Indees split last two regular-season games

While the team lost its final regular season game, the Independence/Gilmanton softball team had to feel good about its recent performances as it entered Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association play earlier this week.

The Indees won five of their last seven games, allowing two or fewer runs in each win. Last week, the team avenged one of its earlier losses in that stretch — a 7-3 defeat to Augusta on May 8 — with a 2-1 win over the Beavers on Monday. On Tuesday, the Indees had a lead late, but Westby scored three unanswered runs for an 8-7 victory.

I/G began WIAA tournament play on Tuesday of this week with a home game against Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran. I/G is the third seed and ECI is the sixth. The winner will play again on Thursday, likely at No. 2 seed Gilman. 

The sectional semifinal round is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, and the sectional final — currently set to be played at Blair-Taylor — will be next Thursday. 

I/G 2 Augusta 1

After the batter before her was intentionally walked, Katelyn Kampa came through with the game-winning hit.

The teams were knotted 1-1 entering the bottom of the eighth inning. Hadley Sylla led off with a double. After a groundout for the first out of the inning, the Beavers intentionally walked Hannah Ekern, bringing Kampa up. Kampa fell in the count 0-2 before singling through the infield and bring Sylla home for the win.

The Indees took the lead on a Harper Symicek single in the second. Augusta tied the game up on an error three innings later. 

I/G had six hits in the game, including two by Symicek. 

Nora Schank went the distance for the win, striking out five batters with just one walk and six hits allowed. 

Westby 8 I/G 7

The Norsemen broke the tie in the top of the seventh, and I/G didn’t have an answer.

The teams went back and forth throughout the game. The Indees had a 7-5 lead entering the sixth inning, but a two-run single with two outs tied the game.

After I/G went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, Westby’s Ava Berg led off the top of the seventh with a solo home run. 

The Indees got one runner on in the seventh, but a strikeout and a pop-up ended the game. 

Westby took the early lead with two runs in the top of the first, but I/G answered with two in the bottom half. Hadley Sylla smacked a two-run homer in the second to put I/G ahead by two runs.

Westby responded with a three-run single in the top of the third to retake the lead. I/G answered with another long ball, this time a three-run shot by Hannah Ekern that put her team ahead 7-5.

Ekern was 4 for 4 with four RBIs in the game. Sylla was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Hailey Gruber added two hits. 

Hannah Ekern and Gruber split the pitching duties. Ekern got the start and threw the first three innings before Gruber tossed the final four. They combined to strike out five while allowing nine hits and six walks.