Post 354 season ends with two losses to Westby
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau’s Calvin Davis slid back into first base to avoid a pickoff attempt during a regional clash with Westby last Thursday at Viroqua’s Park Bowl. (Times photograph by Zach Rastall)
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau’s second baseman Wyatt Hines fired toward first to secure an out during a regional action last week at Viroqua’s Park Bowl. (Times photograph by Zach Rastall)
A pair of losses to a Westby squad who had already beaten them earlier this month officially brought an end to another summer of legion baseball for Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau.
The G-E-T Post 354 American Legion baseball team (17-7) was defeated twice by Westby/Coon Valley over the span of a couple days last week to end their hopes of a state tournament bid.
G-E-T, Westby/Coon Valley, Bangor and host Viroqua all took part in a Class A regional tournament held from last Thursday to Saturday at the Park Bowl. Westby/Coon Valley, who was already assured a state bid since they are hosting this year’s Class A state tournament, won the regional title while Viroqua finished as the runner-up to nab the other state bid.
Westby 3 G-E-T 0
The G-E-T offense was held almost completely silent in its first game of regionals last Thursday.
Westby scored twice in the top of the third and tacked on an additional run in the fourth inning while Post 354 failed to take advantage of a few scoring opportunities brought on by Westby miscues, including a bases-loaded chance after a trio of errors in the bottom of the second.
Calvin Davis singled with one out in the bottom of the first for what would wind up being G-E-T’s only hit in the game. Caiden Brady took the loss on the mound after giving up three runs (one earned) on five hits, two walks and a hit batter with eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
G-E-T 3 Bangor 2
Two late runs put Post 354 over the top and kept their season alive after outlasting Bangor Post 40 this past Friday.
In the top of the first, Sam De Jager laced a leadoff double to center and Jackson Burns drove him in two batters later with a double of his own. Bangor jumped ahead 2-1 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Burns hit another RBI double in the top of the sixth to knot things up at 2-2, then Nathan Holthaus drove in Burns with an RBI groundout to give G-E-T the 3-2 advantage for good.
Burns finished 2 for 3 with his two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored, and Caiden Brady was 2 for 3 as well. Wyatt Oines registered the win, surrendering two unearned runs on eight scattered hits.
Westby 6 G-E-T 2
One big Westby/Coon Valley rally all but sunk G-E-T’s hopes of keeping its season going in the second meeting between these two teams at regionals last Friday.
Westby got on the board immediately with a run in the top of the first and then unloaded for five runs in the top of the fourth to grab a commanding lead. Post 354 got one back with Mitch Thell’s RBI single in the bottom of the fourth and scored another on an error in the seventh, but it wasn’t nearly enough to pull off the comeback.
Sam De Jager led the way at the plate for G-E-T by going 2 for 4.
