Denmark upsets unbeaten Fox Valley Lutheran in WIAA Division 2 softball sectional semifinal
AppletonSportsPage.com
APPLETON – The Fox Valley Lutheran softball team’s magical season came to a crashing halt on Tuesday at the hands of North Eastern Conference rival Denmark.
The Foxes, which rolled through the regular season and to a regional title unbeaten, lost to Denmark 9-3 in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal Tuesday afternoon at Fox Valley Lutheran High School.
The Vikings scored multiple runs in three different innings on the way to the victory, avenging two close losses to FVL during the regular season. The Foxes finish the season with a 26-1 record.
Denmark (22-7) will play a sectional final against the winner of Wednesday’s game between No. 1 seed Waupun and No. 2 Kewaskum on Thursday at Winneconne High School. The Vikings will be looking for their first trip to the state tournament since 2018.
The team’s exchanged runs in the opening inning as the Vikings scored thanks to a pair of FVL errors, and the Foxes tied it up on an RBI single by Nora Probst.
Denmark took the lead for good in the third inning as the Foxes committed another error and Macey Mleziva had an RBI single.
The Vikings tacked on two more in the fifth and four in the top of the seventh.
FVL tried to mount a rally in its final at-bat as Madison Babcock and Probst had back-to-back RBI doubles, but the Foxes would get no more, seeing its season come to an end.
Mleziva, Abby Johnson and Emma Olsen each had two RBI for Denmark.
Foxes 9, Vikings 3
Denmark 102 020 4 – 9 10 0
Fox Valley Lutheran 100 000 2 – 3 8 5
WP: Maggie Frank. LP: Madison Babcock.
SO: Frank (4 2/3 inn.) 3, Shaelyn Kraschnewski (2 1/3 inn.) 4; Babcock 6. BB: Frank 1, Kraschnewski 1; Babcock 1.
Top hitters: D, Audrey Baugnet 2×4, 3 runs, RBI; Macey Mleziva 2×3, 2 RBI; Abby Johnson 2 RBI; Emma Olsen 2×4, 2B, 2 RBI; Clara Collins 2 runs. FVL, Natalie Bromm 2×2; Babcock 2×4, 2B, 2 runs, RBI; Nora Probst 2×3, 2B, 2 RBI.
Records: Denmark 22-7; Fox Valley Lutheran 26-1.