Almond-Bancroft softball wins state title

In a high-scoring matchup at Goodman Diamond, the Almond-Bancroft softball team rode a massive 20-hit offensive onslaught to secure a 16-8 victory over Belmont in the WIAA State Softball Tournament. With the win, the Eagles (28-1) won the Division 5 state championship.

Almond-Bancroft’s lineup were relentless from the opening pitch. After Sophia Chapa put the Eagles on the board in the first inning with an RBI double to center field, the bats came alive in the second. A two-out, two-RBI single by Riya Ceballo capped a three-run frame, giving Almond-Bancroft an early 4-2 lead.

Belmont refused to go away continuously chipping away at the deficit. Every time the Eagles looked poised to run away with the contest, the Braves answered. However, Almond-Bancroft put the game completely out of reach in the top of the seventh inning, exploding for six runs on seven hits. The definitive frame featured RBI doubles from both Aaliyah Newby and Ceballo, alongside a crucial RBI single from Tia Dernbach.

The Braves’ offense was spearheaded by catcher Lexi Riechers, who put on a spectacular power display. Riechers crushed a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning to briefly give Belmont a 2-2 tie, and later launched another two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh, finishing the morning 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored.

Braves starting pitcher Carsyn Ramaker took the loss after a grueling 6.1 innings, battling through defensive miscues as Belmont committed three errors on the day.