OCONTO (NBC 26) – It was a rematch of last year’s Division 3 softball sectional final, Mishicot vs. Peshtigo.
Mishicot defeated the Bulldogs last year, and their ace ensured her team would do it again with her bat and arsenal of shots to win 3-0.
“She’s just positive, she gives us confidence and we feel like we can get the job done (when she’s in a tight spot),” head coach Dawn Shimek said of her ace Kirana Sanford.
For Mishicot junior pitcher Kira Sanford, it was the performance of a lifetime. She didn’t hit 18 shots, and not a single ball put into play left the goal area. She had been dominant all season long with an ERA of 0.36 in 98 innings pitched before Thursday’s game.
“It was a little unexpected to say the least,” Sanford said. “I worked on my rotation all week, I knew they were a good hitting team, but I just shut them down. (Kasey Brouchoud) My catcher just caught every ball he could. She caught the ball where she didn’t even see it, she just knew where it was going.”
Sanford had an RBI double in the fourth inning to give her team a 1-0 lead, which was more than enough of a boost. Mishicot scored twice more in the sixth.
Mishicot will travel to Madison for the second year in a row for a chance at a state title. A year ago they were eliminated in the first round.
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel like you have achievements and it’s just your achievement. “Getting there (for Madison on behalf of the state) is a big deal — getting to the championship game is great, but just knowing that you gave it your all is enough to make it just great,” junior catcher Kasey Brouchoud said.
