PRINT ADS

Holmen High School pitcher Kallie Mechling set career-highs with one hit allowed and nine strikeouts in Tuesday's Division 1 regional semifinal against Tomah at the Viking Elementary Fields. Mechling's most dominant outing of her career helped Holmen to a 2-0 win and a spot in a regional final at Central Thursday (after the Courier deadline), a game in which the Vikings entered with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The only hit Mechling surrendered was Ally Von Haden's one-out double to right center in the second, with Mechling getting a strikeout of Brooke Von Haden and pop-up to third baseman Hannah Galstad off the bat of Jill Martin to get out of the inning. Tomah's only other baserunner came on a two-out walk to Megan Ripp in the second, before Mechling got Kendra Bundy on another punchout. The Bundy strikeout began a stretch of 13 straight hitters Mechling retired to end the game.

“Yes it was my best all-around game,” Mechling said. “I did really well at getting ahead and really well at getting in, then going away the second time through the order.”

Holmen had missed out on a chance to tie for the Mississippi Valley Conference championship in a 3-2 loss at Tomah a week earlier. Mechling wasn't nearly as effective in that game, allowing seven hits and recording just two strikeouts.

“The last time was the second day in a row for me (May 12 against Logan) and my arm was a little sore, but I kept going through the game” Mechling said. “Today I had a lot more rest.

“Back-to-back is really hard for me. I threw hard against Logan and tried to throw hard against Tomah last time, but it wasn't quite there. Throwing two games in three days is fine, but back-to-back is a tough spot for me.”

Mechling recorded at least one strikeout in each inning, including two in the first and third innings. Mechling's previous low-hit game was a combined two-hitter with Lauren Schaller at Sparta April 15, while her previous high in strikeouts was eight against Tomah April 17.

“If it wasn't her best performance, it was definitely one of her top couple of performances,” Vikings head coach Mark Wall said of Mechling. “She kept them off-balance nicely with her change of speeds.”

The Vikings finally broke through in the third, beginning with a Mechling single to left. She advanced to second on an Allie Dienger sacrifice and scored on an Anna Medinger single to center.

HHS added insurance in the sixth after a Schaller one-out single to left. Schaller advanced to second when Kayla Oliver grounded out to second and scored on a Galstad single to right-center. While far from their best, Holmen did show improved clutch hitting from two of their last three regular-season games, a 1-0 loss to Onalaska May 9 and the May 13 loss at Tomah.

“We put the focus back on fundamentals, and did a little film study and videotape work,” Wall said of the improved clutch hitting. “Breaking some swings down again helped the whole team.”