"Hey, rankings, conference standings and all that stuff really do not matter now!"
The games get played on the dirt.
With those statements in mind at the start of a long weekend, here are some thoughts and perhaps a look at some of the results from Thursday and Friday's Regional Final level games across the Badger State.
I'll start out in Division 1 where Oshkosh West did what they were expected to do in an 11-1 win over Sheboygan North. Kimberly and Kaukauna both won games so on Tuesday those two schools whose city boundaries are tough to distinguish from one another will meet in Kaukauna. Kimberly sent Beaver Dam packing in a tight, 2-1 game while The Galloping Ghosts beat Hartford Union 12-1.
In sectional # 8 Kenosha Bradford took Oak Creek down in a 10-0 game while Greenfield upended Muskego 5-3 to set up Tuesday's matchup at Bradford's home field. Racine Case bumped Park by a score of 12-5 and will now face Tremper, an 11-2 winner over South Milwaukee.
In the Northwest Sectional, that would be number 1, Chippewa Fals beat Eau Claire North 6-4 while Hudson squeaked past a much improved program at Menomonie, 2-1. SPASH beat Rhinelander 7-0 while D.C. Everest set up another game with the Panthers by beating Merrill 6-0.
In sectional #7 Germantown swamped Whitefish Bay 10-2 and will meet Hamilton, a 13-3 winner in five innings over Homestead. DSHA got out-hit by Nicolet but the final score is the only thing that matters in tourney time and in this one DHSA won it, 6-3. Brookfield Central took down cross-town rival Brookfield East 7-1 and will face the Holy Angels of Divine Savior on Tuesday.
Sun Praire had to have breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday night when they learned that Madison LaFollette and pitcher Nicole Newman got beat by Baraboo and pitcher Jessie Carignan. This time it was Carignan who tossed the shutout, outlasting Newman who fanned her average of 15 batters. Sun Prairie beat LaCrosse Logan on Thursday 9-1. Meanwhile Verona also had to feel pretty good about their chances when they learned that Newman will not be in the circle on Tuesday. They will, however, be forced to face the kid who beat LaFollette, that being the Thunderbird's Carignan.
Sectional six created a huge upset on Thursday when 8th seeded Kettle Moraine took top seeded Mukwanago down 2-1 and advanced to the sectional semi-final where they will play the Goslings of Watertown, a 6-0 winner over Waukesha North. Menomonee Falls, having been moving along under the ranker's radar the entire season beat Arrowhead 6-2 on Tuesday and will take on another upset winner in West Allis Hale who toppled #2 seeded Oconomowoc on Thursday 4-3.
In Sectional five top ranked Westosha Central and pitcher Sarah Fonk took Burlington apart 11-0 in five innings while conference foe Wilmot beat Fort Atkinson 4-1. Those two will meet on Tuesday. Waterford beat Milton 3-2 while Janesville Craig's upset of #2 seeded Union Grove boosted the Cougars into the sectional semi-final against Waterford.
Appleton East beat Green Bay East 4-0 on Thursday and will now take on Bay Port, a 4-3 winner over Ashwaubenon while Hortonville will represent the Bay Conference when the Polar Bears take on Green Bay Preble in Green Bay on Tuesday.
Division 2
In Sectional #1 of Division 2 Sparta took down West Salem 5-3 while top-ranked and defending state champion Baldwin-Woodville beat Osceola 5-0 to set up the sectional semi-final in Black River Falls on Tuesday. Meanwhile in the bottom bracket, Rice Lake took it to Barron with a 12-0, five-inning win over Barron and will take on Mosinee, a 5-0 winner over Medford. That game is in Rice Lake on Tuesday.
In Sectional #4 Waupun moved out on the bracket sheet by beating Plymouth 3-1 while Mayville tipped Grafton 3-1 to set up that semi-final in Plymouth. Cudahy stayed alive in the bottom of the bracket with an 11-1, six-inning win over Wisconsin Lutheran. In the very bottom of that bracket New Berlin West upended New Berlin Eisenhower 2-0.
In Sectional # 2 Shawano kept things going with an 11-10 win in a game that apparently may have had a bit of rules controversy involved. At any rate Shawano will now take on Luxemburg-Casco in Sturgeon Bay on Tuesday as the Spartans rolled to an 8-1 victory over Southern Door. Adams-Friendship showed why rankers in that part of the state were high on the Green Devils all year when they knocked off Ripon 4-1 adn will now face an always tough New London club, a 9-3 winner over Little Chute.
