Lonely at the top
Lady Demons make historic conference title reality with drubbing of rival Waterford
By Mike Ramczyk
What started out as a share has become official.
The Burlington varsity softball squad is the 2018 Southern Lakes Conference champion, all by its lonesome, and it’s the first time the Lady Demons can call themselves champs since 1989.
Thirty years, people.
That’s a long time.
The nation has seen five Presidents in that span.
And not only was the Internet invented, but it, and cell phones, have become a way of life.
After senior pitcher Josie Klein shut down conference-leading Wilmot last Tuesday in perhaps the biggest game of the year, she followed it up with a two-hitter May 17 at home on Senior Night against rival Waterford, a fitting way to clinch the outright conference title.
Burlington added a victory over Delavan-Darien the next day, and a doubleheader sweep Saturday to finish the season on a red-hot 10-game win streak.
The Demons are 17-5 overall and 13-1 in the SLC, two games ahead of Wilmot (11-3) and three ahead of last year’s champ Westosha Central (10-4).
Their reward is a No. 2 seed in the WIAA playoffs, behind top-seeded Wilmot, and a home playoff game Friday against either No. 7 Oregon or No. 10 Union Grove.
For at least week now, though, the Lady Demons have enjoyed and appreciated the history they made, as the city of Burlington is on fire with the Demons winning conference in both baseball and softball.
“The girls have worked hard to achieve a goal they set in the beginning of the season,” said head coach Gary Caliva. “I think this can only mean good things for our softball program, it’s something we can build on every year.”
“I think the girls are very excited about winning the conference and humble enough to know there is still work to be done. Our motto has been one game at a time and that hasn’t changed.”
One game at a time
The “one game at a time” mentality has pushed Burlington all season, and it helped the Demons to not overlook Waterford, a team at the bottom of the league standings.
Klein struck out four, and the offense surged with 13 hits in the five-inning, 10-0 victory.
Ashley Schmalfeldt slugged two home runs and drove in four runs, and Jaina Westphal added a two-run bomb.
Klein helped her cause with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.
Hannah Ketterhagen added two hits, a double and an RBI, and Kya Kafar was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
The Demons scored two runs in both the second and third innings before busting out with four in the fourth.
On Friday, Klein continued her dominance with a four-hitter, and she added two hits and an RBI.
Kafar and Jenna Schmalfeldt each added an RBI in the 3-0 home win over Delavan.
Klein struck out five and walked four.
“In both games Josie pitched extremely well, and we played really good defense,” Caliva said. “When we do that, we are very hard to beat.”
On Saturday dominated at Fort Atkinson High School with an 11-0 win over River Valley and a 15-9 victory over Fort Atkinson.
Against River Valley, Klein fired another two-hitter and added a triple and five RBIs.
Bridi Allen went 3-for-4, and Jenna Schmalfeldt added two hits and two RBIs.
Against Fort, Kafar earned the win on the mound, and the Demons busted out for 14 hits.
Gracie Peterson went 4-for-4 with three doubles and two RBIs.
Allen added three hits, including two doubles and five RBIs.
Kafar also helped her cause with 3 hits.
“The games in Fort Atkinson were a good way for us to just relax a little and get ready for the WIAA tournament,” Caliva said.
The seeding meeting was last Monday, when Wilmot was still ahead of Burlington in the standings. But the Demons’ victory over the Panthers proved they could’ve easily earned the top seed.
None of that matters to Caliva, who knows you have to beat the best teams in the playoffs regardless of seed.
“The 2 seed is just fine,” he said. “We will continue to play one game at a time, as there is no game more important to this team than the one that is scheduled next, and that will be our focus.”
“Wilmot will have to win their games the same as us, and we can’t worry about something we can’t control. We just need to stay within ourselves and play Demon softball, and everything will take care of itself.”
-
-
-
-
-