MADISON - When Juda-Albany junior pitcher Nicki Becker got Stevens Point Pacelli's Cailin Firkus to ground out to third in the bottom of the seventh inning at Goodman Diamond on Saturday, she tossed her glove in the air and the celebration began: The Panthers had just edged Pacelli 2-1 in the WIAA Division 4 state championship game for their first state title in softball.
In fact, it was the first state title in any team sport in the history of Juda.
"It's just crazy," Becker said. "We came ready and we ended ready. I'm extremely proud of everyone. We made our community proud. I think we made people notice Juda-Albany. This was our ultimate goal."
The Juda-Albany softball team just finished it's fifth year as a co-op. The team made it to the state tournament two of the past three years. This year, the team struck gold.
And it was hard to ignore the outpouring of support for the Panthers after winning the gold trophy. Fans clad in purple celebrated and hugged players behind the fence at Goodman Diamond. Several players poured ice water on Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis. Players posed for photos with the gold trophy.
"It's a dream come true," senior Sara Jordan said. "It's amazing. It means so much to me. We finally did it. I can't believe it."
"It feels so indescribable," said senior Alexis Goecks who went 2-for-2 with a triple and one run scored. "I never thought I would be here in four years. I could not stop crying on the field."
To get into a position to bring home the championship, Juda-Albany (26-2) had to win a pitchers' duel. Becker was dazzling at the start of the game, returning the first 10 batters she faced before Pacelli's Teesa Shafranski reached on an error in the fourth.
Becker outdueled Pacelli pitcher Brook Nagorski. Becker tossed a complete game and gave up one unearned run on a wild pitch and allowed just four hits. She struck out eight and didn't issue a walk.
"It wasn't our cleanest game," Davis said of the state title game where the Panthers committed five errors. "When our backs were against the wall, we stepped up and made a play."
The Panthers took the lead in the third. Goecks crushed a triple to right leading off. One batter later, Jordan delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Goecks to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
"I told them before the game they may only see their pitch once or twice and when they see it they have to take advantage of that," Davis said of Pacelli pitcher Nagorski. "Alexis saw her pitch and she turned on it and hit it hard. Sara got behind in the count, but she was able to get her pitch and drive the ball. It was good fundamental at-bats there."
The Panthers added to their lead in the fourth. Becker doubled to left and junior Hailey Kammerer came through with a sacrifice bunt to move courtesy runner Brianna Crull to third. Junior Sammi Detra then came through with an RBI infield single to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
"Good hitters go up there and look for their pitch to hit," Davis said. "They had been pounding her (Becker) inside. I told her to turn on the ball. She did a good job of getting her pitch and driving it to left."
That was all the cushion Becker would need. Becker pitched out of several jams in the game. She pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth. Becker got Pacelli's Chrissy Shafranski and Karah Kluck to both pop out to Sayde McDermott at third.
Becker said she just did deep breathing to help work herself out of the jam.
"I have been practicing for this moment my entire life," she said.
In the fifth, the Loggers had two on and one out. Pacelli's Paige Hintz hit a comebacker to Becker. She threw to third base and the Panthers were able to run down Sophie Schroeder in a pickle play and tagged her out at third. She then got Teesa Shafranski to ground out to her to end the threat. Pacelli, which left eight runners stranded on base, had another golden scoring opportunity in the sixth with two on and one out. Becker struck out Emma Kluck and got her to ground out to senior second baseman Riley Adkins to wiggle out of the jam.
"Nicki has been there and done that," Davis said. "She pitched her traveling softball team (Toxic 99) to a national championship last summer. She's been in those situations before. She's used to it. She came through with clutch pitch after clutch pitch. That's just the kind of person she is."
The Loggers scored one run in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch, but that is the only run Becker would give up. Becker went 2-for-3 at the plate. Kammerer went 1-for-2. Jordan and Detra were each 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Juda-Albany committed an uncharacteristic five errors. However, that will likely not even be remembered after winning a state title.
"It's just amazing," Kammerer said. "No words can describe it. Coming in, we knew they (Pacelli) had a really good team that had been to state before. Nicki did amazing up on the mound keeping her composure. We had some tough points where we struggled as a team. We picked each other up and we knew we had each other to rely on."
