The Prairie du Chien Blackhawks baseball team entered last week having played five consecutive one-run games and for a while it looked like that streak would finally end thanks to the Hawks taking a 10-4 lead on the visiting Fennimore Golden Eagles during their non-conference contest last Monday, May 11.

The Golden Eagles would make sure that streak would continue however with two runs in the the fifth inning and three more in the top of the seventh inning before the Hawks closed the door on Fennimore’s rally, leaving the tying run on second base as the Hawks held on for the 10-9 win and their first back-to-back wins of the season.

Fennimore had jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning before the Hawks rallied for six runs in the bottom of the first inning before adding two more in the second inning to go up 8-3. The Golden Eagles got one run back in the top of the fourth before the Hawks scored twice more in the bottom of the inning to make the score 10-4.

The two teams combined for 19 runs on 20 hits, seven walks and three errors in the wild matchup. The Hawks had two hitters with multiple hits in the game in Deacon (2-for-3 with a double, walk and two runs scored) and Drake Chesebro (2-for-3 with two triples, one walk, three runs scored and one RBI). Prestin Nolan (1-for-3 with a double, one run scored and one RBI) and Cayden Sutter (1-for-3 with a double and one RBI) each had an extra base hit in the win for Prairie. Jack Simmons (1-for-2 with two RBIs) had the Hawks’ other hit in the game.

Simmons got the start on the mound and was the winning pitcher for PdC four runs despite allowing four runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout in 4.0 innings pitched. He was relieved by Sutter (two runs allowed on two hits and two walks with zero strikeouts in 1.0 inning pitched) and Jacob Mara (three runs allowed on six hits and zero walks with zero strikeouts in 2.0 innings pitched).

The Hawks were back on the road last Thursday afternoon when they traveled to Spring Green to face the River Valley Blackhawks. The Hawks scored in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead before River Valley answered with three runs in their half of the first inning. Following a scoreless second inning by both teams, the Hawks retook the lead with three runs in the third inning but that lead was also not for long as the host Blackhawks tied the game up 4-4 with a run in the bottom of the third inning before adding the go ahead run in the fourth inning and an insurance run in the sixth inning as the hosts held on to defeat PdC by the score of 6 to 4.

Simmons again started on the mound for the Hawks, this time taking the loss after allowing six runs (three earned) on five hits and six walks with zero strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched. The Hawks were held to eight hits as a team, with Deacon Chesebro (2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored) and Jake Kramer (2-for-3 with one RBI) accounting for over half of them. Westin Marx (1-for-4 with a double, one run scored and one RBI), Simmons (1-for-4 with one RBI) and Sutter (1-for-3 with one run scored) had the other three hits.

PdC returned home the next evening to host Bangor on youth night. A four-run second inning by the Hawks proved to be the difference for the Hawks as they earned a 5-2 victory. The four-run second inning broke a scoreless tie between the two teams. The visiting Cardinals got on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the fifth inning but the Hawks matched the Cardinals with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Bangor would add another run in the top of the seventh inning but it was not enough to stop the Hawks from earning the 5-2 win.

Nolan started at pitcher for the Hawks, allowing just two runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched to earn the win. He was relieved by Mara, who picked up the save after striking out the only batter he faced to close the game.

The Hawks offense scored five runs on 11 hits (all singles) and two walks. Marx (2-for-3) and Kramer (2-for-2 with one run scored) each collected multiple hits in the win.

The Hawks (6-11, 2-6 in the SWC) traveled to Dodgeville this past Tuesday afternoon before hosting Platteville this Thursday, May 21 on senior night before ending the regular season at Onalaska next Tuesday, May 26.