By Chris Bennett
Sports Correspondent
The Waterford Union High School softball team opened its postseason with a win against Elkhorn before succumbing to Janesville Craig.
The Wolverines won 5-2 May 24 in a WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal game at Elkhorn, and lost 5-1 May 27 in a regional final at Craig.
The Wolverines finished the season with an overall record of 8-18. Waterford went 2-12 and finished eighth in the Southern Lakes Conference.
Elkhorn beat Waterford three times in a span of 10 days in early May. The Elks beat the Wolverines 8-2 and 7-0 in a Southern Lakes Conference doubleheader May 5 at Sunset Park in Elkhorn.
Elkhorn beat Waterford 1-0 May 13 as part of a non-conference quadrangular at Kettle Moraine High School.
The Elks, seeded sixth in the sectional bracket, led the 11th-seeded Wolverines 2-0 after scoring a run in both the third and fourth innings. Brooke Walek’s three-run home run in the fifth inning gave Waterford the lead for good.
Waterford added two more runs in the top of the seventh. Wolverines coach Steve Kirst said his team’s defense kept the Elks at bay.
“Our defense kept us in the game by playing errorless ball,” Kirst said. “Outstanding plays by Jemma Fiehweg at shortstop and Calla Esch at first smothered two potential rallies by Elkhorn.”
Waterford pitcher Gabby LePine threw a complete game victory, and struck out 10. Walek finished 4-for-4 with four RBI.
Elks pitcher Izzy Regner threw a complete game in the loss and struck out four.
Whitney Salamone went 1-for-3 with a run batted in and Regner went 2-for-2 with a run scored.
Kirst said Craig’s offense was ready for the Wolverines. The Cougars entered the game with a record of 20-5, and were seeded third in the sectional bracket.
“Their top five batters accounted for six of their seven hits, including two doubles,” Kirst said. “It was their home field and they took advantage of it. They threw a very good lefty at us who kept us on our heels the first time through our order.”
Fiehweg scored Waterford’s run in the fourth inning after reaching on an error. She took second on a single by Walek, advanced to third on a sacrifice fly by Myranda Schuttenhelm, and scored on a single by Grace Trautman.
Walek went 2-for-3.
“Our defense had been solid throughout the last quarter of the season,” Kirst said. “Two errors in the third inning gave Craig the runs and confidence they needed.”
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