American Legion baseball: Janesville edges Genoa City
PLOVER—Janesville's American Legion baseball team kept its hopes alive of advancing to pool play at the Plover Tournament by winning its first game Saturday.
Alex Marro threw a complete-game four-hitter to lead Post 205 to a 1-0 win over Genoa City.
Janesville (17-8) plays Manitowoc late Saturday night, and the winner automatically advances to a semifinal game Sunday.
“There are some pretty good teams in this tournament, so to get into pool play would be big for us heading into our regional tournament,” Janesville coach Bob Schenck said between Saturday's games. “The more games and the more at-bats we can get the better.”
Post 205 scored the only run Marro needed in the bottom of the first. Logan Coulter singled, advanced to second on JT Smithback's single and scored on Zach Bailey's RBI single.
Janesville had only five hits for the game with just two coming after the first inning.
“Their pitcher threw pretty well,” Schenck said. “He kept us off-balance and we weren't as patient as we needed to be.
“But Alex threw well for us, too. He had one inning where he got into a little trouble, but Jordan (Bailey) bailed him out with a great catch in center.”
Genoa City loaded the bases in the third on two walks and a hit-by-pitch, but Bailey made an over-the-shoulder catch at the fence in center to end the threat.
JANESVILLE 1, GENOA CITY 0
Genoa City 000 000 0—0 4 1
Janesville 100 000 x—1 5 0
Janesville batter: Marro and Filter.
Janesville leading hitters—Smithback (J) 2x3.
SO—Marro 5. BB—Marro 4.