---

No one was questioning how good the Horicon softball team can be.
The bigger question was just how good?
The Pointers found that out in the WIAA Division 4 Sectional Finals Thursday when they faced the Lady Marshmen and had their season ended in five innings.
Make no mistake. The Pointers are a very good softball team and earned the title in the SWAL this season. But their bats were no match for the pitching of Allison Tillema who toed the rubber and methodically set the Pointers down on two hits while striking out 11 and walking two.
The two Pointer hits came late in the game. Tessa Hanson destroyed the no-no with a single to lead off the fourth. She was eventually caught stealing for an out.
Jenna Wedig singled to open the fifth to give the Pointers some last minute hope and got to second on a passed ball. But Tillema settled down and fanned the final three outs.
Dana Schmitz got the start for the Pointers and turned in two innings. She gave up six hits, six runs and walked one batter.
Lauren James, the SWAL Player of the Year, finished the final three frames, striking out one and giving up seven hits along with seven runs.
"Whatever team you are going to face in a Sectional Final game is going to be good, but Horicon was very good - at least that day they were," said Mineral Point coach Quinn Schultz. "It is tough when you have to drive 2+ hours to play a very good team on their home field in the Sectional Finals. You don't see that happen in any other sport accept for softball."
"Our girls battled and made some very good defensive plays but they hit a lot of balls where we couldn't get to," Schultz added. "Their pitcher was tough. We had some good at bats against her but could not string anything together. Tessa Hanson and Jenna Wedig had our only two hits in the game."
"It was a very good year by a great group of girls," the coach added. "We are hoping to build on this next year."