The Kaukauna Ghosts softball team celebrates after a 10-0 win over Superior sends them to the WIAA D1 title game. Photo courtesy @KaukaunaGhosts on Twitter.

LIVE UPDATES: Click to follow the state championship game here.

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KAUKAUNA — If this year’s WIAA Division 1 state softball championship game has a familiar feel, that shouldn’t come as a big surprise.

Saturday’s title game features the same teams as last year.

The No. 1 seed Kaukauna Ghosts, now 30-0 on the season, advanced to the championship game after a 10-0 win Saturday night over Superior.

No. 2 seed Sun Prairie returns to the title game after defeating Oak Creek 4-3. Kaukauna secured its third state title a year ago with a 1-0 win over Sun Prairie.

After a jittery first inning for both teams, in a game that started at 10 p.m. because of rain delays in earlier games, the Ghosts settled down and went to work in the second.

A Lilly Roehrig two-out, two RBI double put the Ghosts up 2-0 at the end of two. It turned out that’s all the scoring they would need.

In the third inning, Kaukauna took advantage of the indecision of Superior’s defense to advance runners and eventually add two more runs.

Kaukauna then shut the door with a big six-run sixth inning.

Roehrig ended up with 4 RBI on the night, and Keanna Jansen contributed two.

This was the second time Superior had faced Kaukauna this season, falling to the Ghosts 4-0 in their earlier matchup.

The championship game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Goodman Diamond on the UW-Madison campus.

TV, streaming, radio and social media coverage information is HERE.

The Galloping Ghosts captured the gold trophy in each of its previous state appearances including 2010, 2017 and 2021.

Sign up HERE for emailed results as the Ghosts make their way through the tournament.

The team includes:

00 Carly VerVoort, Senior Outfielder
1 Karly Meredith, Freshman Pitcher/2nd Base
3 Haylie Wittman, Senior Short stop (UW-Oshkosh Commit)
9 Skyler Calmes, Senior Pitcher (Winona State Commit)
12 Paige Miller, Junior 3rd Base ( Ohio State Verbal Commit for Volleyball)
14 Madisen Gries, Senior outfielder
16 Ava VanAsten, Senior Left Fielder (Bryant & Stratton College Commit)
17 Kally Meredith, Junior Center Fielder ( Florida International University Verbal Commit)
19 Chloe Hertzfeldt, Freshman 2nd Base
20 Addison Race, Senior (St. Norbert College Commit)
22 Taryn Christopher, Sophomore First Base
23 Keanna Jansen, Senior Outfielder
26 Anna LaCount, Senior Catcher (Minot State University Commit)
27 Ava Bloch, Junior Catcher
29 Karlee DeGroot IF 10
30 Makenna DeValk, Senior Catcher
31 Hailie Peters, Junior Outfielder
35 Summer Schmidt, Freshman outfielder
36 Lilly Roehrig, Junior Designated Hitter

The team is coached by Tim Roehrig with assistant coaches Bill Huss, Mark Hertzfeldt and Steve Meredith.

Division 1

Division 1 Quarterfinals – Thursday, June 9
Game 1 –  #2 Sun Prairie (28-1)  5, #7 Milton (22-9)  0 – Stats
Game 2 –  #3 Oak Creek (22-3)  4, #6 Hamilton (19-7)  2 – Stats
Game 3 –  #1 Kaukauna (29-0)  7, #8 Oshkosh West (19-12)  1 – Stats
Game 4 –  #5 Superior (19-2)  10, #4 Cedarburg (24-5)  0 (5) – Stats

Division 1 Semifinals – Friday, June 10
Game 5 – Sun Prairie (29-1) 4, Oak Creek (22-4) 3 – Stats
Game 6 – Kaukauna (30-0) 10, Superior (19-3) – 0 (5) – Stats

Division 1 Championship
Game 7 – Sun Prairie (29-1) vs. Kaukauna (30-0) – approx. 6:30 p.m.

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By Dan Plutchak

Dan Plutchak, born and raised in Kaukauna, is cofounder of Kaukauna Community News.