MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (April 4–11)
SWC SOFTBALL: Platteville 18, Lancaster 15 (8 innings)
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial
BLAST OFF: Carl's 3-run homer in top 8th stave's off Lancaster comeback
LANCASTER — The Platteville bats were on fired Thursday at Lancaster as three Hillmen seniors combined to slug four home runs in a wild 18–15 win over the host Flying Arrows.
Maddison Carl, Kennedy Shea and Lauren Wernimont all home runs in the first three innings as the Hillmen built an early 9–3 lead.
But after the host Arrows rallied to send the game to extra innings with six runs in the bottom of the seventh innings, Platteville still needed a dramatic three-run blast by Carl — her second long ball of the game — in the top of the eighth to pull out the victory in the Southwest Wisconsin Conference opener for both teams.
Senior Camryn Nies opened scoring barrage with a two-out, two-run single in the top of the first inning.
Shea hit a two-run homer into the pine trees in left centerfield to make it 4–1 an inning later. Three batters later, after a single by junior Delaney Johnson and a ground out by Macy Allion, Carl lifted a two-run homer into the same pine trees over the left field fence to make it 6–1. Freshman Gabby Key and Nies kept the rally going back-to-back singles to add another run.
After Lancaster got a run back in the bottom of the second on a RBI single by Abi Mergen, Wernimont delivered a solo homer to lead off the top of the third. Key added an RBI ground out after a Lancaster error extended the inning to make it 9–2.
Platteville increased its lead to 11–2 with single runs in the top of the fourth and fifth innings, and was on the verge of a 10-run mercy rule victory before the home team mounted a comeback.
Six straight Arrows reached base — on three singles, two walks and a two-run double by Maddy Hill as Lancaster plated four in the bottom of the fifth to make it 11–6.
The Hillmen answered back with a four-run, two-out rally in the top of the sixth — with an RBI single by Johnson, an RBI double by Allion and a two-run single by Carl to make it 15–6.
Lancaster chipped away at the lead with three in the bottom of the inning, then put together an improbable two-out, six-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. Haleigh Bratton-Bennett tied the game with a three-run bases clearing double to deep left field.
Platteville quickly put the potential heartbreak in the rearview mirror and went back to work. Johnson ripped a one-out double for her sixth hit of the game in six at-bats, then Allion followed with a line drive single past third base to put runners on second and third.
Carl smashed the game-winning homer over the left field fence three pitches later on a 2–0 count. Carl finished 3-for-6 with seven RBI. Johnson went 6-for-6 with an RBI and six runs scored. Allion collected five hits in six at-bats and scored three runs.
Nies (3x6, 3 RBI) and junior centerfielder Alyssa Blevins (3x5, 2 runs) each had three hits in the win.
After Lancaster rallied against starter Shea, and Wernimont in relief, Mya Bevan (1–0) came on to pitch for Platteville and collected her first varsity pitching win, with 11/3 innings of scoreless relief. She struck out two and walked two, and worked around a one-out single and an error in the bottom of the eighth to close out the game when Hill lined out to Blevins in centerfield.
Platteville 18, Lancaster 15
(from Thursday, April 6 @ Lancatser)
Platteville....252 114 03 — 18 24 3
Lancaster....110 043 60 — 15 16 1
Leading hitters — Pla: Delaney Johnson 6x6 (RBI, 6R), Macy Allion 5x6 (RBI, 3R), Maddison Carl 3x6 (7RBI, 2R), Camryn Nies 3x3 (3RBI), Alyssa Blevins 3x5 (2R), Lauren Wernimont 2x4 (2RBI, 2R); L: Abi Mergen 3x4 (RBI, 4R), Maddy Hill 4x6 (6RBI, 3R), Wolf 3x5 (2R). 2B — P: Allion, Blevins, Wernimont, Johnson; L: Hill 3, Mergen, Haleigh Brantton-Bennett. HR — P: Carl 2, Wernimont, Kennedy Shea.
W — Mya Bevan (1.1IP, 2H, 0R, 2K, 0BB). L — Maddy Hill (8IP, 24H, 18R, 16ER, 3K, 0BB).
