Softball Game Preview: Onalaska Hilltoppers vs. Prairie du Chien Blackhawks

The Onalaska Hilltoppers will venture away from home to challenge the Prairie du Chien Blackhawks at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.

Onalaska can't be too happy about their upcoming road match considering what happened when they opened their season away from home on Saturday. They fell just short of Menomonie by a score of 5-3. Sadly, the loss continues a streak the team started last season, making it four in a row.

Sydney Kraus 2028 put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Kraus 2028 was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run.

Kraus 2028 wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Lauren Pica 2027, who went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Prairie du Chien won against Cumberland on Friday with 14 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Saturday. The Blackhawks blew past Florence 14-4. The victory was just business as usual for the Blackhawks, who after three games remain undefeated this season.

Like Onalaska, Prairie du Chien also got a great game from a two-way player: Claire Kennedy. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off four hits. Kennedy was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rita Achenbach, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Bailey Halvorson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.

Onalaska was able to grind out a solid win over Prairie du Chien in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 8-4. Do the Hilltoppers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blackhawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.