Coach: Red Hawk softball continues to grow together

Nate DeJager knew when he took over as head coach of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau high school softball team that his group would have to learn how to win together.

The Red Hawks have six players in starting positions for the first time this season and is holding its own—DeJager has seen his group play to a 3-3 record, including 2-1 in Coulee Conference play.

Some of those losses could have been wins, DeJager said, but G-E-T is working on playing a complete game.

“If we play well, we can play with just about anybody I think,” DeJager said. “We don’t always play well, and when we don’t play well it doesn’t matter who we play. Part of that is being young, so we’ve got to put it all together when we’re out there.”

Undefeated Tomah (9-0 this season) gave G-E-T its most recent loss, a 10-2 falter last Friday on the road.

The Timberwolves have played strong to start the 2023 season, and DeJager thought his team played tough to open Friday’s contest.

Tomah took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, and Tori Thoma tied the game at one for the Red Hawks in the top of the third.

The hosts scored nine unanswered runs before G-E-T closed the scoring in the seventh inning. The Red Hawks finished with four hits on offense.

“Tomah’s a really good team, and we played well with them for the first four innings, but we didn’t play so well after that,” he said.

Part of that is going back to learning how to play a full game and sticking with the intensity, the coach said.

Shayna Kirkey has stepped in to lead the Red Hawks as their ace pitcher this spring after working with the program’s longtime pitching coach, Scott Hammond.

Kirkey allowed 13 hits and eight earned runs last week, striking out six Tomah batters while walking five others.

DeJager has been impressed with the senior’s pitching resume so far.

“We’re very fortunate in how she’s stepped into that role,” DeJager said. “We knew that she had the leadership skills to do it and the drive to do it, and this is the year that she’s really had the chance to focus on pitching and she’s doing very well.”

Kinley Anderson has taken the catcher spot for a team that didn’t know who was going to be behind home plate when the year started. Anderson also boasts the team’s best batting average through the first few weeks of the season.

“She’s off to a hot start, and we’ve really needed her,” DeJager said of Anderson. “She’s been great.”

The Red Hawks will hope to continue their momentum this week, hosting Onalaska on Monday before Luther comes to town on Tuesday.

A busy week is scheduled to end with a visit from Westby on Thursday and a road trip to see Aquinas on Friday.