G-E-T falls to Fennimore, Viroqua at regionals

The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau Post 354 American Legion softball team’s season officially came to a close a little short of state after they endured a pair of regional losses last week.

G-E-T took part in a Division 2 regional tournament that was held last Tuesday and Wednesday at the Park Bowl in Viroqua, competing alongside Fennimore Post 184 and host Viroqua Post 138. G-E-T lost to both teams in Tuesday’s action to officially be eliminated from state contention.

Fennimore went 3-0 over the two days to clinch the regional title and Viroqua finished as the runner-up as both advanced on to this weekend’s state tournament in Merrill.

Fennimore 12 G-E-T 1

The Fennimore bats were active early and often in a dominant five-inning victory over Post 354 last Tuesday.

Fennimore scored three runs in both the bottom of the first and second, followed by a five-inning outburst in the third that opened the floodgates and a final run in the fourth. Needing at least three runs in the top of the fifth to avoid a mercy-rule defeat, G-E-T did manage to plate one after Ruby Johnson drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs.

With the bases still juiced, Alex Ouellette flew out to center to end the rally threat and the game. Tori Thoma’s two-out single in the fifth inning was Post 354’s only hit.

Viroqua 6 G-E-T 5

A last gasp rally from G-E-T didn’t quite have enough as they endured a season-ending loss to Viroqua last Tuesday.

Post 354 came sprinting out of the gates in the top of the first, tallying a pair of runs on a Ruby Johnson RBI single and an Alexis Ouellette RBI double. After Viroqua lurched ahead with two runs in both the bottom of the first and second, Lorissa Thompson sliced the deficit in half to 4-3 with her RBI double in the top of the fourth.

Viroqua kept the pressure on with two more runs in the bottom half of the same inning, and that 6-3 lead was carried into the top of the seventh. Needing a season-saving rally, Claire Baures and Tori Thoma got things started with back-to-back singles followed by a Johnson RBI double. Thompson added an RBI single later with two outs to narrow the deficit to 6-5, but that was as far as the rally would go.

Thompson went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs, Johnson finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs and Thoma was 2 for 4 with a run scored.