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It was a championship rematch from last season between two programs that have become powerhouses in recent years, but after a historic outing at the plate, Almond-Bancroft overcame Belmont 16-8 to win their first-ever WIAA Division 5 state championship in record-setting fashion.
The Almond-Bancroft softball program’ historic performance from beginning to end included scoring a run in each of the seven innings, led by shortstop Aaliyah Newby who belted three hits, including a game-high of four RBI.
The Eagles jumped out ahead in the first inning when Sophia Chapa doubled to drive in Riya Ceballos.
Ceballos was one of two pitchers to make a state appearance for the Eagles, alongside Lexi Carlton who picked up most of the pitching load, taking over for four innings.
A-B goes from hunter, to hunted: From hunter to hunted, Almond-Bancroft softball hungry for more
In that stretch, Carlton yielded eight hits and five earned runs while Ceballos yielded five hits and three earned runs while striking out three.
Belmont’s Lexi Riecher put her team back ahead in the bottom of the first inning, smashing a two-run home run into center field that gave Belmont’s one of their only leads of the day.
The championship game was decided in the seventh inning on the back of heavy action on the bases for the Eagles. They scored on a fielding error and also took advantage of wild pitches among seven hits and six earned runs in the inning.
Almond-Bancroft falls in D5 title game: Almond-Bancroft's shot at first state softball title ends in Division 5 final vs. Belmont
The frenzy began when Ceballo singled to right field driving in Newby. Both Ceballos and Newby doubled in the inning, taking advantage of two Belmont errors.
In the bottom of the seventh, Belmont refused to go down quietly.
Riechers smashed her second home run of the day into left field, driving in two more runs. After a fielding error and a walk, Almond-Bancroft snagged their final two outs via strikeout to bring the first gold ball to Almond-Bancroft.
The Division 5 championship victory marks the first state title for the Almond-Bancroft softball program, in the group’s third-ever attempt.
Longtime Almond-Bancroft softball coach Randy Yonke said last season that they 'finally made it all the way home' after reaching the state tournament in 41 years, before falling to Belmont 7-3 in the state championship game.
Now, after righting last season’s wrong, the Eagles captured history breaking the WIAA Division 5 hit record with 20 hits – and can now call themselves state champs.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Almond-Bancroft competes historic season, performance for D5 title
Continue reading...
The Almond-Bancroft softball program’ historic performance from beginning to end included scoring a run in each of the seven innings, led by shortstop Aaliyah Newby who belted three hits, including a game-high of four RBI.
The Eagles jumped out ahead in the first inning when Sophia Chapa doubled to drive in Riya Ceballos.
Ceballos was one of two pitchers to make a state appearance for the Eagles, alongside Lexi Carlton who picked up most of the pitching load, taking over for four innings.
A-B goes from hunter, to hunted: From hunter to hunted, Almond-Bancroft softball hungry for more
In that stretch, Carlton yielded eight hits and five earned runs while Ceballos yielded five hits and three earned runs while striking out three.
Belmont’s Lexi Riecher put her team back ahead in the bottom of the first inning, smashing a two-run home run into center field that gave Belmont’s one of their only leads of the day.
The championship game was decided in the seventh inning on the back of heavy action on the bases for the Eagles. They scored on a fielding error and also took advantage of wild pitches among seven hits and six earned runs in the inning.
Almond-Bancroft falls in D5 title game: Almond-Bancroft's shot at first state softball title ends in Division 5 final vs. Belmont
The frenzy began when Ceballo singled to right field driving in Newby. Both Ceballos and Newby doubled in the inning, taking advantage of two Belmont errors.
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In the bottom of the seventh, Belmont refused to go down quietly.
Riechers smashed her second home run of the day into left field, driving in two more runs. After a fielding error and a walk, Almond-Bancroft snagged their final two outs via strikeout to bring the first gold ball to Almond-Bancroft.
The Division 5 championship victory marks the first state title for the Almond-Bancroft softball program, in the group’s third-ever attempt.
You must be registered for see images attach
Longtime Almond-Bancroft softball coach Randy Yonke said last season that they 'finally made it all the way home' after reaching the state tournament in 41 years, before falling to Belmont 7-3 in the state championship game.
Now, after righting last season’s wrong, the Eagles captured history breaking the WIAA Division 5 hit record with 20 hits – and can now call themselves state champs.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Almond-Bancroft competes historic season, performance for D5 title
Continue reading...
