G-E-T softball wins two Coulee games in busy week

The 2023 high school softball season is racing to the finish, and the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau squad is likely feeling it this week.

The Red Hawks (6-10 overall, 4-4 Coulee Conference) played six games in five days last week, adding a pair of Coulee Conference wins to their record in the process. 

Wins over Viroqua and Black River Falls were the highlight of a week that also saw losses to powerful Dairyland (see story elsewhere in Sports) and Coulee squads as well as a weekend tournament.

A continued stretch of games awaits G-E-T this week, starting with a visit from Arcadia on Tuesday and continuing with a trip to play the conference’s top team in Westby on Thursday. A visit to Black River Falls on Friday closes the week.

West Salem 6 G-E-T 3

After the teams traded scores in the opening inning, West Salem was the team that kept its offense buzzing in last Tuesday’s loss at the G-E-T varsity field.

The teams were tied 2-2 after one inning before West Salem (9-7, 6-4 Coulee) added four unanswered runs to take control. 

Ellie Cox brought home Halene De Jager with a triple in the bottom of the first inning and led G-E-T with her 2-for-4 day at the plate. Cox would score the tying run by stealing home on a wild pitch later in the inning.

Lizzy Olson scored the Red Hawks’ third run on a single from Cox in the bottom of the seventh inning in a game G-E-T outhit the visitors eight to six.

Shayna Kirkey got the start for G-E-T, throwing 11 strikeouts and allowing six hits.

G-E-T 4 BR Falls 0

Kirkey and the Red Hawks stayed in the thick of the Coulee Conference standings with an astute defensive performance at home last Wednesday against the Tigers (1-7, 0-7 Coulee).

The Red Hawks allowed three hits and Kirkey struck out seven batters in the shutout performance.

The hosts scored a run in each of the first two innings and doubled their lead with two insurance runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning.

Kinley Anderson led the way for G-E-T on offense, batting 2-for-3. Caydence Kokott had a double and a pair of RBI. Kirkey and Tatum Johnson both belted doubles for G-E-T as well.

G-E-T 5 Viroqua 4

A killer instinct helped G-E-T stave off the Blackhawks (6-7, 3-6 Coulee) in last Thursday’s conference clash at Viroqua High School.

Viroqua scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to turn a 4-1 deficit into a tie game, and G-E-T responded quickly.

Haley Giemza stole home on a pitch in the top of the sixth for the winning run. De Jager and Cox co-led the Red Hawks with two hits, and Johnson hit a double for the visitors, who finished with nine hits.

Kirkey again got the start in the pitchers’ circle and allowed seven hits and three earned runs. She hit double-digit strikeouts (10) while walking two Viroqua batters.

Assumption 13  G-E-T 0

Poynette 11      G-E-T 1

A pair of losses ended the Red Hawks’ week during a Saturday tournament in Poynette.

The Red Hawks were no-hit by Assumption, which scored 10 runs between the fifth and sixth innings, in game one of the tourney.

Poynette also utilized a big stretch of offense against G-E-T in game two, scoring five runs in the third and adding four more in the fourth inning before the Red Hawks scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the fourth.

Kirkey batted a perfect 3-for-3 for G-E-T, and Johnson hit her third double of the week. Kirkey and Stanton split pitching duties, allowing 14 hits and striking out three batters.