Home Talent League playoffs: Derek Burgenske, Verona beat Monona

After watching his team lose the first game in the Home Talent League championship round robin finals, Verona manager Nick Krohn knew the season wasn’t over.

Over the past week, the whole Verona team began believing their manager.

Derek Burgenske doubled twice and drove in five runs, Kyle Nelson pitched seven solid innings and the Verona defense turned in some fantastic plays, all of which led to a 9-3 win over Eastern Section champion Monona on Sunday afternoon.

With the win, Verona has a chance to extend the season an extra week with a victory at Ashton next Sunday.

“You control what you can control,” Krohn said. “The guys were a little down last week but as the week went along the guys knew that winning a title wasn’t as farfetched as it seemed after the loss.”

Verona jumped in front in the first inning, plating a run without recording a hit.

Justin Scanlon walked, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on Burgenske’s groundout to first.

Monona tied the game in the second on an RBI groundout by Vince Schmitz.

Verona took control shortly after, scoring twice in the third and four times in the fourth.

Burgenske came up with the big hit in the fourth, clearing the bases with a three-run double that the Monona center fielder lost in the sun to give Verona a 7-1 lead.

Verona added runs in the sixth and seventh, including another RBI double from Burgenske.

“I found the sun in the fourth inning and the result was positive,” Burgenske, the Western Section batting champion, said. “But it always helps when you have players getting on base in front of you. I’ve had success this season because of Scanlon, he is usually good for two hits a game and that allows me to have RBI chances.”

Monona 010 000 002 — 3 9 3
Verona    102 401 10x — 9 11 1

Pitchers — (ip-h-er-bb-so) — Najacht (L; 3.2-5-5-2-1), Schmidt (2.1-3-2-1-1), Petty (1-2-1-2-0), Verhage (1-1-0-2-1); Nelson (W; 7-7-1-0-3), Koss (2-2-2-2-4).
Leading hitters — Monona — Goff (2x4), Schmitz (2x4), Carlson (2x3); Verona — Burgenske (2x5), Koss (3x4), Scanlon (2x4). 2B — Goff; Burgenske (2), Koss, Scanlon.

Ashton 4, Fort Atkinson 3 (10)

Tanner Meinholz drove in Derek Prochaska with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning as visiting Ashton improved to 2-0 in the finals.

Shane Adler was the winning pitcher and Kevin Peternell went 3-for-5 for Ashton.

Ashton               001 010 010 1 — 4 9 1
Fort Atkinson 001 000 200 0 — 3 6 2

Pitchers — (ip-h-er-bb-so) — Peternell (6.1-4-3-2-2), Adler (W; 3.2-2-0-1-5); Koepke (6.1-6-2-1-3), Dean (L; 3.2-3-1-2-2).
Leading hitters — Ashton — Peternell (3x5), Adler (2x4); Fort Atkinson — Smithyman (2x5), Sexton (2x5).
2B — Peternell.

HTL NEWS:
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MONONA HERALD ARTICLE:
Braves fall to Verona