Senior ace strikes out 10, knocks game-winning hit
By Jason Arndt
Oshkosh North paid the price after walking Union Grove leadoff hitter Kalista Hribar in the top of the eighth inning of the WIAA Division 1 state softball quarterfinal Thursday night at Goodman Diamond in Madison.
With a runner on and two outs, Oshkosh North left-hander Sydney Supple intentionally walked Hribar to face her counterpart Brittany Moore, who slugged a drive to the left-center field wall to knock in Hribar and courtesy runner Eva Ballew, putting the Broncos ahead, 2-0.
“When they walked Kalista to face me, I was like, bring it on…I will show you what I can do,” Moore stated.
Moore, who tossed all eight innings, struck out 10, walked three and allowed the lone run in the bottom of the eighth inning, where she loaded the bases, but struck out Libby Neveau to cement the 2-1 victory.
With the win, Union Grove (28-2) plays last year’s state runner-up Watertown (20-7), which lost to the Broncos 10-1 earlier in the season.
Watertown defeated Verona 7-1 in its Thursday quarterfinal match.
Through the first three innings, Moore carried the Broncos, after the defense committed three fielding errors and a passed ball, consequently putting two runners on base in each frame.
Union Grove coach Ryan Boylen believed the team was anxious at the start of the game, leading to the three fielding errors, but eventually simmered the rest of the con-test.
“I think we kind of relaxed a little bit,” stated Boylen. “We have a good pitcher, we have a good defense, and we just had to play what we’re capable of.”
Supple, a junior left-hander, held the Union Grove offense to four hits, struck out 10, and walked two through eight innings.
Boylen knew Supple would be a handful entering the game, citing her North-western University commitment, and the team needed to adjust to a left-hander.
“She was a Northwestern University commit in the eighth grade for a reason,” Boylen said. “We don’t face many left-handers during the season.”
But, after seven innings, the Lady Broncos made adjustments, starting with junior Brooklyn Ottelien’s one-out single to right field to start the extra inning.
Senior Samantha Carey’s lineout sent Hribar to the plate, where she received a free pass.
Then, Moore hit the decisive double to score the eventual winning runs.
A walk to freshman Libby Neveau, Sammy Buerger strikeout and Jordyn Dedering single put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Moore forced freshman Brie Gauthier to pop out to first, but allowed a run-scoring single, which plated Neveau.
Subsequently, Moore loaded the bases when she struck freshman Courtney Day with a pitch, putting junior Lauren Neveau in the batter’s box.
Moore told herself “come on, shut the door now, you can do this.”
Boylen knew Moore had it in her to shut the door, which she did when she struck out Lauren Neveau to end Oshkosh North’s season.
“She knows what to do, she has done this so many times,” Boylen said.
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