MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (April 28–May 5)
SWC BASEBALL: Platteville 7, Prairie du Chien 6
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial
First-place Hillmen put together another late rally to pull out an improbable win
The Platteville Hillmen did it again.
Coach Randy Knight’s boys scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cap another wild comeback in a 7–6 Southwest Wisconsin Conference victory over visiting Prairie du Chien Thursday at Hill Field.
It was first-place Platteville’s third comeback win in five conference games so far this year.
Platteville (7–2) scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Dodgeville 7–6 April 10 on a walk-off RBI single by senior Tyler Sasse.
The Hillmen scored 12 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to rally from a 3–1 deficit to stun visiting Lancaster 13–1 via the mercy rule on April 21.
Last week’s win began with the visiting Blackhawks (3–8, 1–4 SWC) building a 5–0 lead through four innings of play.
Jack Simmons was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the second and later scored the game’s first run on an RBI ground out by Jake Kramer.
Drake Chesbro hit an RBI double in the top of the third and Westin Marx followed that with a two-run homer over the left field fence two pitches later to make it 4–0.
Caden Sutter added an RBI single in the fourth to chase home Prestin Nolan, and Chesbro’s RBI ground out drove in Madson Jasdzewski to make it 6–0.
Platteville looked dead and buried with just two singles through four inning against Nolan, who started on the mound for Prairie du Chien.
But as them have done time and time again this year, the Hillmen battled back.
Platteville got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Alex Cullen led off with a single and later scored on an RBI by senior Evan Johnson to breakup Nolan’s shutout bid.
After Johnson, who started on the mound for Platteville, pitched around a two-out single in the top of the sixth.
Sasse and sophomore Keegan Weigel got Platteville’s rally going in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back single, and junior Landon Donahoe reached on an error to load the bases.
Senior Brycen Carl drew a bases loaded walk to chase Nolan from the mound, before Cullen smacked a two-run double to centerfield to trim the deficit to 6–4.
Carl scored to make it a one-run game when junior Aiden Weigel reached on an error by PdC first baseman Jacob Mara.
A sac fly by junior Brody Digman tied the game at 6–6 before PdC reliever Drake Chesbro recorded the second out of the inning with a strikeout.
Platteville senior Carson Opgenorth then lined a clutch two-out RBI single to left field to score pinch runner Briggs Weigel before being thrown out a second base attempting to stretch his base hit into a double.
Digman came on to pitch the top of the seventh inning for Platteville and after a line out back to the mound, Simmons and Mara hit back-to-back singles.
But Digman closed out the game with a strikeout and a ground out to Johnson at second base to record his second save of the year.
“This one was a wild ride,” said Platteville head coach Randy Knight. “We came out very flat in the first 4.5 innings and things weren’t going our way. In the bottom of the fifth we finally cracked the scoreboard which felt like a load lifted off our backs because we have been able to put runs on the board all year long.
“In the bottom of the sixth after the first few guys got on base I knew we had turned the page and finally woke up. Making their starter go deep in counts, our hitting approach was back to what we preach about everyday and good things were to come. Once the train started rolling it didn’t stop until we had the lead. All around a great team win from 1 thru 16.”
With last week’s win, Platteville improved to 5–0 at the midway point of the SWC season.
The Hillmen traveled to Dodgeville (10–1, 4–1 SWC) Tuesday night for a key SWC road game and will travel to River Valley (3–6, 2–3) Friday evening before hosting River Ridge Tuesday in a non-conference game.
“This group is very relentless and they never lay down against anyone,” added Knight. “They play for each other every single day and the bond that they have is none like I have seen in the past. Doesn’t matter if your in the top five or the bottom five every single player is a part of what this team is capable of doing.
“We are right where we want to be at this point in the season going into Dodgeville. We know won’t be an easy task, but we have to approach it one inning at a time, stick to our plan that we have talked about the past few days in practice and continue to succeed in the way we have and good things will happen.”
Platteville 7, Prairie du Chien 6
(from Thursday, April 30 @ Platteville)
Prairie du Chien 013 200 0 — 6 9 3
Platteville 000 016 x — 7 6 0
Leading hitters — PdC: Deacon Chesebro 2x4, Drake Chesbro 1x3 (2RBI, R), Westin Marx 1x4 (2RBI, R), Jack SImmons 1x2 (R), Jacob Mara 2x3, Cayden Sutter 1x2 (RBI, R); Pla: Carson Opgenoerth 2x3 (RBI), Alex Cullen 1x3 (2RBI, 2R), Aiden Weigel 1x3 (RBI). 2B — Pla: Cullen. HR — PdC: Marx.
W — Evan Johnson (4–0, 6IP, 7H, 6R, 5ER, 5K, 2BB). L — Chesbro (1IP, 3H, 2R, 0ER, 1K, 0BB). SV — Brody Digman (2, 1IP, 2H, 0R, 1K, 0BB).
