GC softball outscores Colfax and Cadott to claim second straight regional title

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GLENWOOD CITY — Be it with timely hits, the long ball, great pitching or solid defense, the Glenwood City softball team has found ways to win all season long.

That held true as the top-seeded Hilltoppers headed into WIAA Division 4 regional tournament play last week.

Despite a slow start in the semifinal contest with Colfax and some nervous moments against Cadott in the regional championship, Glenwood City’s offense, pitching, and defense combined to deliver a second straight regional title into the Hilltoppers’ hands.

After a solo home run gave the pesky Vikings of Colfax a 1-0 advantage in the top of the second inning of the Monday, June 14 regional semifinal, the Hilltoppers’ offense finally awakened in the bottom of the third to score eight runs en route to a 14-1 victory in five innings. Then two days later in the title game with Cadott, senior pitching ace Maddie Oehlke was able to escape from early inning jams preserving a 1-1 tie until the Glenwood City offense finally found a spark in the third inning to score three runs. The Toppers added another score in the fifth and five more in the sixth to post a 10-1 victory over the Lady Hornets. The victories, both played on Glenwood City’s home diamond, not only produced the Toppers’ second regional crown in as many years but a berth in the 2021 sectional tournament.

Glenwood City also beat Cadott for their regional title in 2019.

Glenwood City, who upped its season record to 21-3 with the wins, hosted Fall Creek (13-13) in a sectional semifinal game Monday evening, June 21. Unfortunately, a great season came to an end for Glenwood City as Fall Creek snapped the Hilltoppers’ 12-game winning streak with 14-9 victory.

Colfax         

It hard to beat a team three times in a season but that’s just what the Hilltoppers needed to do in order to advance past its June 14 regional semifinal game against fellow Dunn-St. Croix member Colfax.

It appeared, at least through the first few innings, that the Hilltoppers were going to have their hands full with the Vikings who had pushed them in the teams’ final regular-season meeting a few weeks earlier before Glenwood City prevailed 12-8.

Colfax struck first when sophomore first baseman Ella Peterson launched a Maddie Oehlke over the center field fence for a 1-0 Vikings lead in the top of the first.

It remained that way until the Toppers batted in the bottom of the third.

Ryeah Oehlke drew a lead-off walk. Kendall Schutz then sent a sharply hit grounder to the Vikings’ senior shortstop Bailey Bradford who misplayed the ball allowing it to get under her glove and into the outfield which allowed Oehlke to score the tying run.

Maddie Oehlke then singled to bring Schutz to home plate with the go ahead run.

That would be all the Toppers would need but they were not quite done yet.

After the Vikings intentionally walked Delanie Fayerweather, Alex Peterson came to bat and delivered an RBI single that sent Sydney Grant, who was a courtesy runner for Fayerweather, to home plate. Peterson later scored on a passed ball to make it 5-1 in the Toppers’ favor.

Then with two outs, Avery Rubenzer and Aubree Logghe reached base to set the stage for a dagger shot by Ryeah Oehlke. Batting for the second time in the inning, the younger Oehlke sister sent a Geissler pitch over the outfield fence for a three-run dinger and an 8-1 Glenwood City advantage.

Although Geissler had allowed just four hits and three walks to Glenwood City, she was lifted from the game and replaced in the fourth by freshman Alexis Schindler, who did not fair much better.

The Toppers teed off on Schindler for four hits, two walks and six runs in just ten at bats as they scored six more runs for a 14-1 lead in the fourth highlighted by doubles from Maddie Oehlke and Fayerweather, a two-RBI single from Ryeah Oehlke and two RBIs by Schutz off an error.

Maddie Oehlke had settled in to the pitching circle by that time and allowed just one Vikings’ runner to make it third base in the final three innings. She allowed Colfax just six hits and finished with six strike outs and no walks to earn her 20th win of the season. With those six strike outs, Maddie Oehlke became just the second Hilltopper in the program’s history, joining 2019 graduate Maggie Wallin, to record 200 or more Ks in a single season.

Freshman Ryeah Oehlke registered three of Glenwood City’s eight hits in the contest including that 3-run homer in the third and finished with five RBIs and scored three runs to lead the Toppers’ offense attack against Colfax. Big sister Maddie also contributed to her mound win with two hits in three plate appearance including a double to lead off the six-run fourth and scored twice. Sophomore Alex Peterson also finish with a pair of hits with an RBI and a run scored.

Cadott

Like its game against Colfax just two days prior, Glenwood City started slowly in its regional championship showdown against the visiting Cadott Hornets (10-11) in the Wednesday, June 16 final played on the Toppers’ home field.

Knotted at 1-1 after two innings of play, the Hilltoppers were able to put a bit of distance between themselves and the Hornets with three runs in the bottom of the third. After adding another in the fifth, Glenwood City swatted down the Hornets with a five-run sixth to take the contest and regional plaque with a 10-1 victory.

Ryeah Oehlke opened the game with a lead-off single in the Toppers’ first at bat and scored on her sister Maddie’s RBI sacrifice.

But, Cadott scored the equalizer on back-to-back doubles in the top of the second.

“At the start of the game, I could tell Cadott was going to come out swinging as Maddie did have a K until the middle of the second inning,” stated Glenwood City head coach Matthew Schutz.

“Two doubles in the second that lead to one run (for Cadott) right off the bat had me a bit nervous,” admitted Schutz.

But, Maddie Oehlke was able to get out of the inning without any further damage thanks to a strike out and two ground outs.

However, the Toppers could not break the tie as the Hornets’ junior pitcher MaKenna Barone retired five straight Hilltopper batters including two by strike out after surrendering that lead-off hit and first-inning run.

In the third inning, the Toppers offense finally punched its way through Barone and the Hornet’s defense for three runs on a pair of singles and two walks for a 4-1 advantage and would not look back.

Aubree Logghe led off the Toppers third-inning at bat with a walk and came in to score the go ahead run when Ryeah Oehlke followed with a single. After Kendall Schutz flew out to left, Maddie Oehlke drew a free pass. Then Delanie Fayerweather, co-player of the year in the Dunn-St. Croix along with Maddie Oehlke, stepped to the plate and delivered a single that scored both Oehlke sisters.

With Maddie taking control in the pitching circle, Glenwood City’s offense added a run in the fifth when Ryeah Oehlke walked, stole second and third, and scored on a passed ball to make it 5-1.

The Hilltoppers squashed any hopes the Hornets had of a comeback with five more runs in the sixth. Avery Rubenzer, Ryeah and Maddie Oehlke, and Fayerweather all singled, while Morgan Johnson and Schutz walked leading to the five scores. Ryeah O. had a pair of RBIs while Maddie O. and Fayerweather had one each in that frame.

Maddie Oehlke retired nine of the final ten Cadott batters she faced to get the victory. She finished with four strike outs and scattered six hits.

Although Barone struck out nine Toppers, they collected seven hits and eight walks off the Cadott hurler led by Ryeah Oehlke’s 3-for-3 performance at the plate which included a double and four runs scored. Fayerweather had a pair of hits with a double for three RBIs.