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Thursday should be quite a day for those wanting to see two of the top softball teams in the state square off at Brodhead.
That is where the WIAA Division 3 Sectional Finals will be held in section 3 with a 4 p.m. start. The game will feature two number one seeds and ranked teams when Dodgeville meets up with undefeated and defending state champion Poynette.
The Pumas disposed of Lake Mills in an 8-0 shutout to earn their spot while the Dodgers fought past La Crosse Aquinas 4-3.
Not only will the game feature two of the state's best teams it will also feature two of the top coaches in Poynette's Bob Tomlinson and Dodgeville's Gene Van Dyck.
The Dodgers got a monster home run from Amanda Ludwig, two big hits from Taylor Borne and a game winning single from Audrey White.
Ludwig came up after Dani Mikrut had led off the second with a single. With the Dodgers trailing 2-0, Ludwig sent the ball out of sight and knotted the score at 2-2.
Aquinas manufactured a run in the third on a solo shot by Malin. That run held up until the bottom of the fourth.
That is when Taylor Borne took her turn at providing some excitement when her single sent in White with the run that tied the game. White had singled with one out and took second on a walk to Dodgeville pitcher Lyndsey Murphy.
The winning run came in the bottom of the fifth when Korra Wasley coaxed a walk, took second on a single by JoJo Heimerl and scored on White's single to right.
That left it up to Murphy who responded with a pair of scoreless innings. The sixth got a little testy when the lead off hitter of the inning singled, stole second and got to third with one out but Murphy coaxed a liner to center and a 4-3 ground out to end the threat. She gave up a two out double in the seventh but ended the game when White fielded a grounder and sent it to Oliva Argall at first to end it.
Taylor Borne and White were 2x4 with Wasley and Heimerl 2x3. Ludwig and Mikrut had the other two hits.
Murphy went the distance and gave up nine hits along with three runs, all earned. She struck out two and walked one.
"It wasn't her best outing but she is a terrific competitor," Van Dyck said about Murphy. "She battled and got us through it."
He added that the defense had some big moments. Heimerl got a soft liner that looked like it was outfield bound, turned, checked each runner they gunned an out at first to end an what could have been a big inning for Aquinas.
Wasley had a big play when she roamed back to the fence and grabbed a ball that had home run written on it and brought it back into play.
"It was a tough, tough game by both teams," Van Dyck said. "Evenly played, solid defense...what more could you ask?"