Fall Creek, Eleva-Strum face familiar foes in sectionals

Haven't we met before?

Indeed, both Fall Creek and Eleva-Strum prep softball teams will be facing opponents in their WIAA Division 4 semifinal match-ups on Tuesday, May 28 quite familiar to them.

The No. 2 ranked Crickets (24-2 overall) face No. 6 ranked Chippewa Falls McDonell (20-2) at 5 p.m. in Fall Creek while Eleva-Strum(12-9) is at Blair-Taylor to take on the Wildcats (12-8), with the first pitch also at 5 p.m.

Eleva-Strum lost twice to the 'Cats during the regular season but the second match-up was much closer than the first (3-2 to 9-2) game which took place at beginning of the season. . The same dynamic was true for the Cardinals against Melrose-Mindoro, losing the first time 9-2, losing the second time 1-0 before finally winning 3-2 in the regional championship over the Mustangs last Thursday. Central hopes the same thing happens again.

Fall Creek has faced McDonell in sectional tournaments this season not only in softball but volleyball and girls basketball as well. The Crickets hope for a different outcome than those previous sectional tournaments. FC got a different outcome against Macks during the regular season, winning 10-9 and 11-0 to win the Western Cloverbelt Conference with a perfect 14-0 record.

Both Fall Creek and Eleva-Strum are in different sectional tournament within Division 4. If Fall Creek wins they will play in the finals at Casper Park in Chippewa Falls (hosted by McDonell) on Thursday, May 30 against either Shell Lake vs. No. 1 ranked and two-time defending sectional champions Grantsburg (22-0) and if Eleva-Strum wins they'll face either Stratford (20-6) or No. 8 ranked Auburndale (19-3) both from the same, very competitive South Marawood Conference Thursday, May 30 in Blair, championship game times both at 5 p.m.

The state tournament is next weekend in Madison at Goodman Field on the University of Wisconsin campus