MADISON — Almond-Bancroft softball’s return to Goodman Diamond after 41 seasons ended with an 8-3 loss to Belmont in the Division 5 championship on Saturday, June 14.
Backed by strong pitching, Belmont’s bats came alive in the state title game to deny the Eagles their first state championship.
Belmont’s Morgan Freeman drove in the first run in a three-run flurry in the first, blasting a laser up the middle that pushed her team ahead. Pitcher Carsyn Ramaker handed in six strong innings, yielding only two hits and one run while striking out six.
Belmont extended its lead in the third with four more runs.
Almond-Bancroft’s Mya Dernbach got the Eagles’ offense in motion in the top of the sixth, capitalizing on a series of wild pitches, which got the Eagles on board.
Kerstyn Clark and Tia Dernbach notched back-to-back singles off Braves reliever Kalli Hodgson in the top of the seventh, eventually cashing in two more runs to make it 8-3 with two outs.
The Braves put Ramaker back in the circle for the final out.
It was Almond-Bancroft’s first trip to the WIAA state softball tournament since 1984, and the Eagles’ future shines bright with only one senior walking away after this season. In 2026, they will return the majority of their core and will have their eyes on that first state title.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at alfred.smith@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Almond-Bancroft’s shot at first state softball title ends in Division 5 final vs. Belmont
Reporting by Alfred Smith III, Stevens Point Journal / Stevens Point Journal
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