Cardinals lose pair of games

Tuesday, June 12, 2007 12:52 PM CDT

UTICA - Josh Fleck drove in three runs to lead the Madison Senators over the Watertown Cardinals 4-2 in a Rock River League South Division game Saturday.

Watertown trailed 2-0 through five innings, then cut the deficit in half in the sixth when Brock Busler singled and scored on an RBI double by Derek Ninmann.

Fleck hit a two-run single in the seventh to put the Senators up 4-1.

The Cardinals scored an unearned run in the ninth. Ninmann hit his second double of the game and scored on an error. Watertown had a runner on first with one out but reliever Joe Herfel got a double play ball to end it.

Acting manager Tyler Kopplin credited pitcher Andy Schwantes' efforts. Schwantes scattered nine hits over eight innings with four strikeouts and two walks.

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“Andrew threw an excellent ball game,” Kopplin said. “We just couldn't make any plays behind him. Our defense took the day off.”

Ninmann had two of Watertown's six hits in the game.

“Offensively, we couldn't string anything together to make a serious push to score runs. We gave away an opportunity to put some distance between us and the rest of the league, and we need to get things together sooner rather than later to establish ourselves as a solid club.

“The good news from the game was that no one got hurt by flying bats, helmets or water coolers.”

Watertown hosts Johnson Creek in a Rock River League game Sunday.

Fort Atkinson 3, Cardinals 2

FORT ATKINSON - On Friday, Watertown lost to Fort Atkinson 3-2 in the semifinals of the Fort Atkinson tournament.

Saturday's game

MADISON SENATORS 4, WATERTOWN 2

Watertown 000 001 001 - 2 6 3

Senators 100 010 20X - 4 9 1

WP: Staudenmeyer.

LP: Schwantes.

Leading hitters - D. Ninmann (W) 2x3, Fleck (MS) 2x3, Schafer (MS) 2x3. 2B - D. Ninmann (W) 2.

Friday's game

FORT ATKINSON 3,

WATERTOWN 2

Watertown 001 001 0 - 2 8 0

Fort Atkinson 200 010 x - 3 3 2

Watertown (ab-r-h-rbi) - Leedle 3-0-1-1, Matthews 4-0-2-0, D. Ninmann 4-0-0-0, J. Ninmann 4-1-2-0, Cahoon 3-0-1-0, Johnson 2-0-0-0, Kopplin 3-1-0-1, Fry 2-0-1-0, Busler 3-0-1-0. Totals 28-2-8-2.

Fort Atkinson (ab-r-h-rbi) - Krigbaum 2-1-1-0, Dehnert 2-0-1-0, Buchta 2-1-0-1, Ti. Brokl 1-0-0-0, Kammer 1-0-0-1, Evenson 3-0-0-0, Garant 2-0-0-0, Deck 3-0-0-0, Borchardt 1-1-1-0, Stevens 1-0-0-0, Voss 0-0-0-0. Totals 18-3-3-2.

WP: Stevens.

LP: Johnson.

Pitching: HO - Johnson (W) 3 in 6; Stevens (FA) 7 in 5, Voss (FA) 1 in 2. ER - Johnson 3; Stevens 1. SO - Johnson 2; Stevens 1, Voss 2. BB - Johnson 6. 2B - J. Ninmann.