Janesville Parker baseball

Janesville Parker has faced some of the Big Eight’s top pitchers and has come away on top.

The Vikings defeated Verona, 9-2, on Tuesday night to go to 2-1 in the Big Eight and 4-1 overall. Verona is 1-2, 2-3.

Parker jumped out to a 7-1 lead after three innings against Verona left-handed pitcher Ben Neumann, who was a second-team All-Big Eight selection last year with six wins and who has signed a letter of intent to play at Northern Illinois University.

Only two of the runs were earned, but Parker coach Brian Martin said the Vikings were able to put the ball in play.

“The Neumann kid is a pretty tough pitcher,” Martin said. “On Thursday, we beat Beloit’s top pitcher who is going to Bradley.”

Junior Jake Welch put Parker up, 2-0, in the first inning with a two-run homer. Trent Kobs’ ground out in the second brought in one of the three runs the Vikings scored, and two unearned runs in the third gave Parker its 7-1 lead.

“We weren’t peppering the ball all over the place, but we put it in play. We tried bunting and stuff, and they couldn’t get us out.”

Vikings starter Andy Kersten pitched the first six innings, allowing just two hits and walking four. He struck out 10.

The Vikings are scheduled to play Madison West in a doubleheader Saturday at Riverside Park.

PARKER 9, VERONA 2

Parker (ab-r-h-rbi)—Ta. Kobs, lf, 2-2-2-1; Thompson, ph, 1-0-0-0; Johnson, 1b-p, 2-1-0-0; Heyerdahl, ph, 1-0-0-0; Welch, c, 4-1-1-2; Tr. Kobs, cf, 4-0-0-1; Franklin, rf, 3-0-1-0; Lee, dh, 4-0-1-0; Kersten, p, 0-0-0-0; Henke, 1b, 0-0-0-0; Bobzien, 3b, 1-1-0-0; Harmel, ph, 1-0-0-0; Long, 2b, 2-2-0-0; Brooks, 2b, 0-1-0-0; Marshall, ss, 3-1-1-0; Poznanski, ph, 1-0-1-1. Totals: 30-9-7-5.

Verona (ab-r-h-rbi)—Jenkins, ss, 1-0-0-0; Woods, rf, 1-1-0-0; Watzke, rf, 0-0-0-0; Yapp, 3b, 3-0-0-0; Neumann, p-1b, 3-0-0-0; Lund, lf, 3-1-1-0; Jennings, c, 3-0-1-1; Kopp, dh, 1-0-0-0; Miller, 2b, 1-0-0-0; Ellis, ph, 1-0-0-0; Gust, 1b, 2-0-0-0; Hainzinger, p, 1-0-0-0; McDonald, cf, 2-0-0-0; Schultz, ph, 0-0-0-0; Parker, p, 0-0-0-0. Totals: 22-2-2-1.

Parker 232 010 1—9

Verona 100 100 0—2

E—Parker 1, Verona 5. LOB—Parker 10, Verona 6. DP—Parker 2. HR—Welch. Sac—Johnson 2, Woods. SB—Brooks.

Parker IP H R ER BB SO

Kersten 6 2 2 1 4 10

Johnson 1 0 0 0 3 1

Verona

Neumann 4 5 7 2 1 5

Hainzinger 2 1 1 1 3 1

Parker 1 1 1 1 0 1