To be the first team from Juda to win a state championship is a fact that is not lost with Kammerer.
"It's leaving a legacy behind," Kammerer said. "To know we accomplished something like this is amazing."
In fact, it was the first state title in any team sport in the history of Juda.
"It's just crazy," Becker said. "We came ready and we ended ready. I'm extremely proud of everyone. We made our community proud. I think we made people notice Juda-Albany. This was our ultimate goal."
The Juda-Albany softball team just finished it's fifth year as a co-op. The team made it to the state tournament two of the past three years. This year, the team struck gold.
And it was hard to ignore the outpouring of support for the Panthers after winning the gold trophy. Fans clad in purple celebrated and hugged players behind the fence at Goodman Diamond. Several players poured ice water on Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis. Players posed for photos with the gold trophy.
"It's a dream come true," senior Sara Jordan said. "It's amazing. It means so much to me. We finally did it. I can't believe it."
"It feels so indescribable," said senior Alexis Goecks who went 2-for-2 with a triple and one run scored. "I never thought I would be here in four years. I could not stop crying on the field."
To get into a position to bring home the championship, Juda-Albany (26-2) had to win a pitchers' duel. Becker was dazzling at the start of the game, returning the first 10 batters she faced before Pacelli's Teesa Shafranski reached on an error in the fourth.
Becker outdueled Pacelli pitcher Brook Nagorski. Becker tossed a complete game and gave up one unearned run on a wild pitch and allowed just four hits. She struck out eight and didn't issue a walk.
"It wasn't our cleanest game," Davis said of the state title game where the Panthers committed five errors. "When our backs were against the wall, we stepped up and made a play."
The Panthers took the lead in the third. Goecks crushed a triple to right leading off. One batter later, Jordan delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Goecks to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
"I told them before the game they may only see their pitch once or twice and when they see it they have to take advantage of that," Davis said of Pacelli pitcher Nagorski. "Alexis saw her pitch and she turned on it and hit it hard. Sara got behind in the count, but she was able to get her pitch and drive the ball. It was good fundamental at-bats there."
The Panthers added to their lead in the fourth. Becker doubled to left and junior Hailey Kammerer came through with a sacrifice bunt to move courtesy runner Brianna Crull to third. Junior Sammi Detra then came through with an RBI infield single to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
"Good hitters go up there and look for their pitch to hit," Davis said. "They had been pounding her (Becker) inside. I told her to turn on the ball. She did a good job of getting her pitch and driving it to left."
That was all the cushion Becker would need. Becker pitched out of several jams in the game. She pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth. Becker got Pacelli's Chrissy Shafranski and Karah Kluck to both pop out to Sayde McDermott at third.
Becker said she just did deep breathing to help work herself out of the jam.
"I have been practicing for this moment my entire life," she said.
In the fifth, the Loggers had two on and one out. Pacelli's Paige Hintz hit a comebacker to Becker. She threw to third base and the Panthers were able to run down Sophie Schroeder in a pickle play and tagged her out at third. She then got Teesa Shafranski to ground out to her to end the threat. Pacelli, which left eight runners stranded on base, had another golden scoring opportunity in the sixth with two on and one out. Becker struck out Emma Kluck and got her to ground out to senior second baseman Riley Adkins to wiggle out of the jam.
"Nicki has been there and done that," Davis said. "She pitched her traveling softball team (Toxic 99) to a national championship last summer. She's been in those situations before. She's used to it. She came through with clutch pitch after clutch pitch. That's just the kind of person she is."
The Loggers scored one run in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch, but that is the only run Becker would give up. Becker went 2-for-3 at the plate. Kammerer went 1-for-2. Jordan and Detra were each 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Juda-Albany committed an uncharacteristic five errors. However, that will likely not even be remembered after winning a state title.
"It's just amazing," Kammerer said. "No words can describe it. Coming in, we knew they (Pacelli) had a really good team that had been to state before. Nicki did amazing up on the mound keeping her composure. We had some tough points where we struggled as a team. We picked each other up and we knew we had each other to rely on."
To be the first team from Juda to win a state championship is a fact that is not lost with Kammerer.
"It's leaving a legacy behind," Kammerer said. "To know we accomplished something like this is amazing."
