Red Hawks push top seed to brink in regional loss

The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School baseball team challenged the top team in its regional last week.

The ninth-seeded Red Hawks (6-13) sat tied with St. Croix Central (15-5 this season) through four innings, but the latter scored the first run of the game to claim a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning at last Tuesday’s Division Two regional semifinal game at St. Croix Central High School.

A single from Ben Hansen helped score Sam DeJager to tie the game at one in the top of the sixth inning, and the visiting Red Hawks kept its offense going. An Aidan Busch single two at-bats later scored Calvin Davis to give G-E-T a 2-1 lead six outs away from advancing to a regional final.

Instead a three-run double from Brett Nelson in the bottom half of the sixth inning flipped the advantage back to the Panthers, who closed the game with three straight outs in the Red Hawks’ final at-bat.

Hansen, DeJager, Caiden Brady and Busch all finished with one hit for G-E-T. Nathan Holthaus pitched for the Red Hawks, allowing four earned runs on three hits. Holthaus tossed seven strikeouts and four walks.

Ben Filla closed the game for G-E-T, throwing two Ks and a walk against one hit allowed. Eli Ponath and Brecken Ponath split pitching duties for the home team. Despite allowing two scores, Eli was dominant with 16 strikeouts and no walks.