BRODHEAD, Wis. — The reigning Division 3 state champion Brodhead softball team didn’t need to do anything overly flashing or heroic to take down an upset-minded Lodi and clinch a WIAA Division 3 Regional Championship on Thursday.
Instead, the top-seeded Cardinals kept it simple and relied on some small-ball and some outstanding work from starting pitcher Ava Risum to take down No. 4 Lodi 3-2.
It is Brodhead's second-straight regional title.
All tied at two in the bottom fifth, Jaelyn Hillard and Risum both singled to start. Leah Rear moved both over with a sacrifice bunt and Hillard came scampering home on a wild pitch. Alecia Dahl then brought the go-ahead run home on her ground out to short.
Dahl had made it 1-0 with her RBI single in the third before the Blue Devils scored a pair of unearned runs in the fourth. Sophia Leitzen and Hilliard both had two hits in Brodhead’s six-hit performance.
Risum finished the complete game while allowing just one hit and striking out a whopping 15 batters. Bailey Stark was strong in the circle for Lodi as she allowed just three earned runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
The Cardinals will open sectional play against No. 2 Poynette on Tuesday in Brodhead.
• LODI 7, BIG FOOT 5: In Lodi, the Chiefs jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Blue Devils’ offense went on the attack to plate seven unanswered runs to win a WIAA Division 3 regional semifinal on Wednesday night.
Claire Patek had a one-run single and Natalie Klamm had an RBI groundout as fifth-seeded Big Foot (12-7) scored three runs in the first inning. Holly Kynell blasted a two-run homer in the second to up the lead to five runs.
But fourth-seeded Lodi (14-6) scored three runs in the bottom of the second and Taylor Reese’s one-run triple in a three-run fourth put the Blue Devils ahead for good 6-5.
Lily Wolf had two hits for Big Foot as both squads each finished with seven hits and committed four errors.
Kynell threw all six innings and allowed seven runs (four earned) with two strikeouts. Bailey Stark tossed the complete game for the Blue Devils and allowed five runs (none earned) with six strikeouts.
• LINESCORES:
BRODHEAD 3, LODI 2
Lodi;000;200;0;—;2;1;2
Brod;001;020;—;3;6;3
Leading hitters: Lodi, Stark 1x3, 1 RBI. Brod, Dahl 1x3, 2 RBI; Leitzen 2x4, 1 Run; Hilliard 2x3, 1 Run; Risum 1x4, 1 Run.
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Lodi, Stark 6.0-6-3-3-3-4. Brod, Risum 7.0-1-2-0-0-15.
LODI 7, BIG FOOT 5
BF;320;000;0;—;5;7;4
Lodi;031;300;—;7;7;4
Leading hitters: BF, Wolf 2x4, 1 Run; Hummel 1x3, 2 Runs; Kynell 1x4, 1 Run, 2 RBI; Klamm 1x4, 1 RBI; Patek 1x4, 1 RBI. Lodi, Reese 2x3, 1 Run, 1 RBI; Hellenbrand 2x3, 1 Run; Koenig 2x3, 2 Runs, 1 RBI.
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): BF, Kynell 6.0-7-7-4-1-2. Lodi, Stark 7.0-7-5-0-3-6.
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