TOMAH — The Holmen High School softball team put itself in the thick of a conference championship race on Thursday.
The Vikings moved into a tie for first place in the MVC with a 2-0 win at Tomah to end the Timberwolves’ lengthy winning streak.
Holmen (12-5, 8-1 MVC) scored once in the third inning and once in the fifth despite striking out 15 times, and Gabi Stuhr held Tomah (12-3, 8-1) to two hits while striking out nine.
The Vikings scored in the third inning when shortstop Macy Kline singled with one out, stole second and third base, then scored on a double off the bat of Kaylee Mosser.
Kline, who was 2 for 4, reached on an error to lead off the fifth before stealing second and scoring on another Mosser double. Kline has scored 22 runs this season.
Mosser was 2 for 4 with the two doubles and two runs driven in as the Vikings made the most out of five hits against Anna Wall, who is a University of Wisconsin commit.
Holmen recorded 11 stolen bases, and Kline had five of them to push her season total to 18. Left fielder Sydney Cichosz added four and catcher Avalee Euler and third baseman Kaitlyn Weiss one each.
Stuhr retired the final nine batters in order in her team’s biggest win of the season. Both teams have three MVC games remaining in their battle to determine the conference champ.
West Salem 5, G-ET 1
WEST SALEM — The Panthers (16-2, 11-1 Coulee) won the outright conference championship for a three-peat by taking out the Red Hawks.
Senior Josie Brudos pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10 while walking two in West Salem’s seventh consecutive victory.
Shortstop Madison Elsen was 3 for 4 with a double and a run driven in, and center fielder Brooklyn Lee was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
Third baseman Briauna Mathison and Brudos also doubled for the Panthers, who won their last 11 conference games of the season.
There will be another story posted about this championship victory.
Caledonia 10, P-E-M 0 (5)
CALEDONIA — The Warriors (16-1) shut out their fifth straight opponent, and junior Avery Augedahl struck out eight, walked none and allowed two singles.
Left fielder Brairy Proulx led a 10-hit offensive attack by going 3 for 3 with a double and scoring three times.
Third baseman Paizley Lange was 2 for 4 with a double, two stolen bases and two runs driven in, and first baseman Elsa Blum 2 for 3 with a a double, a triple, one run driven in and two runs scored.
Shortstop Lily Wiebke also drove in two runs for Caledonia, which has won 12 straight games and hasn’t allowed a run in its past 36 innings.
Augedahl lowered her season ERA to 0.47 and ran her strikeout total to 163 over 103 2/3 innings.
Onalaska 10, Logan 0 (6)
Onalaska 16, Logan 2 (5)
LA CROSSE — The third-place Hilltoppers (11-6, 7-2 MVC) moved to within one game of first place by sweeping the Rangers (6-10, 1-8).
Onalaska had 30 hits over 11 innings and extended its winning streak to five games.
Left fielder Maryjane Flynn was 3 for 4 and drove in two runs, and pitcher Sydney Kraus went 2 for 4 with a double, three runs driven in and one of her team’s nine stolen bases in the opener.
Kraus also pitched a five-hit shutout and struck out nine without walking a batter. Catcher Claire Weigel was 3 for 3 with a double, first baseman Zoey Lichty doubled twice, and center fielder Cayenne Zinnecker had three stolen bases.
The Hilltoppers hit three home runs in the second game, and right fielder MJ Heit hit her seventh of the season. Kraus and Lichty also homered, and Kraus doubled twice while going 3 for 4 with four runs driven in.
Zinnecker, Heit, Lichty and shortstop Kylie Gilhausen also had three hits apiece for Onalaska. Zinnecker doubled, tripled and stole another base, and Kraus struck out 10, walked two and allowed three hits and no earned runs.
Pitcher Kaia DePaolo drove in two runs for Logan in the second game, and second baseman Mariana Rojo went 2 for 2 in the first game.
Luther 12, Viroqua 9
VIROQUA — Third baseman Rylee Weber went 4 for 5, and first baseman Alaina Kuehner drove in four runs as the Knights (4-13, 3-8 Coulee) beat the Blackhawks.
Luther made the difference with an eight-run fifth inning that gave it a 12-5 lead. Second baseman Maddie Horvat completed that inning with a three-run home run that highlighted her 2-for-5 performance.
Weber also stole two bases, and Kuehner doubled for the Knights, who had 12 hits.
