It there was a statistic to measure “being clutch” Platteville’s Logan Emendorfer would be leading the league in the category, especially after last week’s magnificent performances.
     On three separate occasions the talented senior put on his Superman cape and stepped up to save the day for the Hillmen.
     Last Friday night with his Platteville team deadlocked in a 2-2 tie against visiting Lancaster Emy blasted a two-out, two-run triple off the top of the fence in right field to plate the winning runs in a 4-2 victory over the visiting Arrows.  If it weren’t for a gusting wind, Emendorfer’s blast would have been a three-run homer.
     A half inning later, in the top of the seventh, he saved the game one more time when he ended Lancaster’s comeback attempt by making a nice play on a grounder to shortstop getting Justin Hore. He completed the play by making the throw to first base ending the game right after the Arrows had put the tying runs on second and third base.
     Just one night earlier the right-handed Hillmen ace tossed six strong innings to stake Platteville to a 7-2 lead.
     But when Dodgeville plated  a pair of runs and loaded the bases against Hillmen reliever B.J. Cooley in the bottom of the seventh inning, Emendorfer was summoned to once again save the day.
     Emy re-entered the game on the mound to put out the fire. He allowed a bases loaded walk and an RBI single to make it a one-run game, but ultimately induced a game-ending 4-6-3 double play to accomplish the ultra rare feat of saving his own win. In fact, it’s not even possible in professional baseball, but under high school rules a starting pitcher is allowed to re-enter the game as a pitcher provided he has not already pitched more than nine innings in that same game.
     “That was very rare,” said Hillmen coach Chuck Smet of Emendorfer getting both the win and the save in the same game. “This may be the first time that I have ever brought a starting pitcher back to finish a game.”
     Altogether Emendorfer went 6 2/3 innings allowing two earned runs on four hits, while striking out six and walking four. At the plate he helped his own cause with an RBI triple and a run scored in the third inning.
     Senior leftfielder David Bast smacked a solo homer in the top of the fifth to give Platteville a 4-1 lead. Bast also singled and scored on Jesse Heer’s two-run double in the top of the seventh.
     Hunter Johnston plated Heer with the eventual game-winning run on an RBI double following Heer’s two-run hit.
     Friday night against Lancaster Emendorfer finished the game 3-for-3 with a walk, a double, a triple and two RBIs.
     Junior first baseman Logan Cooley drove in the game’s first two runs with a key one-out, two-run single in the fifth inning.
     Lancaster scored its runs in the sixth on an RBI single by freshman Andrew Ryan, who went 3-for-3 for the errors, and a Platteville error on an errant pick off throw at first base.
     Hillmen starter Gaige Lueder (1-1) pitch magnicifently going the distance allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out 13 and walking three. Lueder also started Platteville’s sixth-inning rally by reaching on an error. B.J. Cooley drew a two-out walk to set up Emendorfer’s game-winning triple.
     The Hillmen (5-2, 2-0 SWC)  will return to action Thursday when they travel to fellow league leader Richland Center (5-2, 2-0).

Platteville 7, Dodgeville 6
(from Thursday, April 12 @ Dodgeville)
Platteville    002    110    3    -   7   7  3
Dodgeville    100    001    4    -   6   4  4
Leading hitters - P: David Bast 2x4. 2B - P: Hunter Johnston. 3B - P: Logan Emendorfer. HR - P: Bast. W - Logan Emendorfer (1-1, 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 SO, 5 BB). L - Larson (6 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 5 SO, 2 BB). SV -Emendorfer (1).

Platteville 4, Lancaster 2
(from Friday, April 13 @ Platteville)
Lancaster    000    002    0    -   2   4  1
Platteville    000    022    0    -   4   7  4
Leading hitters - L: Andrew Ryan 3x3; P: B.J. Cooley 2x3, Logan Emendorfer 3x3, Logan Cooley 2x3. 2B - P: Emendorfer. 3B - P: Logan Emendorfer. W - Gaige Lueder (1-1, 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 13 SO, 3 BB). L - Jake Taylor (1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 SO, 3 BB).