Softball

      The Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin Titans ended the Gobblers season in the Section 7AA "Final Four" Tuesday, beating Aitkin 4-0 behind a 15-strikeout performance by Ava Johnson. Aitkin had only two hits in the game, a double by Madyson Burgstaler in the second and a single by Sam Edwards in the 6th. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Reagan Schoonmaker put down a perfect bunt and later scored when Johnson's liner to right found the ground for a 1-0 lead. Two runs in the fifth really put the Gobblers backs against the wall. With two outs a pair of errors by the Gobblers usual strong defense cost them. Two more errors in the 6th basically put the game away for the Titans and Aitkin went down in order in the final inning to end the season. Sienna Melz nearly matched Johnson in the circle for the first three innings and pitched well enough to win but it didn't happen. She finished with 5 strikeouts. The Gobblers finished the year with a 17-9 record.

Gobblers      0 2 5

Titans            4 4 0

WP Ava Johnson

LP Sienna Melz

      The Gobbler softball team is having quite a season as they enter the Final Four this week in Section 7AA, but it may be the culmination of a five-year plan with a State Tournament appearance as the goal. Coach Jim Leiviska is completing his first five years as head coach, and he takes a record of 64-49 into play this week. He has had a good group the past three years that has a record of 43-27 but the record doesn't really say what he has meant to this program. Years ago, when we were playing on a couple of pretty good coed softball teams, I'm sure he never envisioned that he would be leading a high school softball program. He was a great shortstop and hitter in baseball and slo-pitch softball, and he has used that knowledge and fire to instill in his players that same grit that he had as a player many years ago. Here's what senior Haley Shereck had to say about her coach and mentor, "I think he's done a really good job of preparing us for Section play and keeps us motivated to continue to keep going. When we have a bad game, he tells us what needs to be done but also has the confidence in us to know we will make the changes we need to so we can be successful." Coach Leiviska is probably the most humble coach around and you can tell that by the way he described himself to me last week, "I'm just a dumb ballplayer who has a little bit of experience and knowledge to share. The players do all the work."  Whenever the season ends, this week, next week or at the State Tournament, the Gobblers will be remembered for their successes, effort and grit that they have shown during this historic season. You can give some of the credit to that "dumb ballplayer" that cares and shows it every day.  

     The Aitkin Gobblers have had a great season and although it's a senior laden group make no mistake about it, the underclassmen have really contributed to their success. It's time to give a little love to several of those players, let's see what they have to say.

Charlotte Lundgren-"I think this season has gone really well. I was a little nervous about starting varsity, but the upper classmen and coaches welcomed me in and made me feel comfortable. I've learned that even after tough losses, we always come back stronger. This team is really something special and I truly think we can go far."

Kate Palm-"This season we have grown as a team. We started off a little sketchy with a couple of losses that should've been wins but we are now coming back stronger. We have been doing well so far in the Section Tournament and I have no doubt that if we play the way I know we can then I'm sure we will go far. The way I personally contribute to the team is by having high energy and trying to make good defensive plays and at-bats".

Adah Williams-"This softball season has been the best one yet and through wins and losses our team stuck together. We have a bond that no other team has. Every senior has a big spot on the team that will be really hard to fill next year. I feel like I have given my all this year. I've never played second base, so it has been a learning experience, but I think I've done okay. We are not done yet and are staying alive and hoping to go to State."

Gabi Price-"We've put in a lot of work behind the scenes, so seeing that preparation pay off on the field and see the results is incredibly rewarding. When you trust the process and trust your teammates, the success follows."

      The Gobblers also have a couple of seniors who have seen limited time at the plate but have still made significant contributions.

Layla Fayaz-"I think we are playing good as a team in the playoffs. I know all of us were very ecstatic after beating Two Harbors and Proctor on Tuesday. We took a tough loss against Esko, but we came back and proved we know how to win and stayed confident against Proctor on Thursday. There is always room for improvement, but I think if we keep the bats swinging, playing good defense and stay locked in, we can go a long way."

Eilee Aho-"I think we've had a pretty good season. Obviously, we lost a few games we maybe shouldn't have but we bounced back and didn't let it hold us back. I'm hoping we will continue to play well and keep moving towards State. I've been optimistic about this season for a while now and I hope we live up to everyone's expectations."

(Que the Bee Gees, "Stayin alive, stayin alive")

     The Aitkin Gobblers, facing elimination Thursday in a rematch with Proctor, scored six times in the second inning to get out front, built on it and captured a 9-3 victory to keep them in the Section 7AA softball tournament and a date next week in Grand Rapids. Coming off a loss to Esko it would have been easy to cash it in but not this crew. They stood tall and stung the Rails and put themselves into the final four of the Section. They will face Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin at 2:00 Tuesday. Sienna Melz held the Rails to six hits in the game and had three of her own to lead Aitkin to the win and move their record to 17-8.
     The Gobblers big inning featured hits by Kate Palm, Gabi Price, Charlotte Lundgren, Samantha Edwards and Haley Shereck and a pair of walks drawn by Adah Williams and Melz. Two more runs in the 4th made it 8-0. Lundgren singled, Edwards singled and Melz doubled to highlight the inning. It was 9-0 in the 5th as Palm singled and came around to score later in the inning. The Rails busted through for three runs in their half of the 5th but that was it. The Rails got a leadoff single in the 7th, but two fly outs and a groundout sealed the deal. Melz was 3-3 while Edwards, Lundgren and Palm each had 2 hits and Madyson Burgstaler, Shereck and Price each had one hit. Gobbler Coach Jim Leiviska on the days, "I think the first game was a brutal reminder of what happens when we don't make our routine plays on defense. Maybe it was the reminder that we needed after an eight-game winning streak. This teams ability to respond is one of the things that makes them a special group. They took a punch to the mouth against Esko, got up and punched back by beating a very good Proctor team for the second time in 48 hours. I have no doubt this little hiccup has lit a fire under them, and they are ready to roll."
Gobblers  9 12 2
Rails          3  6 0
WP Sienna Melz

What the players said:

Madyson Burgstaler-"Having such a rough game with Esko was hard but we didn't let that deter us and we put up some runs against Proctor to beat them for the second time in the tournament. That was so amazing. I know that this team has what it takes to take it all the way and we are ready for Tuesday."

Samantha Edwards-"Esko was a tough loss, but we played hard. It was win or go home against Proctor and we chose to win it. Everybody brought their "A" game."

Natalie Stueven-"I think today was a good lesson about what happens when we show up to play and when we lose focus and confidence throughout the game. I think we have some work to do over the next few days but overall, I think we played well. We are coming Tuesday stronger than ever and ready to take on Greenway."

Sienna Melz-"It was a great comeback after the first game. We knew we had to make some changes and that's exactly what we did. We bounced back exactly how we needed to."

Haley Shereck-"After that rough first game we decided that we needed to lock in and make our routine plays. We brought our energy back up and made the crucial plays and warmed up our bats. I am proud of this team and our hard effort."

     Lucy Barta pitched a one-hitter and the Aitkin Gobblers committed six errors as the Esko Eskimo's handed Aitkin their first loss in the Section 7AA softball tournament Thursday in Esko. Esko scored once in the first, six times in the second and went on to a 10-0 win putting Aitkin into an elimination game later Thursday. Samantha Edwards led off the game with a hit but that would be the only base hit of the game for the Gobblers as they fell to 16-8 on the season. Sienna Melz was tagged with the loss but the Gobbler defense shouldered part of the blame for this one with six errors
Gobblers     0  1  6
Esko            10 10 0
WP Lucy Barta
LP Sienna Melz   

      "We pulled together as a team and played some Aitkin softball. We hit great and had amazing defense. I am so pumped to play Thursday and I know this team can beat anyone!" Senior Haley Shereck, visibly excited after the Gobblers won two games in the Section 7AA playoff Tuesday to advance to the next round of the tournament. The Gobblers beat Two Harbors in the opener and then edged a good Proctor team 4-3 to up their record to 16-7 and move them into a matchup with Esko Thursday with a berth in the unbeaten game hanging in the balance. Aitkin took a 1-0 lead in the first on a triple by Haley Shereck and a double by Natalie Stueven. Proctor tied it in their half of the inning and took a 2-1 lead in the second. The Gobblers got a couple in the 4th to lead 3-2. Stueven singled and Madyson Burgstaler doubled and later she came around to score. Proctor tied it at 3-3 in the 4th, but the Gobblers took a 4-3 lead in the 6th. Stueven reached on an error and came home on a single by Burgstaler. Sienna Melz got out of the 6th on a pair of groundouts and a pop-up and got a strikeout and groundout to open the seventh and after an error put the tying runner on first, Stueven threw out the runner trying to steal second to end the game. Stueven and Burgstaler were both 2-3 in the game while Melz, Shereck, Kate Palm and Adah Williams each had one hit. Melz went the distance striking out 5.
Gobblers   4 8 5
Rails            3 4 1
WP Sienna Melz
LP Gilles

     The Aitkin Gobblers opened play in the Section 7AA playoffs Tuesday with a hard-fought 11-9 win over the Two Harbors Agates. Aitkin trailed early 4-0 but scored six times in the bottom of the first to take a lead that they would not relinquish. The Agates scored four in the first, but the Gobblers bounced back helped by a pair of walks and hits from Haley Shereck, Madyson Burgstaler, Adah Williams, and Gabi Price. They scored two more in the second on hits by Shereck, Natalie Stueven and Kate Palm. The Agates tied it at 8-8 in the third, but Aitkin struck back to take a 10-8 lead. Samantha Edwards singled, Sienna Melz reached on an error and Shereck tripled to get both runs across. They made it 11-8 in the 5th as Eilee Aho doubled and Edwards singled. Two Harbors scored once in the 7th but that was it and the Gobblers moved on.
     Shereck was 3-4 and Edwards was 2-3 to lead the Gobbler offense but Stueven, Palm, Burgstaler, Williams, Price and Aho each had one hit to spread the wealth. Melz picked up the win while striking out 7 in the game.
Agates      9 10 2
Gobblers 11  11  5
WP Sienna Melz
LP Raegan Hogenson

     The Aitkin Gobblers, (14-7), open up play in the Section 7AA softball tourney Tuesday and they do so with some impressive offensive and defensive stats. They will take on Two Harbors, (9-9) in the first round and the Agates will have to shut down a Gobbler team that has amassed 22 homeruns in 2026 and scores nearly 11 runs a game and gives up just 5. Aitkin has won 9 of their last 10 games after a 5-6 start. Seven different Gobblers have deposited softballs on the other side of the fence this season, arguably the best power season in Gobbler history. Kate Palm has 6 round-trippers while hitting .359 and knocking in 29 runs. Haley Shereck is hitting a lofty .609, has hit 5 homers with a team leading 42 runs batted in. She is hitting an absurd .778 with runners in scoring position. Natale Stueven sits at .492 with 4 homeruns and 27 runs batted in. Samantha Edwards is hitting .357, Sienna Melz is at .354, Charlotte Lundgren is hitting .333, Madyson Burgstaler and Adah Williams are both at .312 with Maddy at 16 runs batted in and Williams, the latest to join the "Power Company", who has driven in 13 runners. Gabi Price has knocked in 9 runs, and Eilee Aho has 8 RBI's. The Agates are scoring and giving up about the same number of runs, 8.1 for and 8.2 against. Gametime at Proctor is 2pm and with a win Aitkin would meet the Proctor-C-I winner at around 4pm. 

     The Aitkin JH combined team finished their season undefeated Monday as they swept through the GRC Tournament with three easy wins. Coach Lena Broeckel fills us in, "Game one saw the Gobblers beat Pine City 14-3. Rehse Rikala started for us with Brenynn Huse doing the catching. Rehse struck out 6 in her part of the game. Closing out this game was Averi Winter who added 4 more strikeouts to our total." Aitkin had 5 hits in the win, Hannah Fowlds, Zoey Baierl, Sophie Crain, Shelby Anderson and Aubrey Edwards each had one. 

     Game two saw the Gobblers beat Rush City 14-4. Broeckel again, "Opening pitcher was Carlie Parker with 4 strikeouts and Grace Hoppe added 4 strikeouts. Evelynn Olson did the catching". The Gobblers had 15 hits in this one with 13 players getting knocks. 

    Game three had the Gobblers beating Mora 12-4. Broeckel, "Aubrey Aspelin started for us and struck out 6 hitters. Kenzie Klee added 5 more and Huse again did the catching." Aitkin had another good game at the plate smacking out 11 hits. The games were limited to one hour so each of the teams played about 30 minutes.

     The Aitkin 8th grade softball team traveled to Duluth East Saturday for a tournament and won all three games to finish in first place. In game one Kenzie Klee struck out seven hitters in a 10-2 Gobbler win. Brianna Ecklund and Grace Hoppe each had two hits to lead the offense. Evelynn Olson, Leah Palm, Eleanor Hughes and Shelby Anderson each had one hit. Game two saw Grace Hoppe in the circle in a 17-4 win over Moose Lake-Willow River. Ecklund was 3-3 in this one while Hoppe had two more hits. Everyone in the lineup scored at least one run and many had two runs scored. Natalie Wenzel, Leah Palm and Eleanor Hughes all added one hit in the game. Game three was a close one with the Gobblers beating Moose Lake-Willow River (2) 8-7. Averi Winter started for Aitkin and had three strikeouts and Kenzie Klee finished up and added four more strikeouts. Ecklund, Klee, Hoppe, Olson and Palm all had hits. 

