Two of Wisconsin’s best high school softball pitchers squared off in the Division 4 State Championship, and they delivered.
It was a scoreless tilt between Mishicot and Pacelli through 8 complete innings, but in the top of the 9th, Kasey Brouchoud smacked a double off the left field wall.
Ella Gnadt came on the run and moved to 3rd on a wild pitch.
Then, Sierra Skarda came up to the plate and hit a bloop single to dead center field, which brought home Gnadt.
Kiran Sanford took to the mound in the 9th and struck out the first two batters.
Then, with a state championship on the line, Skarda took a fly ball to center field, made the catch, and secured the second state softball title in school history.
Sanford was once again dealing on the mound, striking out a total of 20 batters, a new WIAA State Tournament record, seven of which were consecutive batters.
Sandford struck out the side in the 2nd and 3rd and the leadoff batter in the 4th before giving up the first and only hit of the game for the Cardinals.
Her counterpart, Peyton Mancl, was no slouch either, going all 9 innings while striking out 13 Indian batters and getting out of several jams throughout the matchup.
