Following a tough 13-0 defeat at the hands of Stratford last Sunday, August 2, the Gays Mills Grizzlies entered the elimination bracket the next morning to take on a Campbellsport team that had won 4-3 via walk-off over Prairie du Chien the day before.

After a scoreless inning and a half, the Grizzlies got the scoring going first with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Cooper Lomas led off the inning with a single to right field that was followed two batters later by a walk by John Turner to put runners at first and second for Kaden Roberts, who then hit a double to left field to bring home Lomas and give the Grizzlies an early 1-0 lead. Campbellsports retired each of the next two batters to limit the damage going into the third inning.

Roberts, starting at pitcher for the Grizzlies, worked around a lead-off single by Campbellsport to send the game to the bottom of the third inning with Gays Mills still leading 1-0. A one-out double by Sawyer Stluka was followed by a single by Landry Stluka to give the Grizzlies runners at the corners with only one out. Gage Wall doubled to center field for the Grizzlies third consecutive base hit of the inning but S. Stluka was thrown out at home plate on the play for the second out of the inning. The Grizzlies’ offense kept clicking at the plate however as Lomas singled to left field to score L. Stluka to make the score 2-0 before Jaxx Wall added an infield single that scored G. Wall to extend Gays Mills’ lead to 3-0. After a single to right field by Turner, a bases-loaded walk by Roberts brought home the Grizzlies third run of the inning as they now lead the 2025 Class AA State Champions by the score of 4-0.

Following a 1-2-3 top of the fourth inning by Roberts, Jackson Konichek started things off in the bottom of the inning with a single to left field before stealing second base and advancing to third on a sacrifice by L. Stluka. G. Wall then delivered a base hit to right field to score Konichek for the Grizzlies fifth run of the game as the inning ended with the score of 5-0 in favor of Gays Mills.

Roberts maintained his strong pitching performance over the next two innings, allowing just a lead-off single to Campbellsport’s Zach Zimdahl to start off the top of the sixth inning. That base hit was erased two batters later when Roberts caught Zimdahl snoozing and picked him off at first base. Gays Mills got their sixth and final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. G. Wall was hit by a pitch with two outs before Lomas hit a double to center field to score Wall to make the score 6-0 in favor of the Grizzlies.

Gays Mills entered the top of the seventh inning needing only three outs to earn a spot in the state tournament’s final four for the first time in program history. However Campbellsport would not go down without a fight, as they scored twice thanks to four consecutive one-out base hits and a sacrifice fly to center field before Roberts got Zimdahl to pop-out to shortstop for the final out of the game as the Grizzlies held on for the 6-2 victory.

Roberts earned the gritty, complete game victory by allowing just two runs on six hits and zero walks with three strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched. He was supported by a strong Grizzlies offense that scored six runs on 14 hits, which included a 4-for-4 (with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs) performance at the plate by Lomas. Roberts helped his own cause at the plate by going 2-for-2 with two doubles, a walk and two RBIs. G. Wall also had multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and one RBI. S. Stluka also had a double in the win for Gays Mills.

Gays Mills improved to 14-11 with the win and moved the Grizzlies in another elimination game later that night against either Westby/Coon Valley or the winner of the game between Little Chute and Stratford game depending on the winner of that game. That opponent would turn out to be Little Chute following a stunning seventh inning rally that saw the Mustangs down to their final strike before getting a three-run home run to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 6-4 lead and eventual victory. Stratford, perhaps shellshocked by the loss, would go on to drop the very next game to Westby/Coon Valley and be eliminated, leaving Westby/Coon Valley, Gays Mills and Little Chute as the final three teams in the 2026 Wisconsin American Legion Baseball Association Class A State Tournament.

The Grizzlies entered their Monday night game with Little Chute knowing that they needed a win to keep their season alive and advance to championship Tuesday. The Mustangs would be a tough challenge for Gays Mills as they entered the game on a 10-game winning streak following a 5-4 start to their season.

Little Chute showed why they were the last undefeated team at the tournament with two quick runs in the top of the first inning. They would go on to add a run in the top of the third and fifth innings to extend their lead to 4-0 before the Grizzlies offense got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning. Following a one-out single by Roberts and subsequent walk by Turner, first baseman Zach Bender smacked a double to left field to bring home Roberts for the Grizzlies’ first run of the game.

That would be as close as Gays Mills would get for the rest of the game. The Mustangs would add another run in the top of the sixth inning as they would hold on to defeat the Grizzlies by the score of 5 to 1. Little Chute (17-4) would complete their undefeated postseason run the following afternoon with a 9 to 2 win over Westby/Coon Valley in the championship game.

Despite earning the loss on the mound, Lomas pitched a solid game as he allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. Konichek finished the game in relief of Lomas, allowing zero runs on one hit with one strikeout in 1.1 innings pitched.

The Grizzlies (14-12) were held to just four total hits in the loss, with Roberts (2-for-3 with one run scored) being the only one with multiple-hits in the game.

Gays Mills went 2-2 during the tournament to finish in third place.

Roberts and Lomas represented the Grizzlies on the all-tournament team, where they were joined by Prairie du Chien’s Bryce Lenzendorf and Blake Reynolds.