HOLMEN — Even though she was pitching well, Holmen High School senior Gabi Stuhr wasn’t exactly comfortable heading into the final two innings of a WIAA Division 1 regional championship game against Onalaska on Thursday.
The last time Stuhr faced the Hilltoppers, they scored eight runs in the sixth and seventh innings to beat the Vikings by five.
“I knew I needed to lock in, but it wasn’t until we got the first two outs of the seventh inning that I felt like we were going to win,” Stuhr said. “That’s a good hitting team.”
She is correct, but Stuhr found a way to hold them to three hits — all singles — in a 4-0 victory that sent Holmen to the sectional semifinals next week.
Stuhr retired the final 10 Hilltoppers in order and didn’t allow a runner on base in the sixth or seventh despite the flashbacks to that 8-3 loss to Onalaska on May 12.
The third-seeded Vikings (18-8) travel to second-seeded Chippewa Falls (18-8) on Tuesday. The winner of that game plays either fifth-seeded Marshfield or ninth-seeded River Falls on June 4 with a trip to the state tournament on the line.
River Falls knocked off top-seeded Tomah 4-3 in 10 innings on Thursday.
Holmen is a regional champion for the first time since 2021 after scoring three times in the second inning and once in the sixth. All four of Holmen’s runs were scored after two outs were recorded.
“We talked about putting good swings on the ball, and we did,” Holmen coach Dan Stuhr said. “What was really nice was that the bottom of our order really came through.
“When we scored the runs, they really came through. And then tacking that one on at the end was big.”
Freshman Whitney Stuhr, batting in the seventh spot, drove in the first run of the game with a single that scored left fielder Sidney Cichosz.
Right fielder Harper Tengblad followed with a single to left field, and third baseman Kaitlyn Weiss walked to load the bases for leadoff hitter and shortstop Macy Kline.
Kline then sent a 2-2 pitch down the right-field line to score Whitney Stuhr and Tengblad for the 3-0 lead.
It was a welcomed outburst against Onalaska sophomore pitcher Sydney Kraus, who struck out eight batters and walked one.
Cichosz also singled and later scored on a passed ball in the sixth.
That was plenty of offense for Gabi Stuhr, who struck out seven and walked one.
“I think Gabi sometimes gets comfortable and will take a pitch off,” Dan Stuhr said. “And then it’s a fat one like the (home run Central’s Ellie) Gillitzer hit the other day.
“She didn’t (do that) today. We talked about it every time she went out. No pitches off, no pitches off.”
Gabi Stuhr said the message came through loud and clear.
“I heard that quite a few times,” she said with a smile. “My coach is my dad. We talk a lot at home, and today was a lot of ‘No mercy, keep throwing as hard as you can and give it your all.”
