BENTON – The Shullsburg/Benton baseball team took to the diamond five times over the past seven days and finished their week with a perfect 5-0 record after posting key Six Rivers West wins over Cassville and River Ridge, sweeping Pecatonica in a Six Rivers crossover doubleheader and taking down Cuba City in a non-conference game thrown into the mix.
    The Miner-Zephyrs huge week improved their overall record to 11-4 on the season, while keeping them in a hunt for the conference title with a 7-3 mark in Six Rivers play.
    The co-op started their busy week by blanking the Comets (5-7, 3-4), 3-0, at Cassville on Tuesday, April 24, and then they used a five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning to knock off Cuba City (5-7), 11-7, in Benton on Thursday, April 26.
    The Miner-Zephyrs won a pair of tight ballgames on a chilly afternoon in Blanchardville on Friday, April 27, taking the opener by a score of 5-1 and holding off a late rally by the host Pecatonica Vikings (5-7, 4-6) to win the nightcap, 8-4, for the sweep.
    Finally, back in Benton on Monday, April 30, the Miner-Zephyrs registered their fifth straight victory by doubling up the River Ridge Timberwolves (7-8, 6-6), 10-5, in a SRW contest.
    Junior Matt Cook went 3-0 on the mound over the week to improve his record to 4-1 on the season. The righty struck out eight in Tuesday’s shutout over Cassville, worked five solid innings in Friday’s win over Pec and earned the complete-game win over the ‘Wolves on Monday after allowing just two earned runs and striking out six. At the plate against the Cubans, Cook went 2-for-4 with a home run.
    Junior Collin Hauser earned the win on the hill for S/B over Cuba City, and sophomore Nathan Hendrickson scattered six hits and six walks while striking out five and allowing just one run in a complete-game win over the Vikings.
    Kyle Hoppman went 4-for-7 with four runs scored and a RBI in Friday’s sweep over Pec, and the junior lead-off hitter also went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI against River Ridge.
    Junior Pierce Russell doubled in Thursday’s game, had three hits (including a double) and drove in three runs in Friday’s twinbill and went 2-for-3 with a two-run first-inning double and a two-run fourth inning home run in Monday’s game.
    Senior Jacob Scott ripped a double in the win over the Comets, went 3-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBI in game one versus Pec and went 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI in the win over the ‘Wolves.
    Shullsburg/Benton travels to South Wayne for a crossover doubleheader against Black Hawk on Friday, May 4 (4:30 p.m.). The Miner-Zephyrs head to Belmont on Monday, May 7, and to Potosi on Tuesday, May 8, in SRW action, both starting at 5 p.m.

Shulls/Bent… 200  001  0 - 3  3  1
Cassville……. 000  000  0 - 0  7  1
Leading Hitters: 2B- Jacob Scott.
WP- Matt Cook. LP- Schauff.
At Cassville, Tuesday, April 24

Cuba City…... 030  004  0 -   7  10  2
Shulls/Bent… 000  335  x - 11  11  1
Leading Hitters: Nathan Hendrickson 2x3, Matt Cook 2x4. HR- Cook. 2B- Pierce Russell, Hendrickson.
WP- Collin Hauser. LP- Frimodt.
At Benton, Thursday, April 26

GAME ONE
Shulls/Bent… 131  000  0 - 5  9  1
Pecatonica…. 010  000  0 - 1  6  2
Leading Hitters: Jacob Scott 3x3, Kyle Hoppman 2x4. 2B- Pierce Russell, Scott.
WP- Nathan Hendrickson. LP- Hogan.

GAME TWO
Pecatonica…. 000  112  0 - 4    5  0
Shulls/Bent… 302  003  x - 8  11  5
Leading Hitters: Kyle Hoppman 2x3, Nick Soppe 2x3, Jesse Turpin 2x3, Pierce Russell 2x4.
WP- Matt Cook. LP- Goldthorpe.
At Blanchardville, Friday, April 27

River Ridge… 000  020  3 -   5    5  2
Shulls/Bent… 231  220  x - 10  11  3
Leading Hitters: Kyle Hoppman 3x4, Pierce Russell 2x3, Jesse Turpin 2x3, Jacob Scott 2x3. HR- Russell. 2B- Hoppman, Russell, Turpin, Scott.
WP- Matt Cook. LP- White.
At Benton, Monday, April 30