It always feels a bit like a reunion at the WIAA State Softball Tournament seeing friends in the sport, and this year felt particularly special. After living in Utah for several years and attending their state championship series, the WIAA tournament feels like a bigger deal. Far bigger crowds. Games played one at a time. And just more fanfare. I had the privilege to attend this year’s event on Friday and Saturday, and it was a fun and exciting weekend.
In two days I was able to catch nine excellent games filled with lots of highlights. Here are some of my personal favorites.
Division 5
Almond-Bancroft center fielder Mya Dernbach was sure fun to watch play. I didn’t catch her perfect 4x4 performance on Thursday, but more than once on Saturday Belmont head coach Jeff Hodgson had to hold his runner at third because Dernbach’s cannon of an arm made every base runner think twice.
Honorable Mention
My niece spotted an awesome sign in the Belmont crowd that read “OMG, is that the real Morgan Freeman?” And Freeman delivered, going 2x3 and got the first RBI in the championship game for Belmont, setting them up for an eventual 8-3 win.
Division 4
9 innings. 33 combined strikeouts. An epic pitchers’ duel in the championship and my favorite kind of game to watch to see what strategies the teams will deploy to try and break through. Mishicot’s Kiran Sanford moved the ball around and nipped corners to strike out a D4 tournament record 20 batters and didn’t allow Pacelli to advance a runner to second base.
Division 3
While Kassidy McCaffery’s dominance in the circle during Poynette’s semifinal win was impressive, the bigger story here was the Poynette offense. The Pumas brought their bats, racking up 31 hits over the weekend and breaking a D2-D5 tournament record for hits in two games. In the championship game facing a defending state champion pitcher, all but one starter recorded multiple hits — a balanced and even attack throughout.
Honorable Mention
It takes a lot of nerve to be a pitcher. It takes a really special mindset to be a freshman pitcher with 8 varsity innings under your belt and get in the circle to face a defending state champion lineup at Goodman Diamond. You had to cheer for Valders pitcher Kyra Kocian’s strikeout in the bottom of the sixth against Fall Creek. She maintained her cool throughout their 6-4 loss, but even more notably looked like she was having a good time and had the full support of her team behind her.
Division 2
It was clear the talent runs deep in the Denmark dugout when freshman reserve catcher Kylee Kersten was behind the plate for the Vikings in the championship game. Her heads up play in the bottom of the sixth was critical for Denmark to get out of the inning while surrendering only one run. With one out and the bases loaded, after a wild pitch ricocheted off the backstop, she ran towards the runner feet away from home, tagged that runner out, and had the wherewithal to fire a perfect ball to second to get a runner retreating there for the third out of the inning.
Honorable Mention
Sophomore Shaelyn Kraschnewski was everywhere for Denmark, collecting three of her team’s five hits in the championship and earning the save in the circle. She was a force.
Division 1
I only caught one Division 1 game, but it was a gem. Brooklynn Danielson of Kenosha Bradford looked completely in control in her showdown against DC Everest. Danielson racked up 17 strikeouts. By the time the tournament ended, she had 35 Ks—just one short of the Division 1 record. And she accomplished that in two games, not three.
Firsts for me
My Dad regularly says “the reason to keep going to the ballpark is that you’ll always see something you hadn’t seen before,” and that promise held true, as well.
In a Division 3 semifinal, I watched Valders try and pull off a fake pick off attempt at third with some coordinated acting from the catcher, third base, shortstop, and left fielder. While it didn’t produce an out, it did result in a bow from the infielders and the crowd ate it up.
In a Division 2 semifinal, I saw what I believe is the first bunt for a double I had ever seen by Denmark’s Vanny Umentum.
And I had never been to a game where the outfield sprinkler system engaged during play like it did in the Division 2 title game.
A great Event
Kudos to the WIAA for putting on a phenomenal tournament. The event was exciting, well-organized, and showcased some serious talent. But no event is without room for improvement.
The extra day this year helped alleviate the rushed feeling teams and fans often experience. Games had enough breathing room, allowing fans to enjoy the action without the long lines and the frantic pace of past years. But Saturday, Championship Day, felt like it fell behind schedule. A lot of it had to do with TV breaks after every half inning. While the TV coverage is fantastic, the pauses disrupt the flow, especially when momentum is building and fans are on the edge of their seats. Softball is wonderfully fast-paced, and the extended delays felt out of sync with the rhythm of the game the rest of the season.
Also, while I enjoy thumbing through the state tournament program, I’d love to see the WIAA reconsider some of the stat categories. Most Wild Pitches? Most Base on Balls? Most Hit Batters, and Most Runs or Hits Allowed by an Individual Pitcher? These aren’t the kind of records I want to see highlighted. Let’s use that space to showcase the best of the best. Athletes who make plays, not mistakes. As my eyes saw this weekend, there were plenty of great opportunities to do so.
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