Waterloo's walk-off eliminates Deerfield softball from regional championship

Facing a team that won 10-0 against the Deerfield softball team early in the season, the Demons gave the Waterloo Pirates a battle on Thursday, May 23.

The Pirates, however, were able to get past when Emma Baumann scored Callie Davison on an RBI single for a 5-4 walk-off win for the Pirates in the Division 4 regional final at Waterloo High School.

Deerfield pounced in the top of the first inning when junior Addison Klein plated junior Cora Nelson on an RBI single. Later in the inning, junior Saige LaChance scored Klein and sophomore Rowan Lasack on a two-run single.

The Demons kept the lead at 3-0 until Waterloo scored a run in the fourth when Baumann scored off an RBI single from Ally Schaumann.

In the top of the fifth, Deerfield pushed the lead back to three runs when LaChance hit an RBI single to score Lasack.

The lead would not last as Waterloo tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Davison hit an RBI single and with two outs, Katrina Freund hit an RBI double and Baumann hit an RBI single to tie the game.

The game would stay tied until the seventh inning when Baumann hit the walk-off. Klein pitched 6 1/3 innings in the loss, recording three strikeouts.

Deerfield finishes the year with a record of 15-10. The lone senior who will graduate from the roster is Chloe Moore.

Deerfield 13, Cambridge 5

Holding a 5-4 lead entering the bottom of the fifth inning, the Demons put the game out of reach by scoring seven runs, pulling away with a 13-5 win over the Cambridge softball team on Tuesday, May 21 in the regional semifinal at Deerfield High School.

Deerfield sophomore Rowan Lasack walked with the bases loaded to score freshman Mia Haberkorn. Junior Addison Klein then hit an RBI single to score junior Rylee Betthauser.

Junior Lydia Mack then hit a two-run single to score junior Cora Nelson and Lasack and junior Saige LaChance hit a sacrifice fly out to score Klein.

Sophomore Lily Betthauser then drove in freshman Nevaeh Schears and sophomore Riley Fisher on a Cambridge error for the sixth and seventh runs in the inning.

Mack led the Demons with three RBIs. Lasack, LaChance, Haberkorn and Lily Betthauser recorded two RBIs, while Klein drove in a run. In the circle, Klein pitched a complete game with six strikeouts.

For Cambridge, senior Saveea Freeland hit a three-run homer in the fifth, scoring senior Julia Schneider and junior Brooke Stenklyft.

Freshman Kimmy Roidt drove in junior Megan Bernhardt on an RBI double in the fourth and sophomore Malina Schneider hit an RBI groundout to score sophomore Cally Travis in the sixth inning.

Cambridge finishes the year with a record of 5-10. The seniors who will graduate from the roster are Saveea Freeland and Julia Schneider.