One local high school softball team has reached the end of the road, while three others are hoping to continue their journeys with deep postseason runs.

Valmeyer (4-14) dropped a 2-1 contest to Lebanon in the Class 1A New Athens Regional on Monday.

The Pirates plated a run in the first inning but were shut out the rest of the way. Chelsea Hooker went 1-for-2 with an RBI in her final game for Valmeyer. She will continue her softball career at Quincy University.

Lilly Schlemmer struck out seven in six innings pitched for the Pirates.

Valmeyer ended its regular season with a 13-3 loss to Pinckneyville on Friday. Stephanie Meister went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Pirates.

Last Tuesday, the Pirates won 10-8 and lost 2-1 to Marissa. Hooker went 6-for-7 on the day with a home run.

Hooker led Valmeyer in hitting this season at .511 with eight doubles and 16 runs scored. Other key contributors on offense were Tinleigh Jakimauskus (.286), Meister (.283) and Schlemmer (.281). 

Dupo (13-9) began its postseason Tuesday against Okawville in the Class 1A Centralia Regional. With a win, the Tigers would play Friday for the regional title and a berth in the South Central Sectional on Tuesday.

Dupo lost 5-4 to Red Bud on Friday. MyKenzie Kloess went 3-for-4 for the Tigers.

Dupo lost 7-4 to Marissa last Wednesday. Kloess had a triple and an RBI.

Kloess leads the Tigers in hitting at .543 with 29 RBIs and 21 runs. Reagan Carner is hitting .479 with 36 runs and 24 RBIs and is 8-4 as a pitcher with a 3.59 ERA.

Cameron Foster is also hitting .479 with 22 runs, 18 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

Columbia (17-7) won 3-0 over Salem on Monday with Kaelyn Rheinecker and Mikaela Kossina each hitting home runs. 

Rheinecker allowed just two hits and struck out 11 in the pitching circle.

The Eagles posted a 14-2 win over Carlyle last Tuesday. Rheinecker and Taylor Holten homered and Lexi Touchette went 2-for-4 with four RBIs for the Eagles. 

Columbia played at Civic Memorial on Tuesday and hosts Herrin on Wednesday.

The Eagles open Class 3A Jerseyville Regional play this coming Tuesday against the winner of East St. Louis vs. Cahokia. Other teams in this regional are Jerseyville and Highland.

Touchette leads Columbia in hitting at .471 with four home runs, 28 RBIs, 26 runs and 11 doubles.

Kossina is hitting .434 with 23 RBIs and 21 runs and is 5-1 as a pitcher with a 2.75 ERA.

Rheinecker is hitting .405 with four home runs and 17 RBIs and is 9-4 with a 1.71 ERA as a pitcher. 

Waterloo (12-12) hasn’t played since a 4-3 loss to Civic Memorial last Wednesday despite two hits each from Skyler Barker, Taylor Downen and Izzy Wahn. 

Last Tuesday, the Bulldogs won 4-3 over Waltonville. Wahn went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Barker picked up the pitching victory for the ‘Dogs.

Waterloo plays at Granite City on Wednesday, hosts Triad on Friday, plays at Mascoutah on Saturday and hosts Alton on Monday.

The ‘Dogs will battle Freeburg in the Class 3A Bethalto Regional at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Other teams in this regional are Mascoutah, Civic Memorial and Triad.

Wahn leads Waterloo in hitting at .515 with 19 RBIs and 19 runs, followed by Abbey Goff at .465 with 23 RBIs and 21 runs.

Downen, a senior, is hitting .427 with 28 RBIs. Barker, also a senior, is 3-0 in 23 innings pitched with a 2.13 ERA.