Post 17 softball debuts with runner-up finish at state legion tournament
Sophomore Sacia Boland made a break for home plate and the score for Arcadia Post 17 in the fifth inning of a 10-4 win over Westby during last weekend’s Division Two American Legion state softball tournament. (Times photograph by Benjamin Pierce)
Kiley Fitzpatrick of Arcadia Post 17 recorded a hit for Arcadia in the team’s 10-4 win over Westby last Friday during the Division Two American Legion state softball championships in DeForest. Arcadia finished 4-2, losing only to champion Fall Creek in the double-elimination tournament. (Times photograph by Benjamin Pierce)
When Arcadia High School softball coach Dave Bjorge was planning the inaugural summer season for the Arcadia Post 17 legion softball program, his initial goal was to play one or two games a week.
There were no practices, allowing the kids to enjoy summer or focus on preparing for fall sports. But when the team qualified for the Division Two state tournament in DeForest, held last weekend at the DeForest Athletic Complex, Bjorge’s team wanted to be as ready as possible.
“Once we qualified for state, the girls asked if we could have a couple practices during the week to get prepared, and I was like, ‘Absolutely,’” Bjorge said. “It was exciting and very fun, and I think it was a great experience along with good building blocks going into next spring.”
Those additional reps looked to be a good investment at the state tournament last weekend. Arcadia took home a trophy as the D2 state runner-up and saw three players earn spots on the All-Tournament team.
Arcadia finished the three-day event with a 4-2 record by losing only to champion Fall Creek, which also won the 2024 WIAA Division Four state title this spring.
Post 17 won their opener 10-4 over Westby on Friday in the double-elimination bracket before Fall Creek handed Arcadia a loss in game two. Arcadia answered by scoring 20 runs between their two games on Saturday, also dispatching Viroqua on Sunday morning before their rematch with Fall Creek in the title game at noon.
Bjorge said his team was determined to win their way to a rematch after losing their first game against Fall Creek.
“I think the girls got a sense of, ‘Okay, if we lose we go home, and we didn’t come here to go home empty-handed.’ I think they just kind of got it into their minds that we need to come out with more energy, and on Saturday we were just a ball of fire in both games. That was probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time coaching softball games.”
Arcadia scored twice in the first inning of the championship game and tied the game 4-4 in the top of the fourth inning before Fall Creek tacked on nine runs across the final three innings.
A long weekend of six games, including a back-to-back on Sunday morning, caught up to Arcadia, Bjorge felt.
“To me it just looked like we ran out of gas. The kids were phenomenal, they played hard, they had great energy, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us today,” Bjorge said Sunday. “It’s tough to beat a team two times, especially a good team like Fall Creek. There’s a reason they won Division Four last year at state.”
Three Arcadia players were named to the All-Tournament Team, including shortstop Tatum Drazkowski, catcher Brynn Aspen and outfielder Kylie Fitzpatrick.
Arcadia 10 Westby 4
Last Friday’s tournament opener for Post 17 was still a 0-0 deadlock heading into the fourth inning, but Arcadia found a way to burst for four runs apiece in both the fourth and fifth innings, adding two more in the top of the sixth.
Post 17 outhit their conference opponent 15-4 in the victory. Tessah Ely and Amaya Schlesser both hit 3-for-4 for Arcadia, which also got two hits apiece from Drazkowski, Aspen and Sacia Boland.
Senior Kaitlyn Bremer pitched five innings, striking out eight Westby batters and allowing two hits before Layna Wozney closed the game with two strikeouts, two hits and three walks in the final two innings.
Fall Creek 6 Arcadia 2
A six-run third inning for the eventual champions was the difference in Friday’s afternoon game.
Aspen (three hits) and Wozney (two) paced Arcadia on offense as they collected seven hits compared to Fall Creek’s nine.
Bremer started her second straight game for Post 17, striking out three batters and walking one while allowing six earned runs in six innings of work.
Arcadia 10 Durand 2
Post 17 again racked up 15 hits and scored in double digits to get back in the win column on Saturday morning against Durand.
Eight different players recorded hits for Arcadia, which got a double from Kalyce Sobotta and three hits each from Ely and Aspen.
Wozney and Bremer split pitching duties.
Arcadia 10 Thorp 2
Arcadia led 9-1 through two innings of another Saturday offensive showing.
Schlesser joined Aspen with three hits, Kylie Fitzpatrick recorded two and Post 17 earned four extra-base hits.
Bremer earned the win on the mound, tossing four Ks and one walk while surrendering five hits.
Arcadia 8 Viroqua 5
Seven runs in the third inning on Sunday morning provided enough gap for Arcadia to beat Viroqua and qualify for the state championship game.
Eight players combined for 10 hits for Post 17, which ended a Viroqua seventh-inning comeback attempt that saw three runs brought home.
Fitzpatrick hit 2-for-3 and Bremer finished 2-for-4 to pace Arcadia on offense, while Bremer threw six innings before Wozney closed the game.
Fall Creek 13 Arcadia 6
The championship contest ended with 30 hits and 19 runs, but it was Fall Creek that persisted with the help of more rest than Post 17.
Schlesser and Aspen each hit 3-for-4 for Arcadia, which also saw Wozney and Fitzpatrick finish 2-for-4. Wozney had two doubles, and one of Aspen’s hits was a triple.
Six different Fall Creek batters finished with multiple hits on Sunday.
