MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (May 5–12)
SWC SOFTBALL: Platteville 7, River Valley 6

By Steve Prestegard, The Platteville Journal

Hillmen scores fourth comeback win of the year with 7–6 victory over River Valley

SPRING GREEN — The Platteville softball team has become known this season for thrilling comeback finishes.

The Hillmen may have topped themselves last Thursday in scoring six runs in the top of the seventh to defeat River Valley 7–6.

Thursday’s win and Richland Center’s 2–1 win over Prairie du Chien moved the Hillmen (8–8, 4–3) to one game behind the Hornets (12–3, 5–2 SWC), which come to Legion Park Friday, and a half-game behind the Blackhawks (7–9, 4–2), which host the Hillmen next Tuesday.

Platteville fell back from SWC title contention after losing to Dodgeville 5–4 May 5, only to get back into contention after their thriller win and the Blackhawks’ loss.

The Hillmen opened Thursday’s win at Valley with junior Mikayla Schnering doubling and then going home on a steal of third base when catcher Josie Mahoney’s throw went down the left field line.

River Valley (7–14, 1–6) responded with five runs in the bottom of the first and added a run in the third. The Blackhawks left the bases loaded in the third and fourth, but led 6–1 with lefthander Ashlyn Stokes sailing along through the first six innings.

Senior Gabby Key singled up the middle on the first pitch of the top of the seventh inning. Haylee Ehrlich worked a full-count walk. Key and Ehrlich moved up when Mahoney dropped a strike, and senior third baseman Maggie Grabandt drove them home with a single up the middle.

River Valley then replaced Ashlyn Stokes in the pitching circle with righthander Brooklyn Stokes.

Senior Lainee Pickel beat out a ground ball to shortstop, then Ryleigh Hintze singled to load the bases. Grabandt was forced out at home on senior Mia Huser’s ground ball to shortstop, but junior catcher Blake Knight’s two-run single to left cut the lead to 6–5.

Knight was forced out at third on Schnering’s ground ball to shortstop, but freshman Kimber Bakken smacked an 0–2 pitch to center field to score Knight and tie the game at 6–6.

Stokes went up 1–2 on Key, who was batting for the second time in the inning, but consecutive wild pitches scored Schnering to complete the comeback.

But not the drama. With one out Natalie Willey legged out a double to center field. Alivia Wanezek, playing right field because Davinazje Arnold was ill, caught a foul ball deep in the right field corner. With the tying run on third, Knight threw out Mahoney at first on a dropped third strike to finish the comeback win.

Schnering (3–1) got the win with three scoreless innings in relief of Huser. Three of the six runs Huser gave up in her four innings were unearned due to the Hillmen’s four errors.

This was Platteville’s fourth comeback win this year. The Hillmen rallied from a 6–4 deficit to beat Sauk Prairie on April 20 before scoring 10 runs in the top of the seventh to stun Richland Center 13–4 three days later.

Coach Vince Graney’s team also scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Cuba City on a bases loaded walk by Schnering on May 1.

Platteville 7, River Valley 6

(from Thursday, May 7 @ Spring Green)

Platteville.....100 000 6 — 7 10 3

River Valley...501 000 0 — 6 8 1

Leading hitters — P: Kimber Bakken 2x4 (RBI), Maggie Grabandt 1x3 (2RBI), Lainee Pickel 2x3 (R), Blake Knight 2x3 (2RBI, R); RV: Ella Hillenbrand 3x3 (RBI, R), Bella Deviney 1x3 (RBI, 2R), Kylie Smith 1x3 (RBI). 2B — P: PIckel, Schnering; RV: Hillebrand 2.

W — Mikala Schnering (3–1, 3IP, 1H, 0R, 2K, 0BB). L — Becca Stokes (1IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 1K, 1BB).