A local rematch highlights the local softball postseason matchups.
The Valders Vikings and New Holstein Huskies have become friendly rivals in EWC Softball, but if you were to ask each player down the line how bad they want to win today’s playoff game, you’d get a resounding yes as these two teams hook up for a third time this season in a WIAA Division Three regional final game at New Holstein.
The Huskies captured the EWC title with a 12- 2 record and finished 20-7 overall and defeated Kiel 5-2 on Tuesday to advance, while Valders slipped a bit down the stretch, losing four straight games and finishing in a three-way tie with Two Rivers and Chilton (7-7) in conference play and 14- 10 overall.
They snapped that losing streak Tuesday, defeating Wrightstown by a score of 8 to 4 to move on.
Senior Megan Hochkammer is a leading candidate for EWC player of the year. She leads the Vikings in every pitching and hitting statistical category except two triples (Madison Bergel) and fielding percentage (Brooke O’Connor), where she ranks third.
Fellow seniors Anna Olson and Addison Spindler have also had good seasons, and they’ll need to be on their game if they are to beat New Holstein.
Senior Reese Kraus is the Megan Hochkammer of the Huskies. She, like Megan, leads New Holstein in just about every pitching and hitting statistical category. Where the Huskies have an edge is that they are a bit deeper.
A surrounding cast of Natalie Wagner, Mayka Pendleton. Delaney Goebel, Emma Manderscheid, Jenna Horn, and Kourtney Karls have taken some of the pressure of Kraus coming through in big moments this season.
The Huskies have outscored the Vikings by a combined score of 11 to 0 in two victories during the regular season.
The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 4:30 p.m.
Also in Division Three, Brillion hits the road to play at top-seed Southern Door.
Division Two matchups have defending state champion Denmark home for Two Rivers, and Luxemburg-Casco hosts Seymour.
Division Four games include Algoma hosting Markesan and Ozaukee heading to Random Lake. Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah has a Division Five matchup at Juda/Albany, and in Division One, Bay Port visits Green Bay Preble, West De Pere travels to Ashwaubenon, Neenah hosts Kaukauna, Fond Du Lac ventures to Kimberly, and Menasha plays at Appleton North.
