COTTAGE GROVE — Nick Hughes calls the pitches, Chris Ritter never shakes him off and the duo combine on shutouts.

That cohesive relationship between the junior battery has been a constant for Madison Edgewood during a spring season that has seen the prep baseball schedule spiral into weather-related flux.

"It's really good," Hughes said of working with Ritter. "It helps out the team chemistry."

The Crusaders found the right mix Tuesday as Ritter held Monona Grove to one hit in an 11-0, five-inning victory in a Southern Badger Conference game at Firemen's Park.

The right-hander has started two games this year and they resulted in complete-game shutouts. He struck out nine while issuing three walks against MG.

"Once he gets dialed in he's one of the better pitchers in the area," Edgewood coach Rich Newton said.

Ritter allowed walks to the first two batters he faced but came away clean. One runner was caught stealing and Ritter closed the inning with a strikeout and groundout.

"It took a little bit to get going, but once I got through that I was able to settle in," Ritter said.

Ritter, who relied on a fastball and curve, then struck out four in a row before giving up his lone hit — a single by third baseman Tyler Mason with one out in the fourth.

"He hits the spots real well so I don't have to do a whole lot of work," Hughes said.

Edgewood nearly punched through in the first two innings but MG starter Paul Zweifel deftly walked off unscathed.

After allowing two walks on his first nine pitches, Zweifel induced consecutive outs via fielder's choice and an inning-ending groundout.

Facing a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the second inning, Zweifel got the next batter to pop out to the mound and the senior right-hander followed with a strikeout.

But, the bats soon got going for Edgewood (5-0 overall, 3-0 Southern Badger).

Hughes sparked a three-run third with an RBI double. He came home on a double by Christian Wabers, who scored on Tim Longo's groundout.

The Crusaders, ranked first in the WBCA Division 2 preseason poll, got RBI singles from Ritter and Hughes in the fourth and put away MG (2-2, 1-1) with six runs in the fifth.

"Defensively, we got out of the early jams, but that's going to catch up to you. You can't get out of all of them," said Silver Eagles coach DJ Daggett, whose team allowed nine hits, seven walks and committed five errors. "Pretty soon (comes) a base hit, then a double and then it compounds on you."