PRAIRIE DU CHIEN — Junior Ron Hebel went 2-for-3 with an RBI to aid his own cause as Prairie du Chien eliminated visiting Platteville 4–2 in a WIAA Division 2 regional quarterfinal on Friday.
     Hebel held the Hillmen to just four hits and two runs over sevens innings while striking out three and walking just one.
     Sophomore outfielder Mike Stiner also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the victorious Blackhawks (14–8), who advanced to face second-seeded Mount Horeb in the regional semifinals, that were originally scheduled for Tuesday, weather permitting.
     “I thought we played well Friday, we just came up a little short not enough key hits when we needed them,” said Platteville head coach Chuck Smet. “Good pitching and some great defensive plays made for a very interesting game.”
Prairie du Chien drew first blood in the third inning on Hebel’s RBI ground out that drove in Brandon Check.
     The Blackhawks added two in the fourth to take a 3–0 lead.
     Steiner’s two-out RBI single drove in senior Cole Pattison to make it 2–0. Steiner later scored on Check’s RBI single to right field.
     Platteville made it a game with a two-out rally in the fifth.
     Junior Luke Withrow ripped a two-out single to center fielder to drive in Logan Butson, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.
     Fellow junior Tristan Hirsch followed with a single to center and junior pitcher B.J. Cooley delivered a third straight single to score Withrow.
     Prairie added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Elloit scored on a wild pitch.
     Platteville finished a frustrating season with a 2–14 record.
     “We lost six games this year by two runs or less,” added Smet. “That says a lot about where we are as a team. We have just about everybody back, looking forward to next year already.”
     Platteville’s lone senior this year was first baseman/pitcher Hunter Johnston.
     “This was a great group of players and they worked hard all year,” said Smet. “With the way the weather started out, we needed the early season to come together as a team and we were not able to do that until late in the year.”

WIAA Division 2 Regional Quarterfinal
Prairie du Chien 4, Platteville 2
(from Friday, May 24 @ Prairie du Chien)
Platteville              000    020    0    —  2  4  2
Prairie du Chien    001    210    x    —  4  9  1
Leading hitters — PdC: Hebel 2x3, Stiner 2x3. 2B — PdC: Hall. 3B — PdC: Stiner. W — Hebel (7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 SO, 1 BB). L — B.J. Cooley (1–6, 6 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB).