The first win snapped a five-game losing streak.

The second win nailed down a winning season.

All in all, it was a good way for the Tomah VFW 18-and-under girls softball squad to end its season.

Two solid pitching efforts and a barrage of solid, line-drive base hits gave Tomah a 5-2, 14-3 doubleheader victory over Onalaska Wednesday at Gerke Field.

Tomah finished the season with a 9-7 record. Tomah coach Michelle McDaniel was happy with a season that allowed her girls to play 16 games over eight consecutive Wednesdays.

“The girls got a chances to play some different positions, get to know the game better and play some good competition,” McDaniel said. “It was a very nice season.”

Tomah never trailed in either game. In the first game, Tomah grabbed a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Maggie Ruedy launched the rally with a one-out double, and Kala Lindley and Dana Lindley followed with run-scoring singles. Brittni Swanson tapped an RBI groundout to produce the third run, and an error allowed the fourth run to score.

In the third inning, Emilee Burkhalter led off with a single and scored on a two-out double from Michelle Luebke.

Tomah pitcher Ali Van Havermaet was dominant through the first four innings. She allowed just two runners during that span, one of which was gunned down stealing by catcher Brooke Von Haden.

Van Havermaet got into a jam in the fifth, when she started the inning by tossing five straight balls. A wild pitch and error ruined Van Havermaet’s shutout, but she nailed down the victory by inducing an infield popup to end the game.

In five innings, Van Havermaet struck out seven and allowed just three hits.

Second game rout

Tomah was the road team in the second game and didn’t waste any time collecting runs against Onalaska starting pitcher Sara Helgerson. Kala Lindley started a first inning rally with a one-out walk, Burkhalter reached on an error and Ruedy loaded the bases with a walk.

Luebke produced the game’s first two runs with a single that scored Lindley and Burkhalter. Dana Lindley reloaded the bases with a walk, and Swanson pushed the lead to 3-0 when she delivered an RBI groundout. A wild pitch allowed Luebke to score the inning’s fourth run.

The lead went to 5-0 in the second, when Van Havermaet lashed a double and scored on a Burkhalter single.

Tomah busted the game wide open in the fourth with seven runs. Ruedy led off the inning with a single and wound up circling the bases thanks to two errors on the same play. Tomah would get six more runs in the inning thanks to a pair of two-run singles by Kala Lindley and Luebke and a one-run single by Burkhalter. Another run crossed home on a wild pitch.

Tomah got two more runs in the fifth. Kala Lindley drew a bases-loaded walk, and Burkhalter reached on an RBI fielder’s choice.

Tomah pitcher Lindsey Betthauser took a shutout and no-hitter into the fourth inning until Onalaska’s Melissa Snow cracked a one-out triple that brought home Onalaska’s first run.

Onalaska scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, but the game ended when an Onalaska runner was gunned down at home plate.

McDaniel was impressed by both Tomah pitchers.

“They did a good job of putting it in there and not being wild,” McDaniel said. “They let the defense make plays.”

At the plate, Tomah rapped out 19 hits over the two games.

Luebke had a big night with two singles, a double, two walks and five RBIs in six plate appearances.

Kala Lindley had two singles, three walks and four RBIs, Burkhalter’s had three singles and three RBIs, and Ruedy reached base five times in six plate appearances thanks to a double, two singles and two walks.

“I was impressed with our hitting tonight,” McDaniel said. “I’ve been impressed with our hitting all season and the improvement we’ve shown in that area.”