Thorp Falls In Championship/McDonell Wins 2 Straight Championship
Sunday, June 10th, 2018 -- 7:37 AM
The Thorp Cardinal girls softball fell to Horicon in the Division 4 State Championship game on Saturday in Madison 11-0 while McDonell Central won their second straight Division 5 Championship, beating Oakfield 5-2.Horicon (28-1)scored all the runs they needed in the first inning. They plated four without the benefit of a hit. Multiple errors, walks and wild pitches by the Cardinals led to a 4-0 Horicon lead. The Marshladies added another two runs in the second inning on an RBI single by Angie Laabs and a run-scoring double by Jadin Justman.
Horicon scored two more in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly and a squeeze bunt. The Marshladies capped the scoring in the fifth with three runs. Allison Tillema drove in a run with her second sacrifice fly of the game, and two runs scored on errors.
Angie Laabs and Amber Jacobson led the Horicon hit parade with two hits apiece. Justman, Cassie Laabs and Tillema each drove in two runs, and Karissa Laabs and Angie Laabs scored three times.
Tillema tossed a gem in the circle with a one-hitter, which followed a 5-inning, no-hitter in the semifinals. She was credited with the win, yielding just a bloop hit to center in the fifth inning. She struck out five and walked two.
Paige Rhyner collected the only hit of the game for Thorp. Kaitlyn Tyznik was a victim of five Cardinal errors that resulted in six unearned runs. She struck out six and walked seven.
The Marshladies celebrate their third State championship with previous titles coming in Division 3 in 2002 and 2003. Thorp (17-cool.gif finishes runner-up for the third time in four appearances in the State tournament final.
McDonell Central (20-1) scored two unearned runs in both the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead. Abby Opsal collected a pair of hits in the game, include a two-run single in the first. A costly Oaks’ error in the second inning plated a pair of runs.
Oakfield scored two unearned runs in the third on an infield error and a fielder’s choice, and the Macks added an insurance run in the sixth inning on an run-scoring single by Liz Rietschel.
Olivia Mlsna chipped in offensively for the Oaks with two hits, and Megan Baier didn’t allow an earned run on five hits with four strikeouts for the complete-game victory in the circle. Vanessa Flury led the Oaks’ hitting attack with two hits, and Avery Conger was changed with the loss, surrendering nine hits and just one earned run.
Oakfield finishes runner-up for the third time in their eighth championship final appearance.
Sun Prairie (29-0) capped an undefeated season by winning the Division 1 championship at the 2018 State Softball Tournament with a 7-1 victory over Burlington.
It’s the first State championship for Sun Prairie in the program’s fifth tournament appearance. Burlington (22-6) finishes runner-up in the Demons’ fourth experience in the State tournament.
Whitnall (26-5) won the Division 2 championship at the 2018 State Softball Tournament with a 3-1 victory over Mosinee.
Whitnall wins its first State championship in its third State appearance, and Mosinee (23-5) finishes runner-up in the Indians’ second tournament appearance.
Poynette (24-1) was crowned the Division 3 champion at the 2018 State Softball Tournament with a 2-0 shutout over Tomahawk.
The Pumas won their fourth championship, winning the Division 2 title in 1998 and Division 3 titles in 2005 and 2011. Tomahawk (16-cool.gif finishes second in its second experience in the State title game. They were also Class B runners-up in 1983
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