BELMONT – The Shullsburg/Benton baseball team got geared up for Tuesday’s rematch with league-leading and unbeaten Potosi by posting four more wins on the diamond to improve to 13-4 on the season and 10-3 in the Six Rivers West.
    The Miner-Zephyrs have won nine straight games since their one-run loss to Potosi back on April 23.
    The co-op opened the week by blasting the visiting Highland Cardinals, 14-4, in a six-inning SRE game at Benton’s Swift Park.
    Sophomore right fielder Connor Crotty went 3-for-4 on the day and drove in seven runs, including a grand slam home run in the fifth inning.
    Senior catcher Jacob Scott added a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to allow the Miner-Zephyrs to walk away with a 10-run rule win.
    Then, S-B added to their win total in South Wayne on Friday, May 4, by sweeping a Six Rivers crossover doubleheader with the Black Hawk Warriors.
    The Miner-Zephyrs used a four-run rally in the third inning to take game one by a score of 6-1, and they scored three times in the second inning to erase an early 1-0 deficit and earn the sweep with a 3-2 decision in game two.
    Pierce Russell went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one batted in to lead the Miner-Zephyrs at the plate in game one, while Crotty drove in two runs in that game. Kyle Hoppman and Collin Hauser each had two hits and a run in game two.
    Senior second baseman Pat Mahoney drove in teammate Cory Rupnow for all three Warrior runs during the twinbill. Mahoney finished 4-for-7 at the plate on the day, while Mike Powers went 2-for-4 in game two.
    Finally, the Miner-Zephyrs walked away with their ninth victory in a row by hammering out a 15-5 decision over the host Belmont Braves on Monday, May 7.
    S-B combined 12 hits with 14 walks and six Belmont errors en route to their 10-run rule victory in six innings.
    Pitcher Matt Cook helped his own cause with a key two-run double in the Miner-Zephyrs’ five-run second inning. He finished 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBI, and he earned the complete-game win after yielding three earned runs on eight hits and five walks with six strikeouts.
    Hoppman and Nick Soppe each scored three times, while Russell was 2-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and two-RBI.
    Crotty added a two-run home run in the third inning, and Nathan Hendrickson went 3-for-4 and he drove in three runs and scored once.
    Isaag Haag went 3-for-4 with three runs scored to lead the Braves at the plate. Starting pitcher Kyle Van Bogaert was 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Avery Willborn scored twice for the hosts.
    Hendrickson (7-1) and Cook (6-1) each won two games for the Miner-Zephyrs during the week. Crotty earned a save against Black Hawk.
    Shullsburg/Benton hosts Albany for a crossover doubleheader on Friday, May 11, at 4:30 p.m. The Miner-Zephyrs also host Cassville on Monday, May 14, in SRW action starting at 5 p.m.

Shulls/Bent… 252  024 - 15  12  2
Belmont…….. 201  002 -   5    8  6
Leading Hitters: Shulls-Bent– Nathan Hendrickson 3x4, Matt Cook 2x3, Connor Crotty 2x4, Pierce Russell 2x5. HR- Crotty. 2B- Russell, Cook, Kyle Hoppman. Belmont– Isaac Haag 3x4, Kyle Van Bogaert 2x4.
WP- Cook. LP- Van Bogaert.
At Belmont, Monday, May 7

GAME ONE
Shulls/Bent… 004  020  0 - 6  12  0
Black Hawk… 000  001  0 - 1    2  3
Leading Hitters: Shulls-Bent– Nathan Hendrickson 3x4, Pierce Russell 2x4. 2B- Russell. Black Hawk– Logan Stietz 1x3, Pat Mahoney 1x3.
WP- Nathan Hendrickson. LP- Cory Rupnow.

GAME TWO
Black Hawk… 101  000  0 - 2  6  2
Shulls/Bent… 030  000  x - 3  6  2
Leading Hitters: Black Hawk– Pat Mahoney 3x4, Mike Powers 2x4. Shulls-Bent–Collin Hauser 2x3, Kyle Hoppman 2x4.
WP- Matt Cook. LP- Merik Meythaler.
At South Wayne, Friday, May 4

Highland….… 111  010 -   4  4  4
Shulls/Bent… 420  341 - 14  8  5
Leading Hitters: Connor Crotty 3x4. HR- Crotty, Jacob Scott.
WP- Nathan Hendrickson. LP- McCollough.
At Benton, Tuesday, May 1

