SECTION 2
Waupun made the 2024 state tournament for the third time in history and went home without the gold ball the other two times. On Saturday the situation was different.
The Warriors defeated No. 1 Mosinee 7-3 thanks to a gutsy effort from sophomore pitcher Addison Braun. She played the entire match, giving up only 2 earned runs. However, it did most of the damage on the album. She had two outs in the fifth inning with the bases loaded, and after a two-strike pitch, she hit a grand slam to the opposite field to give her team a 7-1 lead. She also had an RBI triple earlier in the game.
“It’s surreal. I knew coming into this season that this team was so excited. The first two weeks of our season were canceled, but we were all tight and ready to go. Coming into this tournament, all the energy was high and we wanted to make Waupun High School history,” Braun said.
Not only did they make history, but they also gave head coach Josh Navis a title in his first season as head coach.
“Our program lasted 48 years and we did well for 48 years,” Navis said. “This was our third appearance and gaining technical skills in my first year as head coach takes hard work and learning from some great coaches.”
SECTION 3
After a delayed upset over No. 1 seed Mishicot in the Division 3 state semifinals, the Laconia Spartans were unable to muster the same magic against Prescott.
The Spartans lost 3-1. They were looking for their first title since winning three in a row between 2015 and 2017.
Laconia tied the game at 1 on an Addison Maurer RBI single. But after a long rain delay in the fourth inning, the Cardinals came out ahead with two outs and the bases loaded. Leah French lined the ball to center for a two-RBI single.
Prescott senior Ella Stewart threw a gem for the Cardinals. She pitched the entire game, giving up only 1 run.
