SUPPZ.COM SWNEWS4U ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Platteville's Mikala Schnering

Platteville sophomore sets stolen base record during 4-game win streak

Platteville junior shortstop pitcher Mikalya Schnering (right) had an incredible week for the Hillmen, breaking Sadie (Holmes) Taylor's (left) school record with her 45th career steal in last Friday’ 13–2 win over Southwestern. She also hit .722 with 13 hits, 11 runs scored and four stolen bases, and went 2–0 with 12 strikeouts with a 2.33 ERA in 12 innings to lead Platteville to four wins last week.

Schnering Holmes — Platteville junior shortstop pitcher Mikalya Schnering (right) had an incredible week for the Hillmen, breaking Sadie (Holmes) Taylor's (left) school record with her 45th career steal in last Friday’ 13–2 win over Southwestern. She also hit .722 with 13 hits, 11 runs scored and four stolen bases, and went 2–0 with 12 strikeouts with a 2.33 ERA in 12 innings to lead Platteville to four wins last week.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial

Mikala Schnering, Jr., shortstop/pitcher, Platteville softball
Platteville junior Mikala Schnering had an incredible week for the Hillmen, breaking the school record with her 45th career stolen base in last Friday’ 13–2 win over Southwestern, which was Platteville's fourth-straight victory.

Schnering hit .722 with 13 hits, 11 runs scored and four stolen bases, and went 2–0 with 12 strikeouts with a 2.33 ERA in 12 innings to lead Platteville to four wins last week.

After an uneven start to the season, the Platteville softball team turned things around in a big way last week.

The Hillmen bats caught fire and Platteville tallied 57 hits and 50 runs in four wins over five days.

The week started with a wild 16–10 non-conference road win at Sauk Prairie last Monday.

Schnering (1–1) worked around nine Platteville errors to earn her first win of the year in the pitching circle, allowing three earned runs on eighth hits and two walks over six innings. Schnering also led the Platteville offense going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored.

Senior Lainee Pickel went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI, while classmates Gabby Key (2x4) and Maggie Grabandt (2x5) each had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored.

The bats stayed hot in an 8–6 Southwest Wisconsin Conference win over visiting last Tuesday.

Schnering (3x5, 3 R), freshman second baseman Kimber Bakken (3x3, 2RBI, 3R) and senior Gabby Key (3x3, 3RBI) each had three hits in the win.

Two nights later, Platteville made a dramatic comeback in a 13–4 win at Richland Center and sophomore standout pitcher Kyree Fisher.

Fischer opened the season with back-to-back perfect games, then a 17-strikeout no-hitter of River Valley before a two-hit, five-inning shutout over De Soto, and fourth no-hitter in a 3–1 in over Lancaster.

But Thursday night, Platteville wore Fischer down, specifically in the top of the seventh inning when the Hillmen scored 10 runs to rally from a 4–3 deficit for the win.

Blake Knight walked to lead off the top of the fifth and later scored on an error, and Bakken scored on an RBI double by Key to pull the Hillmen within a run at 4–3.

Schnering and Bakken hit back-to-back singles to lead off Platteville’s 10-run seventh before an RBI single by Key tied the game. Key capped the rally with a two-run double to left field.

“Kyree is a great player,” said Graney. “ She had a homerun against us and she was throwing well. I think we tired her out. We were able to get into a lot of deep counts, fouling off pitches. We made her work. Hitting is contagious and it caught everyone on the team in the seventh.”

Platteville closed out the week with a dominating 13–2 non-conference win at Southwestern.

Schnering (2–1) capped her monster week by going 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, and 10 strikeouts in six innings pitch to earn her second win of the year.

She also recorded two stolen bases to become Platteville’s all-time leader in the category.

The previous record of 44 career steals was previously held by Sadie (Holmes) Taylor, who was a four-time All-SWC shortstop for the Hillmen from 2011–14.