EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Jacob Berendes, P, Shullsburg/Benton Home Talent League Baseball
Recent Shullsburg graduate Jacob Berendes pitched six-plus strong innings to lead the Shullsburg/Benton Fever Home Talent League baseball team to a 13–7 upset victory over #2 seed Hollandale in last Sunday's opening round of the the HTL Western Section playoffs.
Berendes allowed three earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings before giving way to 2017 Belmont grad Lane Kamps, who pitched 2 2/3 scoreless to close out the win and record the save. Berendes (4–0) struck out five en rout to his fourth win of the summer and aided his own cause with a bases loaded walk.
The Fever (15–10, 9–8 Sunday League) will face top-seeded and defending HTL champion Verona (15–1) Sunday at 1 p.m. in a Western Section semifinal game at Charles Stampfl Field at Verona's Community Park. Sunday's winner moves on to fave the winner of the other semifinal game between Blanchardville (11–6) and Pine Bluff/Mount Horeb (13–4).