Blair-Taylor drops sectional semifinal heartbreaker to Columbus Catholic

The sectional semifinal game between Blair-Taylor and Columbus Catholic was the type where the loser would be left to agonize over mistakes and missed opportunities that could’ve made the difference.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they were the ones sent into the offseason to grapple with the emotions that come with a playoff heartbreaker.

The top-seeded Dons (21-5) outlasted No. 2 seed Blair-Taylor (19-9) for an 8-7 win in nine innings in their WIAA Division Five sectional semifinal thriller last Wednesday in Marshfield.

Each team had an inning with a five-run rally to bolster their efforts — and each rally was helped along by miscues from the opposing defense.

The Wildcats posted their crooked number on the scoreboard right from the start, scoring five runs in the top of the first. Avery Peterson got things started with a one-out single, stole both second and third, and then scored on an error. After a hit by pitch and another baserunner reaching on an error, Elissa Smetana drove in a run with an RBI single and Andrea Aleckson followed her with another RBI single.

With runners and second and third and two outs, Emma Wathke delivered with a two-run single to complete the rally.

Columbus Catholic’s Shelby Spata smacked a solo home run to center in the bottom of the first and Akousa Yeboah added an RBI single in the third to cut the deficit to 5-2. Aleckson, making her sectional debut in the circle as a freshman, limited the damage during that third inning by getting a strikeout looking on a full count and a lineout after Yeboah’s run-scoring single to escape a bases-loaded jam.

The Wildcats would not be so fortunate when faced with another one-out bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth.

On that occasion, Columbus Catholic’s Ashley Weiler hit a popup that fell to the infield dirt between three different Wildcat fielders just past second base. Blair-Taylor center fielder Landonn Daffinson scooped up the ball and, rather than trying to scamper to second to get the force out there, threw to third. A run scored and everyone else wound up safe to keep the bases loaded.

Columbus Catholic’s Katelyn Casperson tied the game by lacing a two-run single to right, then the Dons took a 7-5 lead when Abigail Wojcik’s liner was misplayed by Wathke in right.

Despite that shell-shocking turn of events, the Wildcats responded well in the top of the seventh to load the bases with two outs to bring senior Madalynn Frederixon to the plate. Down to the season’s final strike in a 1-2 count, Frederixon came up clutch by singling to center to drive in two runs and tie things up at 7-7.

Aleckson set down the Dons in order in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings.

Blair-Taylor gave itself a couple of cracks at taking the lead back with a runner reaching third with two outs in the top of the eighth and a runner making it to third again with one out in the ninth, but they failed to cash in on both occasions.

In the bottom of the ninth, Casperson hit a leadoff double, stole third and then made a beeline to home on a passed ball to give the Dons a walk-off win to propel them to the first sectional final in program history while handing Blair-Taylor a loss in the sectional semifinals for a second straight season.

The Dons wound up losing 10-4 to Ithaca the following day at a sectional final hosted by Blair-Taylor. The Bulldogs move on to the state tournament for the second time in program history and first time since 2014.

After Wednesday’s game, Columbus Catholic head coach Troy Zimmermann had high praise for both the Blair-Taylor program and for Wildcat head coach Greg Bratina, who coached Zimmermann’s daughter, Hailey, at the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games in 2023.

“I have a ton of respect for (Bratina),” Zimmermann said. “Just know his overall record, just know his longevity at the program. He’s just a fantastic coach. So, winning this against a team like that, that’s just a great feather in our cap.”

For the Wildcats in the defeat, Frederixon helped lead the way by going 2 for 6 with a double and two RBIs. In her eight-plus innings, Aleckson struck out six and gave up eight runs, but only four of them were earned.

“It was just that one inning where we gave up five runs. There were two or three plays that we just got to go make, especially when you’re at this level,” Bratina said. “You got to go make that play and we kind of backed off a little bit.”

Despite the bitter end for the Wildcats, it was still yet another successful spring for the program as they won 19 games, nabbed the outright Dairyland Small title and continued an impressive run of postseason success with their eighth consecutive regional title.

With only three seniors — four-year starter Frederixon, Frankie Zentgraf and Abby Rolbiecki — graduating off this year’s roster, Blair-Taylor should be poised for another strong season in 2026.

“I told them I love this team. I love the heart. I love the work that they put in,” Bratina said of his postgame message to the team. “This is two years in a row we’ve been here and haven’t quite finished. Last year, we kind of bowed out. This year, we put a fight in. We just missed our opportunities. We really did. But let’s use this, thank our seniors for all the work they did and figure out how we can improve ourselves and improve our team for next year.”