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When the final pitch was thrown and the post game celebration began, it was hard to determine which team had actually won the semi-final game at the WIAA State Softball Tournament in Division 4.
The sea of red that filled the stands was not there for the UW softball team. They were there for the Highland Cardinals from the first pitch to the last when they faced McDonell Central, one of the premier private schools in the state.
It took eight innings to determine the winner which, in this case, was McDonell on the scoreboard, 3-2. It took a tremendous four years, and in some cases more, for the Cardinal fans to know the Highland girls are true winners.
The girls entered high school and some of them promptly went to the state softball tournament as freshmen.
Their junior year, several formed the nucleus of the volleyball team that made it to the WIAA state meet.
Their senior year, with all starters back, they went on to win the Division 4 volleyball title.
They took Six Rivers West championships in volleyball, basketball and softball. Their basketball season was interrupted by River Ridge and the Lady Timberwolves went on to play in the WIAA state tournament.
The trip to Madison last week was sort of a last hurrah for the group of girls who have virtually put Highland on the map.
Things could have gone south in a hurry for the Cardinals when McDonell scored an unearned run in the first inning.
Third baseman for the Macks, Allison Waldusky, started it with a walk and pitcher Sarah Schoch reached when her fly to right was dropped. With two outs, second baseman Cassie Ortmann walked to load the bases and Waldusky came home when home plate umpire Joel Scott ruled Highland pitcher Emily Wolfe delivered an illegal pitch.
The Macks tacked on another run in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Schoch found a gap in right field and raced to a triple with one out. The Cardinals got an out on a pop up but a grounder by Ortmann was bobbled, allowing Schoch to score.
Highland's bats came alive in the fifth and set the score even. Carlee Yanna led off the frame with a single up the middle and took second on a wild pitch. Morgan Bomkamp then powered a drive to deep right for an rbi triple. Emily Rose knocked in Bomkamp with a single down the left field line.
Before the inning ended Kendall Wienkes singled and advanced on an error. Taylor Wienkes walked and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. After Schoch walked Brenna Ramsden to load the bases the Macks replaced her with Alli Schufelt who ended the threat with a strikeout.
Both teams played even until the eighth when the Macks pushed across what proved to be the winning run. Catcher Ellen McIlquham made it to first when her infield grounder was bobbled and took second on the overthrow. Schufelt then dropped in a single to right center and McIlquham came around to score.
That made it three runs for the Macks, all unearned.
The Cardinals had runners on in the bottom of the eighth but could not score. Leigh Drury beat out an infield hit then Wolfe singled to center. With two outs the Macks ended the game with a fielders choice that retired Drury at third.
Bomkamp was the hitting standout for the Cardinals with two hits in five trips. Yanna, Rose, Kendall Wienkes and Drury completed the seven hit attack.
Wolfe limited the Macks to four hits and no earned runs but fell victim to five errors that led to the McDonell scores.
The Cardinals also stranded 12 baserunners.
Bomkamp, a senior left fielder, thought nerves may have been a factor in the five errors.
"Some of the younger girls have never experienced anything like this and it is a learning experience," she said.
As for her 2x5 performance, Bomkamp said, "I was seeing the ball really well."
"This was one of the best times I have had in my life," Bomkamp said. "I will miss these girls a lot. We work so well together and they are fun to be around."
Yanna, who patrols center field and sets the table for the Highland offense in the lead off spot, also felt nerves played a part in the game.
"Both pitchers were hittable," Yanna said. "We just couldn't get ahold of anything."
Like Bomkamp, Yanna will miss the girls she has played with throughout grade and high school.
"I will definitely miss them," she said. "We do everything together. They are my family."
Kendall Wienkes felt the underclassmen took part in a learning process with the loss.
"They (the underclassmen) were put in a tough spot," she said. "They will grow and will only get better."
Things don't slow down for the Division 1 Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne volleyball recruit. She left Madison for Chicago for a major volleyball tournament at Navy Pier.
Coach Sarah Hennessey said the girls played a good game and had a great comeback.
"It ended up that it wasn't our day," she said.
"The five errors were uncharacteristic but the girls played their hearts out," Hennessey said. "They did all I could ask them to do."
"I know they feel bad right now but they have to remember they had a great season and have nothing to hang their heads about," she said. "They had the community behind them. We filled the whole section and someone said McDonell's fan base numbered 75."
The girls played for something more than wins and tournament berths this season. They played for Sammy Parker, a four month old son of a Highland teacher who died of SIDS. On his six month birthday the girls won the sectionals and earned a state berth with a 2-1 victory over Pepin.
"The girls got involved and dedicated the season to him," Hennessey said. "I know he was looking down here today, knowing they did a good job."
Yanna played for Sammy but also played for her grandfather, Paul Yanna, who passed away three years ago at the age of 82.
"It would have been his birthday today,"Yanna said. "I wanted to play for him."
Bomkamp offered some advice for younger players hoping for similar success in a Cardinal uniform.
"Play for something,"she said. "Take everything in because it goes by fast and when it is done, it is done."