KAUKAUNA — No team in the tournament is more familiar with the championship stage than the two-time defending state champion Kaukauna Galloping Ghosts.
Riding an 80-game winning streak, Kaukauna advances to the Division 1 state softball championship game after its 9-4 win Friday over Oak Creek.
After ending the first inning tied at 1, the Ghosts exploded in the second.
After the first two outs, Kaukauna loaded the bases and forced a walk to score the first run of the inning.
A Taryn Christopher single scored two more, than a bases-clearing triple by Summer Schmidt scored three to push the lead to 7-1.
Oak Creek crept back into the game in the fifth, scoring three and cutting the Ghosts’ lead to 7-4.
Ava Bloch answered in the bottom half of the sixth with a two-run home run to push the lead back up to 9-4.
Led by state Gatorade softball player of the year Karly Meredith, the Ghosts will face #2 Superior at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the Division 1 final.
The Superior Spartans, in the tournament for a second straight season, advanced to the title game with a 6-3 win over Sun Prairie East.
The most notable of the previous experiences were when the Spartans advanced to the semifinals in 1978 and in 2022. They finished first in the Lake Superior Conference this season and blanked Stevens Point 1-0 in the Marshfield Sectional final to qualify for State.
TWITTER: Updates on Twitter.com/KaukaunaNews
RADIO: 1570 The Score livestream.
FINALS LIVE ON BALLY SPORTS WISCONSIN: Watch the WIAA State Softball Tournament finals on Bally Sports Wisconsin or the Bally Sports Wisconsin Extra channel. The championship games in Divisions 2-5 will air live on Bally Sports Wisconsin Extra. The Division 1 final will air on Bally Sports Wisconsin. Check local cable listings for the channel in your area. The championship finals will also be streamed live on the Bally Sports app. Register for the app and sign in with your cable or satellite authentication to stream on mobile devices. The finals can also be watched digitally on Bally Sports Wisconsin Plus through a subscription to the service. To subscribe, visit ballysportsplus.com.
Spring 2023 roster:
- 1, Karly Meredith, P/IF, 10
- 3, Chloe Herzfeldt, IF, 10
- 9, Grace Boyle, P, 12
- 12 Paige Miller, 3B, 12
- 14, Raivyn Rabideau, IF, 9
- 16, Ava Bloch, C, 12
- 17, Kally Meredith, OF, 12
- 19, Paige Bodenheimer, OF, 9
- 20, Summer Schmidt, OF/C, 10
- 22, Taryn Christopher, IF, 11
- 23, Jozy Ebben, IF, 10
- 26, Reaghan Millard, Utility, 12
- 29, Karlee DeGroot, IF, 11
- 30, Grace Schomin, P, 10
- 31, Hailie Peters, OF, 12
- 33, Chloe Fuchs, Utility, 10
- 39, Taylor Federwitz, C, 9
- 36, Sydney Kappus, IF, 12
- Coach: Tim Roehrig
- Assistant Coach: Bill Huss
- Athletic Trainers: Ben Charles, Courtney O’Neil
- Athletic Director: Nate Werner
- Principal: Chris McDaniel
- Superintendent: Mike Slowinski
