DARLINGTON - Junior Nicki Becker went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Juda-Albany softball team to a 6-1 win over Iowa-Grant in a WIAA Division 4 sectional championship game and punch its ticket to state.
It's the second time in the past three years the Panthers (25-2) have qualified for the state tournament.
Becker pitched a complete game and gave up one run on three hits. She struck out eight and walked two.
"It's really overwhelming," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said. "The kids played a great game. The girls wanted to get back to the state tournament and try to win a state championship. Now they have that opportunity."
Juda-Albany will play Phillips (21-1) at 9 p.m. Thursday in a state semifinal at Goodman Diamond in Madison. Shiocton (22-7) and Stevens Point Pacelli (19-8) will play in the other semifinal Friday morning.
The Panthers had 10 hits against Iowa-Grant. Senior Chelsea Burkhalter went 2-for-3, and senior Alexis Goecks was 2-for-4.
Juda-Albany scored two runs in the first inning to take a 2-1 lead. They added one run in the second and one in the third to extend the lead to 4-1.
That is all the run support Becker needed.
"As the game went on, she (Becker) got stronger," Davis said. "We went into it early in the game and she was pounding the inside part of the plate. They (Iowa-Grant) made an adjustment so she (Becker) threw more off-speed pitches, and she kept battling."
Belmont 13, Black Hawk 0 (5)
BELMONT - Black Hawk's postseason run came to an end with Belmont rolling to a shutout of the Warriors in five innings in a WIAA Division 5 sectional title game.
Belmont limited the Warriors to two hits. Black Hawk junior Lauren Schultz had a single in the third inning, and senior Jordyn Delzer had a single in the fourth.
"I just told the girls it's been 22 years that they (Black Hawk) have got this far," Black Hawk coach Jim Baumgartner said. "You can't hang your head and dwell on this. You hate to see it end. We had a heck of a run."
Black Hawk freshman Hannah Butler pitched a complete game. In four innings, she gave up six earned runs on nine hits, struck out two and walked seven.
Black Hawk finished the season with a 14-12 record and will graduate four seniors - Sam Lovelace, Delzer, Morgyn Stauffacher and Dakota Thompson.
"We will miss the seniors," Baumgartner said. "We don't want to wait another 22 years. The players coming back see where they can go next year."
It's the second time in the past three years the Panthers (25-2) have qualified for the state tournament.
Becker pitched a complete game and gave up one run on three hits. She struck out eight and walked two.
"It's really overwhelming," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said. "The kids played a great game. The girls wanted to get back to the state tournament and try to win a state championship. Now they have that opportunity."
Juda-Albany will play Phillips (21-1) at 9 p.m. Thursday in a state semifinal at Goodman Diamond in Madison. Shiocton (22-7) and Stevens Point Pacelli (19-8) will play in the other semifinal Friday morning.
The Panthers had 10 hits against Iowa-Grant. Senior Chelsea Burkhalter went 2-for-3, and senior Alexis Goecks was 2-for-4.
Juda-Albany scored two runs in the first inning to take a 2-1 lead. They added one run in the second and one in the third to extend the lead to 4-1.
That is all the run support Becker needed.
"As the game went on, she (Becker) got stronger," Davis said. "We went into it early in the game and she was pounding the inside part of the plate. They (Iowa-Grant) made an adjustment so she (Becker) threw more off-speed pitches, and she kept battling."
Belmont 13, Black Hawk 0 (5)
BELMONT - Black Hawk's postseason run came to an end with Belmont rolling to a shutout of the Warriors in five innings in a WIAA Division 5 sectional title game.
Belmont limited the Warriors to two hits. Black Hawk junior Lauren Schultz had a single in the third inning, and senior Jordyn Delzer had a single in the fourth.
"I just told the girls it's been 22 years that they (Black Hawk) have got this far," Black Hawk coach Jim Baumgartner said. "You can't hang your head and dwell on this. You hate to see it end. We had a heck of a run."
Black Hawk freshman Hannah Butler pitched a complete game. In four innings, she gave up six earned runs on nine hits, struck out two and walked seven.
Black Hawk finished the season with a 14-12 record and will graduate four seniors - Sam Lovelace, Delzer, Morgyn Stauffacher and Dakota Thompson.
"We will miss the seniors," Baumgartner said. "We don't want to wait another 22 years. The players coming back see where they can go next year."
