PdC Softball wins D3 Regional Championship
Submitted by admin on Sun, 06/08/2025 - 21:50
Prairie du Chien pitcher Claire Kennedy fires a pitch for a strike during the Hawks regional final win over the G-E-T RedHawks. PdC softball won their third regional championship in the last four seasons and sixth all-time. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
April Smith smacks the ball for a base hit during the Hawks regional championship victory. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
By Derick Kelly
Coming off a 2024 season that ended at home in a regional championship game at the hands of Adams-Friendship, the Prairie du Chien Softball team was looking to claim another regional title in 2025 after titles in 2022 and 2023, but the Hawks had to take care of business first.
The Hawks welcomed the Viroqua/Youth Initiative co-op team to town last Tuesday, May 27 in a D3 regional semifinal. The visiting Blackhawks entered the contest following a forfeit victory over Mauston in the regional quarterfinal round. PdC began this matchup by taking an early 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Following a scoreless second inning however, Viroqua scored two runs in the top of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. That lead would be short lived however as PdC would score five runs in the bottom of the third inning to go up 6-2.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Hawks would add three more runs in the fifth inning to increase their lead to 9-2. Viroqua would add a solo home run in the sixth inning but could not get any closer the rest of the game as Claire Kennedy slammed the door on any potential Viroqua rally as the Hawks claimed a 9-3 win to advance to the regional championship game two nights later.
Rita Achenbach (2-for-4 with a double, home run, one run scored and three RBIs) led a Blackhawks offense that also got multiple hits from Kennedy (2-for-4 with one run scored and two RBIs), Lily Mitchell (2-for-4 with one run scored) and April Smith (2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and one RBI). Ella Lange went 1-for-3 with three RBIs to help the offensive attack.
Kennedy allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and zero walks with six strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched to earn the win.
The Hawks advanced to host the second seeded Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau RedHawks in a S3 regional championship game last Thursday, May 29. The Hawks broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the second inning with four runs before adding solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings before the RedHawks used a couple of hits and a couple of Prairie errors in the top of the seventh inning to break up a no-hitter and a shutout by Kennedy, who would have to settle for allowing one run (unearned) on two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched.
Smith led the Hawks in hits by going 2-for-2 with one RBI in the win, while Irelynd Cejka and Brecklyn McCumber each hit a double during the game. Prairie du Chien improved to 19-7 overall with the win, while G-E-T ended the season at 16-8 overall.
The Hawks advanced to the sectional semifinal round to host fourth seed Richland Center, who knocked off No. 1 seed Dodgeville 5-4 in eight innings last week.
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