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After leaving 15 runners stranded in an extra inning game you get the feeling that team may find a way to score.
It took nine innings before Wisconsin Heights found that one run and it came on a two out walk off home run by Vanguard lead-off hitter Jada Wood. The blast that hit the top of the fence and went over, giving the Vanguards a 5-4 extra inning win in Tuesday's WIAA Division 3 Sectional semi-final game.
It almost seemed as if home plate was off limits for the Vanguards as they left the bases loaded in four separate innings and had 15 stranded until the big blast in the 9th.
In contrast the Pointers were more efficient, stranding only four runners.
The Vanguards did get on the board first when pitcher Tayler Kraemer coaxed a bases loaded walk that sent home teammate Alycia Hosking to give Heights a 1-0 lead.
The Pointers answered with two runs in the fourth. The first came on a triple from Kyla Lindsey that scored Jenna Wedig. Lindsey then went for home and was called out but on review the umpire ruled catcher interference and allowed the run to score, putting the Pointers up 2-1.
Heights responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. The Vanguards loaded the bases which brought sophomore Sydnee Duhr to the plate and she promptly doubled to give Heights the lead back at 3-2.
The Pointers got the lead back in the see-saw affair when they pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Morgan James drove in Miranda Oellerich who had reached on a lead-off infield single to tie the game. Before the inning was over Lauren James's sac fly brought in Ella Chambers to make it 4-3 in Mineral Point's favor.
The lead held until the next frame Kraemer doubled then Duhr poked her second ground rule double of the game to tie things at 4-4.
Things entered the danger zone for the Pointers in the bottom of the eighth with a fielders choice, an intentional pass to Duhr and Izzy Grahn getting hit by a pitch but Riley Lynch was retired on a fielders choice to end the threat.
The tie lasted until there were two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Pointer hurler Dana Schmitz had retired Hosking on a fly ball to left and Haylee Cummata on a 6-3 ground out but Wood ended it with her walk off blast on the first pitch.
Kraemer took the decision in the circle with the loss going to Schmitz. Both pitchers went the distance.
Schmitz was charged with eight walks but three were intentional. She struck out two while giving up 11 hits and five runs, all earned.
Pointer coach Quinn Schultz said the girls played well and Schmitz had a good outing in the circle.
"Wisconsin Heights is a dangerous team and Kraemer has developed a change up which can keep a team off guard," Schultz said. "The girls had a good year and we are sad to see it end. But the only undefeated team left will be the state champion."