Chuck Smet’s Platteville baseball team is starting to find a rhythm.
     In between rainouts, one “snow” out and practices in the gym, the Hillmen bats are coming alive slowly but surely the same way spring is arriving in Wisconsin.
     Last Thursday the Hillmen held off Cuba City 10–6 in a non-conference game at Hill Field.
     Monday evening Smet’s boys rapped out 13 hits in a 14–4 comeback victory over visiting Fennimore.
     Platteville improved to 4–3 on the season and has now won three straight after a 1–3 start.
     Senior shortstop/pitcher William Cooley was Monday’s brightest star both at the plate and on the mound.
     Cooley went 4-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, a pair of doubles, five RBIs and three runs scored. His booming two-run double, that nearly left the yard for a three-run homer, capped Platteville seven-run fourth inning giving the Hillmen a 9–4 lead. Cooley had an RBI single in the second, a two-run single in the fifth, and he scored the game’s final run on Mitch Hefty’s RBI single in the fifth inning that ended the game via the 10-run mercy rule.
     Cooley also picked up the win on the mound with 1 2/3 innings of relief. He struck out two and allowed just one hit after relieving fellow senior Jarred Heer in the fourth inning.
     Heftty had a nice game going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Junior Brandon Brant went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a double.
     All nine Platteville starters scored at least one run in the game.
     In Thursday’s victory over Cuba City, senior third baseman Adam Brogley went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. He had a two-run single in the second inning and a RBI double in the fifth inning.
     The game was never in doubt after Platteville scored five runs in the second on a sacrifice fly by Cooley and a  two-run single by Brogley.
     The Hillmen added three runs in the third on a two-run error and an RBI single by Hefty.
     Senior Luke Withrow (1–0) picked up the win on the hill for Platteville. He allowed two runs on five hits over three innings. He struck out three and walked two.
     Platteville will host Mineral Point Thursday before hosting Prairie du Chien on Tuesday.

Platteville 10, Cuba City 6
(from Thursday, April 17 at Platteville)
Cuba City    011    220    0    —   6   7  2
Platteville    053    020    x    — 10   7  3
Leading hitters — CC: Preston Droessler 2x4, Zach Gaines 2x4; P: Mitch Hefty 2x4, Adam Brogley 2x3. 2B — P: Brogley. W — Luke Withrow (3 IP, 5 H, 2 R 2 ER, 3 SO, 2 BB). L — Moor (1 IP, 0 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 SO, 4 BB).

Platteville 14, Fennimore 4
(from Monday, April 21 at Platteville)
Fennimore    010    30        —   4   6  6
Platteville     110    75        — 14 13  3
Leading hitters — F: Jeff Needham 2x3; P: William Cooley 4x4, Mitch Hefty 3x5, Brandon Brant 2x4. 2B — F: Needham; P: Cooley, Hefty. W — William Cooley (1–1, 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 SO, 0 BB). L — Belland (3 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 SO, 5 BB).