The Tigerton High School softball team was twice on the ropes against Manawa in Friday’s WIAA Division 4 regional final at home.
Fortunately for the Tigers, their most important score arrived in the bottom of the eighth inning, prior to the heavy showers that soon soaked the area, to win their first regional title since 2012.
Summer Kopitzke pitched a complete-game win and scored the game-tying run in the Tigers’ 8-7 victory.
“(Kopitzke) has pitched 21 innings the past three days and hasn’t laid off a bit,” Tigerton coach Glenda Smith said.
While Kopitzke got the win on the mound, it was the Tigers’ patience at the plate that scored the winning run.
Trailing 7-6 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Kopitzke singled to right to keep the game alive. Manawa pitcher Morgan Zielke then allowed another two walks to load the bases.
Sarah Schumaker then came to the plate, and Smith said the call was for patience.
“I knew (Zielke) was having problems controlling her pitches and when the counts reached three balls, I told them to make her throw another strike,” she said.
Schumaker drew a walk to score Kopitzke for the game-tying run. Amber Brown drew Tigerton’s fifth consecutive walk to score Erin Buch for the game-winner.
Tigerton needed a rally in the sixth, as well, to stay alive in the contest. Ashley Knaup reached base on an error and scored on a Buch single, tying the game at 6-6.
Neither team could get the go-ahead run in the seventh, but a walk followed by a double gave the Wolves a 7-6 advantage in the top of the eighth and set the stage for Tigerton’s final at-bat.
Manawa, the No. 5 seed, got on the board first with a run in the opening inning, but No. 2 Tigerton responded with a Sarah Gauthier run in the bottom of the first.
The 1-1 tie remained until the third inning, when Manawa reclaimed the lead with five runs. The Wolves had five hits and batted around the lineup, taking a 6-1 lead.
The Tigers got back into the game over the following two at bats. Morgan Marquardt scored on a Kopitzke hit in the third to make the score 6-2. Then Marquardt, Gauthier and Megan Anheuser each scored in the fourth, with Kopitzke delivering another RBI hit, cutting the margin to 6-5.
Gauthier and Marquardt had two hits and two runs scored for Tigerton (14-8, 8-5 Central Wisconsin Conference-10).
Kopitzke allowed four walks and six hits with four strikeouts.
Zielke took the loss, allowing seven hits and eight walks over eight innings with four strikeouts.
Manawa ended its season at 3-17 overall and 0-13 in the Central Wisconsin Conference-8.
Tigerton will open sectional play at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at home against the winner of the game Friday between Three Lakes/Phelps and Niagara.
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