LIVINGSTON — The Platteville baseball team snapped a four-game losing streak and earned its first win of the season last Thursday with a 12–5 victory at Iowa–Grant.

     Freshman Garret Heer struck out five and allowed just two unearned runs on two hits and two walks in four innings to earn the win in his varsity debut. He aided his own cause at the plate going 2-for-3 with a walk and a pair of RBIs.

     Senior Spencer Johnston pitched the final three innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks to earn the save.

     Platteville took a 4–2 lead with three runs in the top of the fifth inning and never looked back.

     Senior Brandon Brant doubled and scored when junior Matt Lambert reached on an error.

     Lambert scored on a Josh Reuter single through the left side, and Reuter came around to score on sophomore Braden Nies’ RBI single.

     Nies went 4-for-4 with a two RBIs and two runs scored in the game.

     Platteville put the game out of reach with eight runs in the top of the sixth inning.

     Reuter had a two-run double to start the rally. Johnston singled to plate a run, then Nies, junior Nate Osterholz and Heer drew consecutive bases loaded walks to make it 10–2. Junior catcher Jason Withrow added a sac fly, and Lambert drew a bases loaded walk to complete the inning.

     Sophomore Caleb Hill (0–2) took the loss for Iowa–Grant after allowing four runs, two earned, on 11 hits in 42/3 innings pitched.

     The Panthers fell to 0–5 on the season with the loss.

     Friday afternoon, Platteville suffered an 11–10 loss to Richland Center to fall to 1–5 overall and 0–3 in the SWC.

     Platteville allowed five runs in the top of the seventh inning to fall behind 10–4, but rallied to send the game to extra innings with six runs in the bottom of the seventh, scoring five with two outs.

     Lambert was hit by a pitch to lead off the innings, the Reuter singled. Junior Mitch Knockel singled to left to make it 10–5.

    Then Johnston grounded into a double play and it looked like the game was over.

    But Nies singled to center to score Reuter and keep the inning alive. Junior Tony Long and Osterholz drew walks to load the bases.

     Withrow ripped line drive to left to make it 10–7. Then Brant singled to left field to drive in a pair and make it a one-run game.

     Lambert, who started the inning, completed the rally with a double to right field.

     Reuter had an opportunity to win the game, but flied out to left field stranding runners at second and third.

     Richland Center’s Murphy led off the eighth with a walk and later scored the game-winning run on Dille’s fielder’s choice ground out.

     Knockel doubled to lead of the Platteville eighth but stranded at third to end the game.

     Last Tuesday River Valley blanked the Hillmen 10–0 as Lucas Price tossed a five-inning, two-hit shutout.

     Platteville (1–5, 0–3 SWC) will travel to Dodgeville on Thursday.

     Iowa–Grant (0–5, 0–3 SWAL) travels to Boscobel on Thursday for a makeup game from April 17.

Platteville 12, Iowa–Grant 5
(from Thursday, April 16 @ Livingston)
Platteville    000    138    0     — 12 15 3
Iowa–Grant    100    101    2    —  5   7 2
Leading hitters — P: Brandon Brant 2x4, Matt Lambert 2x3, Josh Reuter 2x5, Braden Nies 4x4, Garret Heer 2x3. 2B — P: Josh Reuter, Brandon Brant; IG: Charles Christianson. W — Garret Heer (4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 5 SO, 2 BB). L — Caleb Hill (0–2, 4.2 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 SO, 0 BB). SV — Spencer Johnston (3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 SO, 2 BB).

Riverdale 3 Iowa–Grant 2  
(from Tuesday, April 14 @ Muscoda)
Iowa–Grant    000    000    0    —  2   x  x
Riverdale    000    000    0     — 3   x  x
Leading hitters — not available.  W — not available. L — not available.

River Valley 10, Platteville 0
(from Tuesday, April 14 @ Spring Green)
Platteville    000    000    0     —  0   2  4
River Valley    301    402    x    —10 16  0
Leading hitters — RV: Derek Bodenstein 4x5, Elijah Alt 2x4, Jordan Slancy 2x4, Jacob Straw 3x4. 2B — RV: Ryan Wickman, Slancy, Straw. W — Lucas Price (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 11 SO, 1 BB). L — Josh Reuter (0–3, 6 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 2 ER, 0 SO, 3 BB).

Richland Center 11, Platteville 10
(from Friday, April 17 @ Platteville)
Richland Center    032    000    51    — 11 15 0
Platteville    000    040    60     — 10 11 4
Leading hitters — RC: Scott Dille 3x4, Austin Haas 2x5, Corey Kliest 2x5, Chandler Marnring 3x5, Aaron Sanders 3x4; P: Matt Lambert 2x3, Mitch Knockel 3x5. 2B — RC: Dille; P: Lambert, Knockel 2. W — Austin Haas (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 SO, 1 BB). L — Nate Osterholz (0–1, 3 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 2 SO, 3 BB).