MADISON – The Denmark softball team wasn’t considered one of the top Division 2 teams in the state a few short weeks ago.
How things have changed.
Denmark completed a magical, and perhaps improbable, tournament run with a 4-1 win over Jefferson in the state title game June 14 at Goodman Diamond.
It’s the fifth championship in program history and the first since 1997.
Just how impressive was this journey?
The Vikings entered regionals unranked in the state in D2. They upset No. 3 Luxemburg-Casco in a regional championship. They shocked No. 1 Fox Valley Lutheran in a sectional semifinal, handing the Foxes their only loss of the season.
They finished it off by beating No. 2 Jefferson.
“The rankings are rankings,” Denmark coach Todd O’Brien said. “You still have got to play ball. You still have to get out there and play some good defense and get some timely hits.
“Fortunate enough, we were able to do that.”
Denmark jumps out to early lead
Denmark (25-7) wasted no time setting the tone against Jefferson (25-6).
Sophomore first baseman Shaelyn Kraschnewski led off the game with an opposite way single to left field and then stole second.
She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Audrey Baugnet and scored on an RBI double to left by Macey Mleziva.
The Vikings added two runs in the second thanks in part to two errors from Jefferson, the second coming on a grounder by Kraschnewski that deflected off the first baseman.
It allowed not only Vanny Umentum to score from third, but Hazel Fields all the way from second, her headfirst slide just under the tag of catcher Chloe Smith giving Denmark an early 3-0 advantage.
Jefferson’s defense did no favors for starting pitcher Ashlyn Enke – it committed three errors – who was sensational in a 1-0 semifinal win over Whitnall one day earlier when she pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 11 while knocking in the only run of the game.
Enke allowed three hits and one earned run in four innings against Denmark after Jefferson had permitted one combined run the previous four games.
Denmark turns to ace
The Vikings handed the ball to junior right-hander Maggie Frank after Kraschnewski got the start in a 3-2 win over Lakeland in a state semifinal, a game in which Frank pitched a scoreless 3⅔ innings in relief to earn the win.
Every time the Eagles threatened with a big inning early on, Frank shut them down.
Jefferson had runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the first, but Frank struck out Smith to end the threat.
The Eagles had a runner on second with no outs in the second, only for Frank to strike out the next two batters before getting Aria Fetherston on a foul out.
Jefferson again had first and second with nobody out in the third, but Frank struck out Breleigh Mengel before she got Enke to line out to Baugnet at second, who quickly threw to first to double off the runner.
Denmark survives Jefferson threat
Nothing was quite like the sixth inning.
Jefferson chased Frank from the game with a leadoff single.
Kraschnewski replaced Frank and allowed a double down the right field line, watched the Eagles score their first run on a wild pitch and then walked the next two batters to load the bases.
None of the players were even born yet, but there had to be at least a few among the Vikings faithful in the packed crowd who started getting flashbacks to the 2005 D2 state title baseball game, when Denmark squandered leads in the seventh, ninth and 10th innings during a heartbreaking 12-inning loss to Kenosha St. Joseph.
This had the same exact feel, almost 20 years to the day.
If Kraschnewski looked nervous on the mound while loading the bases, it was for good reason.
She was, in fact, really nervous.
It was at that point O’Brien went out for a visit.
“Just going in there, I’m trying to do my best,” Kraschnewski said. “I want this game to be over and I want us to win so bad. I’m like, I gotta do this for my team. My seniors.”
O’Brien’s message was simple: Just relax. They got this.
Kraschnewski responded by striking out Hannah Werning for the first out, but what happened next wasn’t part of the plan.
Kraschnewski threw another wild pitch, but the ball hit the back wall and came right back to catcher Kylee Kersten.
Jefferson’s Kaylee Stortz broke for home, but sensing she wasn’t going to make it, she stopped and started to go back to third.
Kersten ran toward her and tagged her out and then threw to second to get Breleigh Mengel, who had started to run to third when Stortz broke for home.
A wild pitch double play. Inning and threat both over.
“It worked out in our favor, obviously,” Kraschnewski said. “It was supposed to be fastball, high and outside. Got a little high, but that’s OK.”
Denmark got the run right back in the seventh when Kraschnewski tripled to left center, before an RBI ground out by Baugnet scored courtesy runner Morgan Schroeder.
Jefferson started the bottom of the inning with a single, but Kraschnewski slammed the door shut. There wasn’t going to be another rally on her watch.
One strikeout, a pop out to catcher and a grounder to second later, Denmark was celebrating a championship.
“It’s pretty amazing,” O’Brien said. “I was here in ’97 when the team was down here and that was a good win for them. It’s good to be back here again.”
Denmark returns strong team
Nobody is thinking about next season yet. There still is far too much celebrating to do.
But a glance at Denmark’s roster suggests it could be right back here in 2026 to defend its title, although its sectional likely again will be loaded and it will have to contend with a quality FVL squad.
The Vikings have their two star pitchers back in Frank and Kraschnewski.
The two are part of five returning players who started in the title game.
Denmark must replace an important group of six seniors, a list that includes Mleavia, Baugnet, Jayden Bielinski, Hannah Kittell, Emma Olsen and Abby Johnson.
“Our seniors came up big,” O’Brien said. “We are a young team. It’s a good experience for our young players. Like I was telling the other group, there are a lot of freshmen on this team and a couple sophomores.
“But they all get along very well, and they all play as if they have been playing for quite some time.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Denmark beats Jefferson to win WIAA Division 2 state softball championship
Reporting by Scott Venci, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