BELMONT
    The Braves put a notch in the win column by splitting a doubleheader with the host Pecatonica Vikings, scoring a 5-4 victory in game one before dropping the nightcap by a score of 14-9.
    Lucas Stoney, who was 2-for-2 for the game with a pair of doubles, drove in the game-winning run in the top of the seventh to put a halt to a three-game slide.
    Pitcher Kyle Van Bogaert picked up the win, allowing four runs on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts.
    The Vikings plated runs in every inning but one in game two, including a seven-run rally in the third that erased a 4-2 deficit and thrust them into the lead to stay.
    Jeremy Richardson led Belmont’s 10-hit attack by going 3-for-4. Avery Willborn and Mitch Ray each went 2-for-5 with Willborn and David Stoney drilling doubles for the Braves.
    Belmont couldn’t avoid their opponents’ big inning in their earlier games last week. Cassville used a five-run fourth inning rally to sink the Braves, 9-2, in Cassville on Tuesday, May 1; and Highland erupted for eight runs in the sixth inning to rally from a 3-1 deficit to down the Braves, 12-3, in a make-up game in Belmont on Thursday, May 3.
    D. Stoney was 2-for-3 against the Comets, and Jesse Richardson was 2-for-3 with a double versus the Cardinals.
    Belmont hosts Barneveld in a Six Rivers crossover doubleheader on Friday, May 11, at 4:30 p.m. The Braves also host Potosi on Monday, May 7, starting at 5 p.m.

GAME ONE
Belmont……. 003  010  1 - 5  8  2
Pecatonica… 112  000  0 - 4  4  4
Leading Hitters: Lucas Stoney 2x2. 2B- L. Stoney (2), Isaac Haag, Kyle Van Bogaert.
WP- Kyle Van Bogaert. LP- Goldthorpe.

GAME TWO
Pecatonica… 207  111  2 - 14  10  3
Belmont……. 222  003  0 -   9  10  3
Leading Hitters: Jesse Richardson 3x4, Avery Willborn 2x5, Mitch Ray 2x5. 2B- Willborn, David Stoney.
WP- Hodgson. LP- Isaac Haag.
At Blanchardville, Friday, May 4

Belmont…. 200  000  0 - 2  4  3
Cassville… 300  501  x - 9  8  0
Leading Hitters: David Stoney 2x3. 3B- Kyle Van Bogaert.
WP- Schauff. LP- Jesse Richardson.
At Cassville, Tuesday, May 1

Highland… 100  008  3 - 12  14  1
Belmont…. 010  020  0 -   3    8  4
Leading Hitters: Jesse Richardson 2x3. 2B- Jes. Richardson, Isaac Haag.
WP- Riley. LP- Jeremy Richardson.
At Belmont, Thursday, May 3

BLACK HAWK
    Junior Merik Meythaler did all he could to lead the Warriors to an 8-5 Six Rivers East victory over the visiting Argyle Orioles in South Wayne on Tuesday, May 1.
    Meythaler went 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs driven in and two runs scored, while earning the complete-game decision on the mound after scattering nine hits and seven walks and striking out 10 batters.
    Taylor Rupnow went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI, and Aaron Monson scored twice for the Warriors.
    Colton Ploessl went 3-for-4 and had three RBI, and Alec Treuthardt was 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI for the Orioles.
    At Barneveld, on Monday, May 7, the Warriors scored first with a run in the top of the first, but the #10-ranked Golden Eagles answered back with 17 unanswered runs to roll to a five-inning SRE victory to solidify their spot atop the league standings.
    Barneveld plated seven runs in the bottom of the first, then struck for three runs in the second, four in the third and three more in the fourth to coast to the 17-1 win.
    Black Hawk heads to Patch Grove for a Six Rivers crossover doubleheader against River Ridge on Friday, May 11, starting at 4:30 p.m. The Warriors also have Six Rivers East games at Pecatonica (Blanchardville) on Monday, May 14, and at Monticello in a make-up game on Tuesday, May 15, both starting at 5 p.m.
   
Argyle…….…. 003  011  0 - 5  9  3
Black Hawk… 030  032  x - 8  8  0
Leading Hitters: Merik Meythaler 2x3, Taylor Rupnow 2x3, Jordan Monson 2x3. 2B- T. Rupnow.
WP- Merik Meythaler. LP- Treuthardt.
At South Wayne, on Tuesday, May 1
   
Black Hawk…100  00 -   1    5  2
Barneveld..…. 734 3x - 17  13  3
Leading Hitters: Cory Rupnow 2x4, Connor Moore 2x4. 2B- Aaron Monson.
WP- Lee. LP- Cory Rupnow.
At Barneveld, on Monday, May 7