BANG, BANG PLAY — Fort Atkinson’s Scott Kammer appears to beat Lake Mills first baseman Van Graves to first base during Sunday’s Home Talent League Southeast Section East Division game at Jones Park Sunday. However, umpires ruled that Kammer was tagged when the throw to first pulled Graves off the base. The Generals lost out on this call but went on to win the game, 4-1, scoring all of their runs in the seventh inning. — Daily Union photo by Josh Smith.

Fort Atkinson Generals fans had to wait until the seventh inning for some excitement. But in the end, they had plenty to appreciate - in fact they had 20 things to appreciate.

Fort Atkinson scored four times in the seventh inning to win a Home Talent League Southeast Section East Division game over visiting Lake Mills, 4-1, during Fan Appreciation Day at Jones Park. The victory marked the Generals' 20th win of the season.

With one out, Generals catcher Bryan Wallace sparked the seventh-inning rally with a triple to right-center field.

After shortstop Josh Crandall was hit by a pitch, Tim Brokl put Fort Atkinson (20-8 overall, 11-4 Sunday League) on the board with a single up the middle to bring home Wallace.

Second baseman Sam Hartwick kept the inning going with an RBI single that plated Crandall. Left fielder Nate Pfeifer added a single to load the bases for the top of the order.

Jacob Soriano, who led off the game with a double, ripped his second two-base hit of the game to bring home pinch runner James Bleecker and Hartwick. Pfeifer also tried to score from first base, but was thrown out at the plate.

By the end of the inning, the Generals scored all four of their runs and picked up five of their eight hits.

Lake Mills (3-12 SL) plated a run in the ninth when second baseman Nate Siegel singled to bring home Keith McFarlane and load the bases. However, the Grays left the bases juiced when Generals reliever Rick Klotz struck out Tyler Zastrow to end the game.

Prior to the seventh inning the game was a pitchers' duel between Fort Atkinson starter Dan Dean and his Lake Mills counterpart Erich Wollin.  Dean eventually won the game, allowing just two hits over eight innings on the hill. He did not allow a run while recording 10 strikeouts to three walks. Klotz, who pitched the ninth inning, allowed one run on four hits. Klotz struck out two.  For the Grays, Wollin surrendered four earned on eight hits and two walks. The Lake Mills right-hander struck out one in eight innings of work.

At the plate, Soriano paced the Generals going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Hartwick added a 2-for-3 effort with one RBI. Wallace, Crandall, Brokl and Pfeifer all finished 1-for-3.  McFarlane was Lake Mills' leader going 2-for-4 while Wollin helped his own cause with a 2-for-2 afternoon, drawing two walks in the process.  Connor Oestriech was 1-for-4 and Siegel was 1-for-3.

Fort Atkinson, who already had clinched the Southeast Section East Division title, has one more Sunday League game to play before the postseason begins. The Generals will travel to Deerfield Saturday for a 1 p.m. start at Firemen's Park.

Before Saturday's game, the Generals have a pair of Night League contests to play this week. Fort Atkinson will play its HTNL regular season finale tonight against Whitewater at Jones Park, which has playoff implications for the Swingers as well as other Eastern Division playoff-hopefuls. The Generals also have something to play for as a win would clinch the No. 1 seed in the Division playoffs.

The game versus Whitewater was originally scheduled for June 8, but was called off due to severe storms. Then the game was rained out a second time July 28.  Tonight's game with the Swingers will get under way at 7:30 p.m.  On Thursday, Fort Atkinson will host a Home Talent Night League playoff game at Jones Park against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. Gametime Thursday also is set for 7:30 p.m.

Despite Albion's extra-inning win over Stoughton in the West Division, the Southeast Section playoffs are set and the Fort Atkinson Generals will be at home.  The Generals will host the Albion Tigers in the Southeast playoff opener on Sunday, Aug. 14, at 1 p.m. at Jones Park.