Lomira Softball Advances to State with a Dominating Win

On June 4, Lomira softball defeated Clinton 11-0 in the Sectional Final at Taylor Park in Rosendale to advance to state for the first time since 2021 and the third time in program history.
Lomira (25-3) got a leadoff double from Trista Gassner and a walk by Izzy Westphal to set up power hitter Lily Christian at the plate for the Lions.
Christian responded with her seventh home run of the season by sailing the ball over the center field to energize the Lions’ dugout and crowd with a 3-0 lead in the first inning over Clinton (22-8).
Haleigh Caspary, on the very next pitch, took the ball out of the park with an opposite-field home run over the right field fence, giving the Lions more energy and a 4-0 lead.

The Lions offense wasn’t close to being done in the inning when Eleanor Collies hit a RBI single for a commanding 5-0 lead.
Kennedy Goebel hit a three-run RBI triple with bases loaded with two outs, then Westphal followed with a RBI single to give the Lions an impressive 9-0 lead and the knowledge they were well on their way to the State Softball tournament after starting the Sectional Final in the best way a team could dream of.
“You really can’t ask for a better start with our players coming out attacking and just passed the bat,” said Head Coach Stacey Clark. “They built on each other’s confidence and made some great adjustments in the box. It was amazing to see all the players contributing.”
Addy Behnke hit a leadoff triple in the fifth inning to get the Lomira offense going, and Goebel capped off their dominating offense performance with a two-run RBI single to push the Lions’ lead to 11-0 over Clinton.
Haleigh Caspary shut the door from the pitching circle r in the bottom of the fifth inning, securing their fourth consecutive playoff shutout by a combined score of 35-0 and sending the Lions celebrating on the diamond by advancing to the State Softball Tournament at Goodman Field in Madison on June 12.
“Our defense really has come up big. Haleigh starts things in the circle, and then everyone has each other’s back with it trickling out to the field,” said Clark. “The players have built a great deal of trust in their defense and playing together, and that is the best thing a team can do.”
Kennedy Goebel and Lily Christian powered the offense with eight runs batted in for Lomira in the Sectional Final Victory.
“Being able to go to state this year is something that is so special,” said Lomira Catcher Izzy Westphal. “This group of girls is amazing to be around, and being able to do this with my best friends will be something I will never forget.”
“We are so incredibly grateful and proud of our team and our program because we have had a lot of incredible players come through our program and help build high expectations, and that tradition continues with this team,” said Clark. “We are so thankful to our parents and families for their support.”
Sectional Semifinal vs Laconia
On June 2, Lomira softball defeated Laconia 1-0 at home in the sectional semifinals to advance to the Sectional Final.
Lomira (25-3) got a double play when pitcher Haleigh Caspary extended forward to catch the floating ball at the pitcher’s mound to throw a strike to first base to double up the Laconia (19-5) runner at first base to end the top of the first inning.
Trista Gassner hit a leadoff single to start the bottom of the first inning, and Lily Christian hit a single with two outs to drive in Gassner to give the Lions a 1-0 lead over the Spartans.
The Lions got another double play in the second inning, thanks to Kennedy Goebel catching a pop fly at second base and throwing out the Laconia runner at second base to end the inning.
Lomira was able to strand a Spartan runner at second base with no outs in the fifth and sixth innings to prevent any scoring chances for Laconia, keeping the game 1-0 in favor of the Lions.
Tori Thomas made another defensive highlight for the Lions by making a running catch in right field to secure the final out in the sixth inning.
Haleigh Caspary’s 12 strikeouts and the team defense supporting Caspary limited the Spartans to three hits to shut out the Spartans for the third time on the season by a combined score of 10-0 during the team’s three matchups.
“It is always tough to play a team three times in a season, especially a good pitching and hitting team like Laconia,” said Head Coach Stacey Clark. “Facing tough competition and having to earn the win makes it that much more special.”
“Our defense and pitching really stepped up throughout the game,” said Clark. “With runners on the team took their time, stuck together, and were composed with starting in the pitching circle, and everyone had everyone’s back.”
“We are so proud of the fight and the team trusting each other,” said Clark.
Lomira softball received a number one seed and will play four seed Spooner (23-1) at 11:30 a.m. on June 12 in the WIAA Division 3 State Semifinals at Goodman Field in Madison. The State Championship game will be on June 13 at 1 p.m.
Game Results
Thursday, June 4
WIAA Tournament-Sectional Final
#2 Clinton 0
#1 Lomira 11
Final/5
Pitching: Haleigh Caspary (W) 7IP, 0R, 13H, 0BB, 6K
Leading Hitters: Lily Christian 2H, HR, 3RBI, R. Trista Gassner 2H, 2B, 3R. Haliegh Caspary HR, RBI, R. Addy Behnke 3H, 3B, 2R. Kennedy Goebel 2H, 3B, 5RBI, R. Izzy Westphal H, RBI, R. Eleanor Collies H, RBI, R
Tuesday, June 2
WIAA Tournament-Sectional Semifinals
#2 Laconia 0
#1 Lomira 1
Final
Pitching: Haleigh Caspary (W) 7IP, 0R, 3H, 4BB, 12K
Leading Hitters: Lily Christian H, RBI. Trista Gassner H, R. Haleigh Caspary H
Lomira All-Conference Flyway Conference Selections
Player of the Year: Trista Gassner
First Team Unanimous: Haleigh Caspary and Trista Gassner
First Team: Lily Christian and Izzy Westphal
Second Team: Brianna Frea and Eleanor Collies
Honorable Mention: Kennedy Goebel, Tori Thomas, and Addy Behnke