Alta-Aurelia falls 7-6 to GTRA on late run, four errors hurt

Alta-Aurelia had GTRA on the ropes in Ruthven, but the Warriors let a winnable game slip away in the final inning. After climbing out of a four-run hole and tying the score twice, Alta-Aurelia fell 7-6 when Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

GTRA looked in control early, scoring three runs in the second inning and adding another in the third to build a 4-0 lead. Alta-Aurelia answered with three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to pull even, then kept coming after GTRA regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Warriors tied it again with runs in the sixth and seventh, showing enough offense to keep pressure on a team that entered the day undefeated.

The difference came in the closing moments. GTRA broke the tie with a run in the bottom of the seventh, and Alta-Aurelia never got another chance at a reply. The Warriors finished with seven hits and six RBIs, but four errors undercut a night when the offense repeatedly did enough to stay within striking distance.

Blair Bunjes carried much of the load at the plate and in the circle. She finished with a single, a double and three RBIs, while Allie Stites added two singles and two RBIs. Macy Droegmiller had two singles, and Paisley Hustedt singled and drove in a run. Amarie Olsen also gave Alta-Aurelia a spark on the bases, stealing two bags as the Warriors tried to manufacture runs any way they could.

Bunjes pitched the entire game and took the loss after allowing seven hits and seven runs, six earned, with five walks and seven strikeouts. Alta-Aurelia also finished with 17 putouts and four assists on 25 total chances, a defensive line that reflected how often the Warriors were forced to chase the game instead of controlling it.

The game carried extra weight because GTRA came in at 3-0 and Alta-Aurelia was still looking for its first win at 0-2. MaxPreps said the 7-6 decision was GTRA’s closest victory since June 28, 2025, a sign of how hard Alta-Aurelia pushed a top early-season opponent.

The loss also fit into a larger stretch for a young Warriors roster that had gone 3-7 in Twin Lakes Conference play and 5-19 overall a year ago. Coach Megan Peterson entered the season with varsity spots open and freshmen and eighth graders competing for roles, and this game showed both sides of that transition: enough fight to challenge a strong opponent, but not yet enough clean late-game execution to finish it.