Red Hawks pick up Coulee wins over Luther, Viroqua

Though the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau softball team suffered a pair of gutting setbacks with two one-run losses to rival Arcadia, they still control their own destiny to at least a share of the Coulee title thanks to triumphs in their two other conference games last week.

The Red Hawks (13-4, 8-2 Coulee) notched key road wins against Onalaska Luther and Viroqua/Youth Initiative to complete season sweeps of both and keep themselves firmly in the mix for a conference championship.

If G-E-T manages to win a road game against first-place West Salem early in the week, the Red Hawks would clinch at least a share of the Coulee title if they then beat the Panthers at home Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Galesville. Next week, they wrap up the regular season by playing at La Crosse Logan Monday at 4:30 p.m. and hosting Altoona Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

G-E-T 7 Luther 2

A steady stream of runs guided G-E-T to a win over the Luther Knights (8-10, 3-7) last Tuesday in Onalaska.

Trailing 2-1 in the early going, the Red Hawks leapfrogged ahead 4-2 with a third-inning rally that included Kennedy Scow’s RBI double, Alexis Ouellette getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Ruby Johnson’s RBI groundout.

Two runs scored on errors in the top of the fourth and a final run in the fifth gave G-E-T some extra wiggle room that they wound up not needing.

Six different Red Hawk players had a hit in the win, including doubles by Caroline Mack and Scow. Halene De Jager got the win in the circle, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and six walks while striking out six in six innings.

G-E-T 12 Viroqua 8

Despite allowing a seven-run rally in the bottom of the third that turned a 4-0 lead into a 7-4 deficit, G-E-T regrouped to turn aside the Blackhawks (7-10, 3-6) this past Friday in Viroqua.

Ouellette’s solo homer in the top of the second started the scoring for the Red Hawks, who followed it with a three-run rally in the third featuring De Jager’s RBI single and Mack’s two-run single.

Even after giving up the seven spot, G-E-T swung back with a five-run outburst of its own in the fifth that included Mack’s RBI single and Scow’s two-run single. Yet another Mack RBI single in the top of the sixth rounded out the Red Hawks’ scoring for the day.

Mack finished 3 for 4 with four RBIs and a run scored while Kinley Andersen and Ouellette tallied a pair of hits each.