While the season has come to an end for some, two local high school softball squads are still smiling after milestone victories.

Valmeyer (14-6) won its third regional title in four years on Monday, waiting out the rain and resulting muddy field conditions to play games Saturday and Monday. 

“This team is so special and has brought me so much joy,” Valmeyer head coach Gayle McCarthy said.

On Saturday, the Pirates won 12-2 over New Athens with a dominant two-way performance from recent graduate Brooke Miller. In addition to striking out 10 hitters over five innings pitched, Miller went 4-for-4 at the plate with three home runs and a double. 

Also starring for the Valmeyer offense was Rylee Nagel with three hits and four RBIs. Mia McSchooler and Payton Similey also collected three hits each. 

On Monday, Valmeyer hosted Marissa in a Class 1A regional final. The result was an 8-1 victory for the Pirates. 

Miller continued her power surge with another home run. She also struck out nine in a complete game pitching effort. 

Similey went 4-for-4 for the Pirates, who advanced to Tuesday’s Carrollton Sectional to face Hardin-Calhoun. The result of that game was not known at press time. 

The winner of Tuesday’s tilt advances to the sectional final set for 5 p.m. Friday, with a berth in Monday’s Athens Supersectional on the line. 

Miller leads the Pirates in hitting at .514 with seven homers, five doubles, three triples, 16 stolen bases, 16 RBIs and 35 runs. 

In the pitching circle, she’s 10-1 with a 1.82 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 84 and two-thirds innings pitched.

Other top hitters for Valmeyer include Avery Proffer (.491, four triples) and Similey (.449, eight doubles).  

In other Class 1A regional action, Dupo (2-15) upset Gibault (7-14) last Wednesday, 5-4, before falling 11-3 to Marissa on Thursday.

Kaitlyn Roberts and Keara Prater, both freshmen, collected two hits each for the Tigers in the win over the Hawks.

Waterloo (24-6) captured one important piece of hardware last week and is now going for regional glory.

The Bulldogs won the Mississippi Valley Conference championship in dramatic fashion on Friday. 

Raelyn Melching’s walk-off two-run homer in the eighth inning gave Waterloo a 4-2 win at home over Jerseyville and clinched the conference crown. 

Mia Miller pitched all eight innings, striking out 13.

Last Wednesday, the Bulldogs won 8-2 over Granite City. Maddie Gummersheimer went 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Aidan Dintelman picked up the pitching win. 

The Bulldogs opened Class 3A Triad Regional play Tuesday against Centralia, winning 7-1. 

The regional final is set for 4 p.m. Friday for a berth in the Waterloo Sectional and a contest scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday. 

Entering the regional, Melching was the leading hitter for Waterloo at .444 with eight homers and 41 RBIs. Samantha Juelfs was hitting .424 with 14 doubles, 22 RBIs and 28 runs. Gummersheimer was at 415 with 19 RBIs. Mallory Thompson was hitting .410 with 13 doubles and 28 runs. 

Miller was 14-4 in the pitching circle with a 1.18 ERA and 207 strikeouts in 112 and one-third innings. 

Columbia (21-11) came up just short of a regional title, falling 5-4 to Wesclin on Friday in the Class 2A Wesclin Regional final. 

The Eagles opened regional play last Wednesday with a 10-3 victory over Wood River. Sam Augustine was 2-for-2 with a homer, and Kaylee Bosch went 3-for-4 for Columbia. 

For the season, Jaylyn Brister hit .479 with four homers, four triples, 11 doubles, 40 RBIs and 32 runs. Elle van Breusegen hit .467 with 42 runs and 15 stolen bases. Paige Froess hit .453 with 28 RBIs in addition to going 6-4 with a 2.44 ERA as a pitcher. 

Emily Webb went 6-4 with a 1.84 ERA in the pitching circle.