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Holmen High School's softball team entered their final three Mississippi Valley Conference games in control of their own destiny for their first league championship since 2005, and their first outright league title since 1999. But losses to bottom-half teams Onalaska Friday and Tomah Tuesday left Holmen needing help from Logan Thursday (after the Courier deadline) to tie with Central for the title.

Both losses were frustrating for the Vikings (9-3, 10-5). Holmen managed just three hits and showed a lack of patience at the plate after the first time through the order against junior Liz Burritt Friday, while leaving 15 runners on base Tuesday.

Burritt was within moderate striking distance of a no-hitter. as she allowed bunt hits to Liz Bennett and Kylee Siolka in the second and a two-out, bloop single just inside the right-field line from Bennett in the seventh.

Burritt allowed four baserunners the first time through the Vikings order, with the Siolka bunt loading the bases with two outs in the second. She got out of that inning on an Anna Medinger pop up to shallow left that was caught by shortstop Lindsey Harreld, starting a string of not allowing a hit to the next 15 hitters she faced. The only Holmen baserunner in that stretch came on a two-out walk to Bennett in the fourth, before she was cut down from catcher Kyla Fredrickson to second baseman McKenzie Holthaus attempting to steal.

Kallie Mechling allowed a two-run home run in the first and an unearned run in the fourth Tuesday, before the Vikings made one last attempt to tie. HHS got the go-ahead runs into scoring position with one out after singles from Hannah Galstad and Laura Krings, with Mechling and Liz Bennett reaching on errors.

After Bennett stole second on a first-and-third to put the go-ahead runners into scoring position, leadoff hitter Anna Medinger flew out to center field. Dienger attempted to score with Marissa Fraser in the on-deck circle, but was barely cut down at the plate according to Holmen head coach Mark Wall to end the game.

“It was a lack of key hits at the right time that got us today,” Wall said. “But they did make a lot of nice plays to keep us in check until the seventh.”

Despite that, the Vikings left a small village on the basepaths, including leaving the bases loaded in the second and fourth innings. Krings finished with three hits, with Medinger, Fraser and Bennett also notching safeties. HHS also drew six walks and three hit batsmen.

In between, Holmen won 2-1 at Logan Monday. Mechling scattered eight hits in a complete-game victory, but walked just one. Krings began her hot hitting with two doubles. But the Vikings last win that wasn't tight until the final at-bat was an 8-2 win at Aquinas April 29.

“The lack of offense is becoming a concern,” Wall said. “It's an issue we're working through and we'll make some small changes with some of them if they need to.”

Another of the tight games came May 8, as HHS scored twice in the bottom of the seventh for a 4-3 win over Sparta. Medinger, Fraser, Kayla Oliver and Talia Smith had two hits each.

Postseason positioning for Holmen was determined Wednesday evening (after the Community Life deadline). The Onalaska and Tomah losses likely cost the Vikings a seeding line, with a rematch with Logan possible Tuesday.