6/4 WIAA Division 3 softball: Early run bites Blugolds

By CASSIE PAULSEN | Wisconsin State Journal

ONTARIO, Wis. — Kassie McGettigan knew she had to get an out.

It was the bottom of the first inning, and her Aquinas High School softball team’s defense was facing a bases-loaded situation. McGettigan fielded a grounder hit by Lancaster catcher Leslie Larson and threw her out at first, but that allowed a run to score.

That run proved to be the game-winner, as the Arrows held on for a 1-0 win over the Blugolds Thursday in a WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal at Brookwood High School. Lancaster (25-1) went on to beat Deerfield 4-0 in the sectional championship game.

“I think (my thought) was just get an out,” said the senior second baseman. “It’s the first inning — we need outs more than they needed runs at that point.”

Aquinas (18-8) didn’t find much luck against Lancaster senior pitcher Brittany Caley. Caley, who played right field on the Arrow’s state-runner up team in 2006, scattered three hits over seven innings, included striking out 10 Blugolds and walking only one.

“We just couldn’t quite figure her out all day,” Aquinas coach Kevin Schreiner said. “She kept us off balance. She changed speeds, moved the ball around. Credit to her.”

Aquinas had a chance to tie the game in the second inning. Shortstop Jenny Gallagher hit a one-out infield single, then first baseman Angie Schneider reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Both advanced 60 feet on a passed ball, but Caley managed to get Sam Stout and Jenna Smith to strike out to end the threat.

“It was kind of hard because we got down early,” Aquinas pitcher Taylor Boland said. “We always believed we could come back. It’s really tough because just one hit could do it for you, but it just never happened.”

With the loss, Aquinas’ hopes of a return trip to Goodman Diamond and the WIAA State Tournament came to an end. Even so, Schreiner knows this group of departing seniors, prominent members of last year’s state-runner up squad, have nothing but good to look back on.

“This group is just phenomenal,” Schreiner said. “You ask a lot of them over four years, to be involved as they can be n with no guarantees. And they get all that. They should have no regrets amongst them.”

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