Red Hawk softball falls in regional final

The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School softball team put up a fight against one of the top Division Three teams in the state last week, but ultimately the Red Hawks ended their season with a loss to Aquinas in a regional final.

The third-seeded Red Hawks, which opened the postseason with a 10-2 victory last Wednesday, fell to the Blugolds 11-6 on Thursday.

Aquinas earned the second seed in the regional and are the ninth-best team in Division Three, according to the state coaches poll conducted by wissports.net.

The G-E-T softball program ends 2024 with a 10-11 record.

G-E-T 10 Durand 2

Playoffs started as well as they could have for the Red Hawks last Tuesday against the sixth-seeded Panthers.

A 13-hit day for G-E-T led to a 6-1 lead through three innings in the game at G-E-T Middle School. Caroline Mack got the scoring started for the hosts, slapping a two-run single in the first inning to bring home Halene DeJager and Melanie Robinson.

The Red Hawks stole five bases in the win, and four players recorded multiple hits. Tatum Johnson led the way with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, scoring twice.

DeJager scored three times on two hits, and the visitors got two hits apiece from Kinley Andersen and Ellie Cox.

DeJager got the win with five innings pitched, allowing two hits and throwing five strikeouts to two walks. Samantha Stanton closed the game, giving up one hit and a run to go with one strikeout across two innings.

Aquinas 11 G-E-T 6

The host Blugolds held off a fiery push from the Red Hawks in last Thursday’s regional championship game.

Trailing 10-2 through four innings, G-E-T popped for four runs in the top of the fifth inning to get back into the game against Aquinas (17-6, 8-4 Mississippi Valley Conference).

Aquinas did not allow the visitors to score again despite being out-hit by the Red Hawks, 11 to 10.

Mack hit 3-for-4 for G-E-T, including a double. Haley Giemza joined Andersen as 2-for-4 batters.

DeJager pitched four innings, allowing six earned runs on eight hits while striking out two Aquinas batters and walking three. Stanton closed the game.