BEAVER DAM - Juda ace pitcher Amber Ramos and the Panthers learned that in a sectional title game with a berth to state at stake, the margin for error is razor thin.
With the Panthers trailing Oakfield 1-0 in the seventh inning, Ramos looked like she would get out of the inning when Oakfield's Dani Cords hit a shot that Juda junior third baseman C.J. Dunwiddie snagged. She fired a low throw to first base that Lauren Dunwiddie couldn't scoop in time and the error allowed two runs to score that sealed the Panthers' fate in a 3-0 loss to Oakfield in a WIAA Division 4 Beaver Dam sectional championship on Friday.
"You can't base one game on one play," Ramos said. "We had seven innings where we could have changed the game."
Ramos pitched a complete game and went 2 for 3 at the plate. She gave up one earned run on six hits. Ramos struck out 11, walked five and hit one, and pitched out of bases loaded jams in both the fourth and fifth innings.
"Amber came up with some very big pitches," Juda coach Bill Davis said. "She is a cool customer on the mound. We put her in some tough situations walking a batter to load the bases. She pitched like a champion. The hard work she put in during the offseason has paid off."
Davis was impressed with Dunwiddie's play at third.
"She made a heck of a stop," Davis said. "I think the adrenaline was going. She didn't realize that she had more time to set her feet to make a throw."
Juda senior Megan Trotter was crushed by the loss.
"These girls are like my family," Trotter said. "We made Juda history this year. I wanted to go out with another win."
Oakfield's Katie Gross, who went 2 for 2, crushed a double to left leading off the fourth. Teammate Ashley Holz delivered a bloop RBI single to center to give the Oaks a 1-0 lead. Ramos got out of a bases loaded no out jam by striking out Kate Murphy, getting Michaela Cords to ground out and then striking out Kasey Cook.
"I was confident," Ramos said. "I knew all I had to do was pitch and let my defense make plays behind me."
Ramos had some help wiggling off the hook in a one-out bases loaded jam in the fifth. Juda senior right fielder Aly Pierce made a diving catch on Dani Cords' line drive to preserve just a 1-0 deficit.
"I definitely had to catch it or my team would have come out and shot me," Pierce said. "That probably saved three runs. I thought it was a momentum builder."
Oakfield's Holz as a pitcher ran her scoreless streak to 24 innings in the postseason tossing a six-hit shutout to lead the Oaks to the state tournament June 16-18 at Goodman Diamond in Madison. The Panthers (19-5) managed just one hit by Ramos and two baserunners through the first five innings against Holz.
The Panthers had a golden scoring opportunity in the sixth. Juda's Courtney Moisan led off the sixth lining a single. Juda junior Katlyn DeVoe reached on a fielder's choice. DeVoe was thrown out trying to steal second. Pierce and Ramos followed with singles. Holz got out of the jam by getting C.J. Dunwiddie to ground out.
Trailing 3-0, the Panthers had another golden scoring opportunity in the seventh. Trotter smoked a single and sophomore Jessica Rackow doubled to center. Holz then induced Alycia Grenzow to ground out and Cassie Benner, who broke late for the plate, was thrown out at home for a double play.
"You get the highs and the lows with softball," Davis said. "Her first reaction when the ball was hit was to go home. There was some adrenaline there. They are still kids."
The Panthers have set a high bar with their third straight conference title and a 19-5 season.
"I told them they played with a lot of heart," Davis said. "I told them they made a lot of memories. You will go to your 10 and five year reunions and you will be talking about it. It's an accomplishment that you will always talk and think about. We were playing a team who could win a state championship. Playing a team like this it's going to be very tight."
Pierce said she will always remember making it to the sectional final and winning the Six Rivers East Conference for the third straight year. She was overwhelmed with the fan support.
"It seems like the whole town of Juda was here," Pierce said.
With the Panthers trailing Oakfield 1-0 in the seventh inning, Ramos looked like she would get out of the inning when Oakfield's Dani Cords hit a shot that Juda junior third baseman C.J. Dunwiddie snagged. She fired a low throw to first base that Lauren Dunwiddie couldn't scoop in time and the error allowed two runs to score that sealed the Panthers' fate in a 3-0 loss to Oakfield in a WIAA Division 4 Beaver Dam sectional championship on Friday.
"You can't base one game on one play," Ramos said. "We had seven innings where we could have changed the game."
Ramos pitched a complete game and went 2 for 3 at the plate. She gave up one earned run on six hits. Ramos struck out 11, walked five and hit one, and pitched out of bases loaded jams in both the fourth and fifth innings.
"Amber came up with some very big pitches," Juda coach Bill Davis said. "She is a cool customer on the mound. We put her in some tough situations walking a batter to load the bases. She pitched like a champion. The hard work she put in during the offseason has paid off."
Davis was impressed with Dunwiddie's play at third.
"She made a heck of a stop," Davis said. "I think the adrenaline was going. She didn't realize that she had more time to set her feet to make a throw."
Juda senior Megan Trotter was crushed by the loss.
"These girls are like my family," Trotter said. "We made Juda history this year. I wanted to go out with another win."
Oakfield's Katie Gross, who went 2 for 2, crushed a double to left leading off the fourth. Teammate Ashley Holz delivered a bloop RBI single to center to give the Oaks a 1-0 lead. Ramos got out of a bases loaded no out jam by striking out Kate Murphy, getting Michaela Cords to ground out and then striking out Kasey Cook.
"I was confident," Ramos said. "I knew all I had to do was pitch and let my defense make plays behind me."
Ramos had some help wiggling off the hook in a one-out bases loaded jam in the fifth. Juda senior right fielder Aly Pierce made a diving catch on Dani Cords' line drive to preserve just a 1-0 deficit.
"I definitely had to catch it or my team would have come out and shot me," Pierce said. "That probably saved three runs. I thought it was a momentum builder."
Oakfield's Holz as a pitcher ran her scoreless streak to 24 innings in the postseason tossing a six-hit shutout to lead the Oaks to the state tournament June 16-18 at Goodman Diamond in Madison. The Panthers (19-5) managed just one hit by Ramos and two baserunners through the first five innings against Holz.
The Panthers had a golden scoring opportunity in the sixth. Juda's Courtney Moisan led off the sixth lining a single. Juda junior Katlyn DeVoe reached on a fielder's choice. DeVoe was thrown out trying to steal second. Pierce and Ramos followed with singles. Holz got out of the jam by getting C.J. Dunwiddie to ground out.
Trailing 3-0, the Panthers had another golden scoring opportunity in the seventh. Trotter smoked a single and sophomore Jessica Rackow doubled to center. Holz then induced Alycia Grenzow to ground out and Cassie Benner, who broke late for the plate, was thrown out at home for a double play.
"You get the highs and the lows with softball," Davis said. "Her first reaction when the ball was hit was to go home. There was some adrenaline there. They are still kids."
The Panthers have set a high bar with their third straight conference title and a 19-5 season.
"I told them they played with a lot of heart," Davis said. "I told them they made a lot of memories. You will go to your 10 and five year reunions and you will be talking about it. It's an accomplishment that you will always talk and think about. We were playing a team who could win a state championship. Playing a team like this it's going to be very tight."
Pierce said she will always remember making it to the sectional final and winning the Six Rivers East Conference for the third straight year. She was overwhelmed with the fan support.
"It seems like the whole town of Juda was here," Pierce said.
