A big inning proved fatal for the Gibraltar/Washington Island softball team once again in Thursday's 11-6 loss to Roncalli in the opening round of the WIAA Tournament.

 

The Vikings struck first in the opening frame with two runs thanks to RBI singles from Abby Jarosh and Courtney Foy. The lead was short-lived as the Jets plated three in their half of the first inning thanks to four hits. The Jets soared to a big lead in the third inning as they sent 12 to the plate, scoring seven times to stretch a 3-2 lead to a 10-2 advantage. However, the Vikings did not go down easy, as they nearly batted around themselves in the fourth inning. The inning's big blow came when Pam Prescott cleared the bases with a triple, driving in Ashlyn Dejardin, Emma Daubner, and Megan Gallant. Prescott came around to score on an RBI groundout off the bat of Jarosh to cut the deficit to four. The Jets would score their final run on an infield fly rule that garnered some confusion among the Vikings players in the fifth inning.

Prescott led the team with three hits, while Gallant reached three times via the walk. Emile Glocke went the distance for the Vikings, allowing all 11 runs on 15 hits while striking out four.

Despite winning just once in his first season, head coach Brandon Schmidt is encouraged by what he has on his team, with most players available to return next season.