BRODHEAD — Senior Sophia Leitzen came up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on first and the score knotted at 1-1. Learning from her previous at bats, Leitzen sat on an outside pitch and sent it over the right field fence to walk-off Poynette 3-1 in a WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal May 28.

“I hit it, and as I was rounding first I was like, ‘There’s no way that goes over.’ It went over, and I ran really fast. I didn’t realize I didn’t need to run that fast,” Leitzen said. “She was giving me a lot outside, which usually I have a hay day with. My last at bat today, I was sitting. I was more patient than my first two at bats.”

The victory was significant for Brodhead, as Poynette is renowned as one of the top softball programs in the state. The Pumas have made it to the state tournament 12 times and won six titles. Only Stevens Point (SPASH) and Kimberly have been there more times and won more titles.

“I don’t care where their program is, whenever you hear Poynette, you think they are going to be good. So for us to pull that off was huge,” Brodhead head coach Steve Krupke said. 

The Cardinals jumped on the Pumas right away in the first inning. Leadoff batter Leitzen attacked early, fouling off the first pitch and grounding out on the second. Jaelyn Hilliard then reached on an error, as pitcher Kassidy McCaffery fumbled the ball. No. 3 hitter Ava Risum grounded out to McCaffery, but Hilliard was in motion on a hit-and-run, breaking up a potential double play. Freshman Leah Rear then came up clutch with a single up the middle that was eaten up by the wet grass, allowing the speedy Hilliard to score from second.

After the score, Risum shut down Poynette in the second, throwing just eight pitches. 

“With us getting that first run, it really hyped us up,” sophomore outfielder Keegan Steinke said. “It was still early in the game. We were so excited for Leah. She’s a freshman, so that’s really great for her. We realized we had a real chance. It helped us fight and battle through our at bats.”

Brodhead was poised to score again with the top of its order up to bat in the third. Leitzen grounded out, but Hilliard fouled off two pitches before singling through the 4-3 hole. Risum followed with a hit to center, and Hilliard took third. With runners on first and third, Risum attempted to bait a throw from catcher Emma Gavinski with a delayed steal, but she took the base uncontested.

McCaffery escaped the jam by striking out Rear and getting Allie Dahl to fly out to right.

Going from the base paths to the circle, Risum gave up two hits and one run in the top of the fourth.

“I have to do a better job of getting her a runner,” Krupke admitted. “Maybe she was a little winded and rushed. She had to run in, get her stuff, and go back out. Maybe it played a role.”

Addison Mackey led off the frame with a deep ball to right center that both outfielders Hilliard and Tessa Kloepping went after, resulting in a collision. The error allowed Mackey to reach third.

Brodhead brought its infield in for Emma Gavinski, who attempted a suicide squeeze. Her bunt went into the air and in and out of the glove of Rear at third — but in foul territory. Risum got ahead 0-2 but gave up a jam-shot that just got by Leitzen at short, tying the game at one. Although Risum struck McCaffery out on a change-up, Grace Gavinski kept the inning alive with a single to right. The Puma’s pinch runner went from first to third, and Grace Gavinski took second on the throw to third. Risum escaped the jam by getting Morgan Gunderson to pop out.

The Cardinals couldn’t respond, as McCaffery dealt a shutdown inning.

Momentum hung suspended in the air until the sixth inning, as Poynette brought the top of its order to bat. Risum got Mackey to fly out to right. Tatum Ceslok then made a catch up against the Puma dugout for out No. 2. Before McCaffery came to the plate, Brodhead had a mound visit. In Poynette’s regional final, McCaffery hit a grand slam, which was the only score of the game. 

“She’s their best hitter,” Leitzen said. “Krup(ke) came out and said, ‘I don’t care what you do, you just have to get her out.’ It was a matter of putting some confidence behind Ava and letting her know we were behind her.”

Risum got McCaffery to fly out to center, ending the threat and shifting momentum to Brodhead’s side.

Rear rode the wave, launching a double to center that one-hopped the fence. Dahl moved her over to third with a sacrifice bunt, giving the Cardinals two chances to bring her home. Jerrica Schwartz went down 0-2 on two bunt attempts, saw two balls but ultimately went down attempting to bunt Rear home. Ceslok then popped up to first, erasing a lead-off double.

Grace Gavinski sparked the Pumas in the seventh, as she reached on an error by Leitzen, who threw from her knees. Rear killed the energy immediately, catching Gunderson’s sacrifice bunt. Risum then sat down the next two batters — both looking.

Down to the team’s last three outs, Steinke led off with a bloop single over Gunderson’s head at short. Pinch hitter Karli Krumwiede made McCaffery work, fouling off five pitches before going down looking. Leitzen then delivered a game-winning two-run home run on the third pitch of her at bat.

“We needed runs. It helped give Soph something a little more to fight for. I think it helped having me on base to really realize we can win this,” Steinke said of her leadoff single.

Brodhead out-hit Poynette 9-2, as Leitzen and Rear finished with two hits each. Risum earned the win, giving up one unearned run on two hits. She struck out 10 and didn’t issue a walk.

With the victory, 1-seed Brodhead advances to a WIAA Division 3 sectional final against 5-seed Adams Friendship at River Valley. The Green Devils have knocked off the top two teams in their regional — 1-seed Prairie du Chien 4-3 and 2-seed River Valley 5-2.

“This is huge,” Krupke said of the win. “But the bottom line is we can’t just sit here and say this was fun and just go through the motions. We have to get back to work.”