     The Aitkin Gobblers played their last road game of the regular season Thursday, and boy did they make it a memorable one. They got out to a 12-0 lead against the 15-4 Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin Titans and never looked back in a 15-1 victory. The win gives the Gobblers a 12-7 record heading into the final game of the regular season Friday against C-I. Sienna Melz threw a two-hitter and had a pair of hits to lead her team, and her defense behind her was stellar as Melz struck out only two hitters in the game. She was excited after the win, "I'm still in shock, that's exactly what will happen when our "D" locks in and we have hot bats right off the get-go. Insane, I'm so proud of these girls. It was a great team win". Melz had plenty of help from her offense as the Gobblers hit three more homeruns, giving them 18 on the season. Aitkin got started right away, taking a 3-0 lead in the first. Samantha Edwards singled, Melz walked, Haley Shereck doubled and a fielders choice and error made it 3-0. Three more in the third started with a single by Melz, followed by a double from Shereck and a homer by Madyson Burgstaler, her 3rd of the season. They made it 12-0 in the 4th. Gabi Price walked, Charlotte Lundgren singled, Melz singled, Shereck singled, Natalie Stueven doubled and Burgstaler rapped a single. After the Titans scored in their half of the 4th two of the "sisters" put things to bed. Edwards singled, Shereck homered and Stueven followed with another dinger, and it was 15-1. Shereck finished 4-4, Stueven and Melz were both 2-3, Edwards and Burgstaller were both 2-4 and Lundgren was 1-3. 

     Coach Jim Leiviska was pretty proud of his girls after this huge win, "They knew the importance of this game and were laser focused from the first BP pitch to the final out. Sienna pitched another gem and the "D" locked it down behind her. They timed up a very good pitcher early and kept their foot on the gas and chased her out of the game early. Going into the Section leaders house and taking care of business is a message that this group has hit their stride at the right time of the season and are ready to make a run."

      Shereck had another great game at the plate and is one of the toughest players on this team and she had plenty to say after the win, "I am so pumped. We locked in from the beginning and used that focus and energy for the whole game. The momentum lasted the whole time and we finished off so strong." Burgstaler is really starting to rip the ball and just in time for the post-season. She knows how big this game was, "It was a great game for everyone. We made every play that came to us which makes it really easy to win a game. We started the game with hot bats and kept it going the whole game. Three homeruns really got us going and got into the heads of Greenway. I'm so happy to be on this team with all these girls." Stueven who quietly runs the game from her position at catcher was excited after the win, "What a win. We came in focused and ready for anything to come our way. We had good bats in the first and the momentum just went up from there. So proud of this team. Three more homeruns and Sienna had a great game giving up just two hits."

Gobblers   15 13 0

Titans          1   4 3

WP Sienna Melz

LP Ava Johnson

       The Gobblers will close out the regular season Friday at home against Crosby-Ironton.

       Forget about names like Ruth, Aaron, McGuire, Bonds and Judge. The Aitkin Gobblers have their own version of "bombers" and we are calling them the "Sisters of Swat". Going into the end of the week six players have accumulated 15 round-trippers this season including the school's first back-to-back-to back performance Tuesday against Mille Lacs. Four of the ladies are seniors and won't soon be forgotten in the annals of Gobbler softball. Natalie Stueven, Haley Shereck, Sienna Melz and Maddy Burgstaler will long be remembered for two of the most successful seasons in Gobbler history. Kate Palm and Charlotte Lundgren, two underclassmen have added some juice to an already powerful lineup. With two games left in the regular season Kate Palm leads the team in homers with 4 while Shereck and Stueven each have 3, Melz and Burgstaler each have 2 and Lundgren has 1. Aitkin is the second leading run scoring team in Section 7AA behind Rush City, at 9.5 runs per game. The Gobblers look to get a first round game at home again in a week or so and will be a contender in the Section playoff. Shereck goes into Thursday's game at Greenway hitting .567 and has knocked in a team leading 31 runs. Haley is hitting .737 with runners in scoring position. Palm is hitting .368 and has 23 runs batted in. Stueven is at .481 with 22 rbi's and Melz has driven in 15 runs, Burgstaler has driven in 13 runs, and Adah Williams, Samantha Edwards and Gabi Price have all driven in 8 runs. Last season the Gobblers hit 9 homeruns led by Stueven with 3, Edwards and Palm each with 2 and Shereck and Burgstaler each with one homer. Chances are that this years homerun totals will go up as the season continues and you can bet, this team will be ready when the post-season gets here. Trust me, the "Sisters of Swat" are keeping their bats warm!