POST 147 LEGION SOFTBALL - Lions softball team plays for state Legion title in DeForest

POST 147 LEGION SOFTBALL

The Whittlesey Lions Senior softball team, representing American Legion Post 147 of Medford, qualified for the Wisconsin American Legion Division 1 state tournament by winning a three-team Regional 4 tournament played on its home field Monday, July 22.

Whittlesey defeated Augusta 13-0 and Merrill 15-2 to win the regional. Augusta was a 7-5 winner over Merrill in the third game.

Whittlesey and Augusta will play in the Division 1 state tournament set for Aug. 2-4 at the DeForest Athletic Complex. The Division 2 tournament will also be played this weekend at DeForest.

The Wisconsin American Legion softball program is in its second summer season. The Division 1 tournament consisted of 10 teams playing in four different regionals. Eight teams qualified for state during regional play –– Whittlesey, Augusta, Sparta, West Salem, Waupun, Wausau, Antigo and Mount Horeb, who is now not listed on the tournament bracket that was posted mid-week.

The eight-team Division 2 tournament features Fall Creek, Durand, Thorp, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, Viroqua, Westby, Osseo and Arcadia.

Whittlesey’s team consists of players from Medford, Marshfield, Merrill, Tomahawk and Marathon. The Lions also fielded a Junior Legion squad this summer.

Whittlesey is set to face West Salem in its first state game at noon on Friday. The winner will advance to play the Waupun/Antigo winner at 6 p.m. The losers of those first two games will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Also in the first round Friday, Wausau drew a bye, while Sparta will play Augusta at 4 p.m.

Four of the team’s Senior players have been named to the 12-player 2024 Wisconsin American Legion All-Star Team, which will be honored at the Aug. 11 Milwaukee Brewers game vs. the Cincinnati Reds. That is the same day of the American Legion All-Star Baseball Game at American Family Field. The Lions’ All-Stars include Zayleah Leonhardt and Addison Brahmer of Medford, Mackenzie Herdt of Merrill and Allison Podjaski of Marathon.

The All-Star team also includes Whitney Skrede of Viroqua, Signe Roesler and Sydney Laursen of West Salem, Peyton Zamzow of Green Lake, Katelyn Pabst of Turtle Lake-Clayton, Sophia Lemieux of Wittenberg-Birnamwood and Addie Heil and Gabi Heuser of Wausau.

Wisconsin American Legion softball Div. 1 state tournament

DeForest Athletic Complex

Friday, Aug. 2 Game 1: Waupun vs. Antigo, 10 a.m. Game 2: Whittlesey vs. West Salem, noon Game 3: Wausau, bye Game 4: Sparta vs. Augusta, 4 p.m. Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m. Game 6: Wausau vs. Game 4 winner, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 3 Game 7: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10 a.m. Game 8: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, noon Game 9: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 6, 2 p.m. Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 5, 4 p.m. Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 6 p.m.

Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 4 Game 13: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 10 a.m. Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, noon Game 15 (if necessary): Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14, 2 p.m.