MADISON, Wis. – Champions in five division were crowned at the 2019 State Softball Tournament Saturday at Goodman Diamond in Madison.
Oshkosh North (31-0) finished the season undefeated to win the Division 1 championship with a 4-2 win over former defending champion Sun Prairie (27-4) in nine innings.
It is the first State title for the Spartans. They scored two runs in the ninth inning with the help of two Cardinals’ errors, one of which allowed the go-ahead run to score. Sophie Averkamp provided insurance with a run-scoring single. Sydney Supple yielded four hits and one earned run while striking out 11 to earn the complete-game victory. Supple set a Division 1 tournament record for strikeouts with 36, which also ties the all-division tourney mark.
Seymour exploded for nine runs in the sixth inning that led to a 9-1 victory over Monroe in the
Division 2 championship game. The big blows in the inning were a two-run single off the bat of Patricia Nieland and a three-run home run to right center by Chloe Evans. The nine runs equal a Division 2 record for runs in an inning, which was fueled by four Cheesemaker errors. Paige Weyer gave up nine hits and struck out five to get credit for the complete-game victory.
The Thunder win the State title in their first-ever appearance in the State Tournament.
In Division 3, Poynette (30-0) rode the arm and bat of Casey Fountain to win its second straight Division 3 championship and cap an undefeated season. Fountain went 4-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles and tossed a one-hit shutout, striking out 13 batters. Her four hits tie a Division 3 record for hits in a game.
The Pumas struck three times in the fifth inning to expand on a one-run lead. Lucy Cuff delivered the key hit with a two-run single to center.
It’s the fifth State championship for Poynette, which ties for the fourth-most among member schools. In addition to the two recent titles, the Pumas also captured the Division 2 crown in 1998 and Division 3 titles in 2005 and 2011.
Horicon (25-1) won its second consecutive Division 4 championship by cruising past formerly undefeated Mishicot (25-1), scoring eight times in the third inning en route to a 13-4 victory.
Lauren Miller collected three hits in the game, and Allison Tillema belted a two-run home run to left field to cap the scoring in the third inning. Tillema was the winning pitcher, yielding three hits and eight walks in seven innings to go with 13 strikeouts.
The Marshladies win their four State championship overall. They also had back-to-back Division 3 championships in 2002 and 2003.
Belmont (26-1) downed previously undefeated Blair-Taylor (28-1) to win the Division 5 championship with a 7-1 triumph.
The Braves broke open a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with six unearned runs ignited by three hits and four Wildcat errors. That production shattered the Division 5 record for most runs in an inning.
Nikki Knebel drove in a pair of runs in the eight-run inning with a single. Sadie Willborn, Abby Althaus and Peyton Johnson each collect two hits in the game for the Braves. Both Johnson’s hits were doubles. Willborn was the winning pitcher, tossing a complete game. She surrendered four hits without giving up an earned run and she struck out four hitters.
Belmont wins its second State championship overall, also possessing the title in Division 4 in 2002.