In Sectional #3 Monroe came from four runs down to upend River Valley in Monroe and will now take on second seeded Portage in Monroe. The Warriors beat Sauk Prairie 5-2 to set up that game on Tuesday. Delavan-Darien beat Beloit Turner 11-4 to end the season for Turner while McFarland handled Edgerton 9-2.
Division 3
This article in the LaCrosse Tribune is one of the top Division 3 stories coming out of Thursday's Regional Final games. Luther scored a 9-8 come-from-behind win with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. The win boosts Luther into a sectional semi-final match up with upstart Mineral Point who beat Boscobel 3-2 on Thursday in a tight game of their own. The game will feature two pitchers who also swing important sticks for their clubs - Mariah Shultz of Luther and Beth Woods of Mineral Point. The winner of that game will take on the winner of a game that features two teams that met in the 2011 Sectional Semi in Brodhead. This year Brodhead travels to Poynette to take on the Pumas, who recorded an upset over top seeded Waterloo 8-0 on Thursday. Brodhead eliminated Parkview 4-0 to set up that game. The sectional final is in Brodhead on Thursday.
Sectional #2 sees Iola-Scandinavia, a 12-7 winner over Manawa taking on Shiocton, a 4-3 winner over Bonduel. That game is in Amherst. Marathon beat Stratford 7-6 to set up a game with defending state champion Pacelli, a 5-1 winner over Weyauwega-Fremont on Thursday. That game will in Athens.
In Sectional #1 Elk Mound bat Colfax 8-2 while Neillsville took Regis down 8-1 to set up that game in Stanley-Boyd on Tuesday. Chequamegon, a 6-5 winner over Hurley on Thursday sets itself for yet another sectional match-up with always-tough Grantsburg. That game is in Park Falls with the winner advancing to the final in Fall Creek on Thursday.
Rounding out the Division 3 field Tuesday will see Roncalli, an 11-9 winner over Kewaunee take on Laconia who upset Horicon 5-1 on Tuesday. That game will be in Horicon. Chilton beat New Holstein 5-1 to advane while Kenosha St. Joseph bumped Martin Luther 6-5 to set up that semi-final game.
Division 4
I'll start where top ranked Thorp resides. That's in Sectional #2 where Thorp stayed alive with a 10-4 win over Greenwood. They will meet a tough Assumption club on Tuesday, an 8-4 winner over Almond-Bancroft. In the lower half of that bracket we find Three Lakes, a team who has been surfing just under the surface of the ranker's view all season, advancing with an 8-4 win over Wausaukee. They will take on Newman Catholic, a 13-0 winner in five innings over Rosholt.
In Sectional #3 New Lisbon, behind Makaya Vinz nipped Cashton 3-2 and will take on DeSoto, a 14-11 winner over Ithaca. DeSoto pitching will have to be stellar on Tuesday as Vinz seldom allows more than a run or two. The Rockets have been on top of their game all season. Belmont and Monticello will take on each other in Belmont on Tuesday. The Braves beat Highland 17-2 in five-innings, leaving little doubt as to the superiority in that one while Monticello tipped Barneveld 7-4 to set up that game.
Shell Lake and Minong both can be found in Washburn County. Minong is the home of Northwood High School. On Tuesday the Evergreens will travel to the county seat to take on the the Lakers, a 6-2 winner over Gilman. Northwood beat Drummond, another highly regarded team all season by the rankers, 5-2. Meanwhile Elmwood/Plum City jumped bolted onto the ranker's radar screen after beating both Elk Mound and Pepin/Alma in the same week and beat Immanuel Lutheran 3-0 on Thursday. They will take on Pepin-Alma, a team that was stunned until there were two outs in their final at bat against Cochrane-Fountain City before a walk-off single won it 3-2. Both clubs are members of the Dunn/St. Croix Conference and longtime arch rivals. It should be a great atmosphere at legendary Haines Field in Pepin.
Rounding out today's look at the sectionals is sectional # 4 where Algoma, a team that was a division 3 state tournament participant last year and a 15-1 winner over Sevastopol will take on defending state champion Oakfield, a 5-0 winner over Markesan. That game is in Algoma and will be a great one, pitting to excellent programs against one another. In the lower bracket Racine Lutheran has to be the favorite as they take on Fall River. Lutheran beat Johnson Creek 7-3 on Thursday while Fall River bumped neighboring Rio 7-6.
Pick out a game! Grab a folding lawn chair. Get there early and buy a beverage and hot dog and enjoy the games.
Tag(s): Bulletins
