Photo by Ashley Hinerman
Both Gretna East freshman teams pose with their trophies after going undefeated at Freshman State.
Going undefeated in the Nebraska Freshman Girls Fastpitch Tournament, also known as “Freshman State,” from July 25-27, both Gretna East Black and Gretna East Gold claimed co-champion titles in the Gold Bracket. With 30 girls representing Gretna East, this marked the district’s return to the tournament after nearly 15 years.
“I felt so lucky to have this opportunity to represent my town, especially because it was our first year in the tournament,” freshman Hadley McDowell said.
This year’s annual tournament, which featured players entering eighth through tenth grade, saw 30 teams from across the state. Class A schools competed in their own bracket, while Class B and C schools competed against each other.
Although both Gretna East teams advanced to the championship round, no final game was played. Since both teams represented the same school, and with the extreme heat and long weekend already taking a toll on the players, the Coaches chose to crown both teams co-champions.
Both teams delivered dominant performances, each going 3-0 in pool play and 3-0 in bracket play, finishing with perfect 6-0 records. Combined, they posted a 12-0 overall record across the weekend.
“I loved the grit of both teams,” head coach Wade Tracy said. “Both teams played extra-inning games. Both teams were down at some point and fought their way back. Both teams overcame adversity. Both teams fought through really hot, long days and just kept competing.”
One of the weekend’s most exciting games came during Gretna East Black’s extra-inning matchup against Skutt Catholic. With the game tied 2-2 heading into the final inning, Skutt pulled ahead with a run in the top half, but East refused to back down. One such moment was when, despite fouling a ball off her knee earlier in the at-bat, freshman Rylee Hayduk battled through pain and sealed the win with a walk-off home run, sending Gretna East Black to the pre-championship game.
“I cracked one off my knee and thought, ‘Great, that’s it,’ but then I stepped back in, locked in, and just launched it,” Hayduk said. “The Pain was gone the second I saw it clear the fence.”
Another key moment came during Gretna East Gold’s matchup against Wahoo. The game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading leads and momentum throughout the contest. Heading into the seventh inning, Wahoo pulled ahead 7-6, putting pressure on East to respond. Freshman Avery Bachman rose to the occasion, delivering the second double of the inning and driving in two runs, securing a walk-off win for East.
“I was really excited and grateful that I had the opportunity to step up and do that for the team,” Bachman said.