ROSENDALE – It happened fast.
Through four Lomira batters in the top of the first inning, three runs were put on the board after one Lily Christian swing that put a ball well beyond the fence.
“It felt really good coming off the bat. I just felt the pop and then I saw it go over,” Christian said.
The next pitch brought in another run as Haleigh Caspary hit a solo home run. It happened so fast that Christian didn’t see the swing but heard the contact that one can turn and see a softball going where nobody could catch it.
“I was grabbing my stuff to get in the field because I didn’t think we were going to bat around the order. I heard it come off the bat, and I saw it fall over the fence,” Christian said.
Top-seeded Lomira defeated No. 2 seed Clinton 11-0 in five innings in the Division 3, Sectional championship game to punch a ticket to state. It’s the third trip to state for Lomira with its previous appearances coming in 2015 and 2021.
“I’m ecstatic right now and I wouldn’t have it any other way with this team,” Caspary said. “I’m just really excited that I get to share it with these girls and I mean this is what we’ve been wanting for the past four years as a group of seniors.”
The first inning runs didn’t just stop after the home runs by Christian and Caspary. Breanna Frea scored on a fielder’s choice which resulted in an error. Then the Lions made it back to the top of the lineup and loaded the bases. Kennedy Goebel brought all three runners home with a triple to go up 8-0.
Isabel Westphal drove in one more run, and Lomira held a 9-0 lead before Clinton’s first trip to the plate.
“We attacked, that was our goal. We talked about it on the bus on the way here,” Caspary said. “We just got to attack, first inning, bust it open, and that’s what we did.”
The Lions bats were relatively quiet in the next three innings with three combined hits across the second through fourth inning. In that span, Caspary got to work in the circle. She took her time with each batter, moving calmly from one to the next until three outs were recorded each inning.
She finished the game with two hits allowed and six strikeouts.
“She wants the ball, she’s put in the time, she’s put in the work. She’s kind of the center, everything trickles out and her composure helps everyone trust, and she knows that her defense has got her back,” Lomira head coach Stacey Clark said.
Lomira’s path to state started with a 15-0 win over Berlin, then an 8-0 win over Winnebago Lutheran for a regional championship. In its sectional semifinal game, it defeated Laconia 1-0 and left no doubt with an 11-0 win over Clinton in the sectional championship.
Across all four of those games, Lomira is yet to allow a run.
“With runners on, the ability to just stick tough and know that you’re going to get outs, I’m incredibly proud,” Clark said.
In the top of the fifth inning Lomira all but put the game away as Goebel drove in two more runs to take an 11-0 lead. Goebel finished the game with two hits, including a triple and five RBIs.
“We knew she was a good contact hitter, but she’s actually putting some pop behind it now so that’s encouraging,” Clark said.
Caspary made quick work of Clinton in the bottom of the fifth with three up and three down and the Lomira celebration ensued. There were hugs and smiles and even more hugs. Then the Lions received their trophy and more hugs and photos with family and friends followed. There was even some ice cream to celebrate.
Lomira joins Lodi, Spooner and New Holstein as the Division 3 teams that will compete for a state championship at Goodman Diamond in Madison. The Division 3 semifinal games will take place on Friday, June 12, and the state championship will be the following day, Saturday, June 13.
In Lomira’s previous two trips, it left after one game, so this trip in 2026 is where Lomira will look for its first win at state and then some.
“Our goal is to go to state, but we’re not done yet,” Caspary said. “We still got a lot of goals to finish. We got a little break and now next week we’re coming back hard with intensity at practice and be ready for state.”
Contact or send game stats/info to Ben Schultz at BSchultz@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @benschultz52.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Big first inning powers Lomira softball to state tournament
Reporting by Ben Schultz, Oshkosh Northwestern / Oshkosh Northwestern
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ben Schultz, Oshkosh Northwestern | USA TODAY Network
