G-E-T tops Aquinas, falls to PDC in regional final
The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau softball team survived a whirlwind performance in their playoff opener to pick up a win, but they were unable to follow it up with another in the regional finals to fall short of a sectional berth.
Following a first-round bye, the Red Hawks (16-8), a No. 3 seed in the Division Three field this season, outlasted the sixth-seeded Aquinas Blugolds (10-13) in the regional semifinals to win their final home game of the spring. Two days later, they went on the road and lost to No. 2 seed Prairie du Chien (19-7) in the regional finals.
The loss to the Blackhawks brought an end to a solid spring campaign for G-E-T that saw them notch 16 total wins and finish in third in the Coulee standings. They will graduate four seniors off this year’s roster: Halene De Jager, Caroline Mack, Ellie Cox and Kinley Anderson.
G-E-T 7 Aquinas 6
The Red Hawks came soaring out of the gates with a big early rally and then held on for dear life to avoid an Aquinas comeback in the regional semifinals last Tuesday in Galesville.
In the bottom of the first, Alexis Ouellette laced a double to center with the bases loaded to drive in a pair of runs and leave runners at second and third. Kennedy Scow followed that one batter later by crushing a three-run home run to right to open up a 5-0 lead.
The Blugolds began the process of chipping away at that early deficit, scoring in every inning between the third and the seventh, culminating in them jumping ahead 6-5 in the top of the seventh.
Now three outs away from suddenly seeing their season end, the Red Hawks got a jolt when Ouellette smacked a leadoff double to start the bottom of the seventh. Scow reached on an error and later moved up to second to put two runners in scoring position. Tori Thoma hit a fly ball to center that was mishandled, allowing both Ouellette and Scow to score to secure a walk-off win for G-E-T.
Kinley Anderson finished the evening 3 for 4 with a run, while Ouellette, Scow and Halene De Jager each had two-hit performances. Samantha Stanton pitched five innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk. De Jager pitched the final two innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks.
Prairie du Chien 6 G-E-T 1
The Blackhawks kept the G-E-T bats almost entirely silent in a season-ending regional final defeat for the Red Hawks this past Thursday in Prairie du Chien.
In the bottom of the second, Prairie du Chien posted a four-run rally, then tacked on an additional insurance run in both the fifth and the sixth.
G-E-T was held hitless by PdC’s Claire Kennedy for six innings before Kinley Anderson and Ellie Cox each singled in the top of the seventh. Though Cox scored on an error to prevent a shutout, there would be no major comeback push by the Red Hawks.
