The two Pointers seniors, Maddy Kabat (left) and Jadyn Schultz take the championship trophy from Jadyn’s dad Coach Quinn Schultz to take to the rest of the championship team to enjoy. Photo by Joelle Doye.
By John Dalton The Mineral Point Pointers (28- 4) won their second WIAA State Softball Championship in program history Saturday, defeating Johnson Creek 6-0 in the Division 4 title game at Goodman Diamond in Madison. Pitcher Tenleigh Bockhop led the way with a complete-game three-hitter and striking out 10 batters. The No. 2-seeded Pointers reached the championship with a 2-0 win over Marathon on Thursday night, while No. 4 Johnson Creek advanced by upsetting top-seeded and undefeated Grantsburg 9-0.
The Pointers scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, and pitcher Tenleigh Bockhop delivered another strong performance on the mound. After striking out 14 batters and allowing only three hits in the semifinal against Marathon, she fanned 10 Johnson Creek hitters and allowed just three hits against the Bluejays. In fact, the Pointers did not allow an opponent to score any runs in their past six games.
“I don’t know if there are words to explain this, this is awesome, it’s what you dream about at the beginning of the season, but to actually feel it and win it, and your daughter is a senior, there is a lot of stuff going on right now,” said an emotional Pointer Head Coach Quinn Schultz following the game. His daughter, Jadyn Schultz, drove in the first run for the Pointers hitting a solid single to center in the bottom of the first inning scoring Austy Kinch, who doubled prior to her at bat.
For Coach Schultz, this is his second state championship with the Pointers, winning the state title in Division 3 in 2013 when they defeated Kenosha St. Joseph 7-2. This was the fourth state appearance for the Pointers, who are now 2-2 in state appearances. Last year, this young squad reached the state tournament but lost to Mishicot 5- 0, and they were bound and determined to get back to the tournament this year, and beyond.
“Nobody scored a run on us in the entire tournament, and losing last year in the first round was an important part, being such a young team, they already knew what the atmosphere was going to be like, what the energy was going to be like, and I think we used that to our advantage today,” said Coach Schultz.
With only two seniors, Jadyn Schultz and Maddy Kabat, on this year’s roster, the Pointers appear well positioned to return to the state tournament in the coming years behind Bockhop’s arm. “It feels amazing. We really did it,” the sophomore pitcher said after the game. “Coming in after last year, we had confidence. We didn’t have the butterflies of being at state for the first time, and this year I felt like we were so confident in the box and everywhere else. I love our team. We have a great culture, a great bond. Roll Dawgs.”
In that first inning, after Schultz drove in Kinch, Aida Tuttle doubled to left center which scored Schultz from second base. Then, with two outs and Tuttle on third base, Ava Ingwell doubled down the left field line scoring Tuttle. That was followed up by Leah Hoffman who singled scoring Ingwell, and just like that Mineral Point had a 4-0 lead.
The Pointers made it 5-0 in the third inning. Tuttle was on third base after hitting a triple and she scored on Ingwell’s fielder’s choice.
In the sixth inning, the Pointers scored another run. Kendall Wenger doubled down the left field line. She advanced to third on Maddy Kabat’s ground out, then scored on an error by Johnson Creek making it 6-0.
The Bluejays loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning after two walks and a single, but Bockhop struck out the final batter to end the threat and bring home the gold. And for the two seniors on the team, it was a dream come true.
“I don’t think it’s hit yet but it’s definitely a surreal feeling,” said Jadyn Schultz following the game. “It feels great to bring the gold back to town, the community, seeing everyone in the stands, it was such a fun atmosphere to play in. You look up in the stands, and you see a different face every time, it’s amazing. I just want to thank everyone who came out and supported us, and it was great to play under my dad and with all my best friends, so thank you and Roll Dawgs!”
“It’s so amazing, I’m still in shock a little bit, it’s overwhelming” said senior Maddy Kabat who has had a phenomenal athletic career at Mineral Point. “I can’t even imagine myself in this position as a little girl, but now, looking back, I’m so proud of myself for everything I’ve accomplished and with my teammates and everything, I couldn’t be here without my coaches and my teammates, and my parents, everyone supporting me, the whole community, I can’t top it. Roll Dawgs!”
Nothing is guaranteed moving forward, but Mineral Point feels good about its program and its future. “Our future is very bright. I mean, we have a great pitcher, great catcher, great support staff, but you can never say enough about your senior leaders,” said Coach Schultz. “They really direct how the team goes working hard and keeping us focused and working hard every day.”
“And our fans, I noticed that at MATC Thursday night when our game started so late, but our fans showed up, packed the stadium, standing room only, and that’s what this town does, they follow you, you get old players coming back, and it is awesome,” he said. “And its never about me, but this year with my daughter, you know, I’ve coached her since 10U, I’ve had Maddy with me as well, and some of these girls that play with me in the summer, but its them, they put all the time and effort and they execute, and I think you could see that when they got bases loaded in the seventh inning, they were calm and collective and they knew they just had to make one more play.”
Marathon 0 (25-6) Player ab. r h rbi bb so po a. lob Brinly Stencil rf 3 00001100 Mayven Schneider ss 20 0 000100 Danica Staus c 30 1 00 1 510 Rehgan Martin lf 3 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 Tyla Beilke-Seubert 2b 201011 310 Allison Podjaski p 200 002 0 4 1 Mylee Haehlke cf 3 0000 2200 Sophia Conn 1b 200012 601 Paityn Brickner dh 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 Morgan Sorge 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals 23 0 3 0 2 14 18 8 6 Mineral Point 2 (27-4)
Maddy Kabat cf 3 01 001 100 Austy Kinch c 3 1 1 1 0 0 14 01 Jadyn Schultz 2b 301101100 Aida Tuttle rf 3 0 20 0 1 0 0 1 Tenleigh Bockhopp 201 001 010 Ava Ingwell ss 20000011 0 Leah Hoffman 1b 3 0000 1403 Chloe McVay lf 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kendall Wenger 31 00 001 030 Totals 22 2 7 2 0 6 21 5.5 Marathon vs Mineral Point (6/11/2026) Box score Score by Innings RHE Marathon ……….. 000 000 0 – 0 3 1 Mineral Point ……. 000 020 X – 2 7 1 E – Haehlke; Schultz. LOB – Marathon 6; Mineral Pt. 5. SH – Schneider; Podjaski; Bockhop; Ingwell; Wenger. SB – Kinch 2. Marathon ip h r er bb so wpbk hbp bb ab bf fo go
Allison Podjaski L 6.0 7 2 2 0 60 000 22 25 4 8
Mineral Point Tenleigh Bockhop W 7.0 3 0 0 2 14 0 0 0 0 23 27 2 5 Win – Bockhop. Loss – Podjaski. Save – None. PB – Staus.
Johnson Creek 0 (26-5) Tori Buglass p 30 0 0 0 221 0 Carl Armstrong 2b 3 0 0 00 1 0 2 1 Libby Burbach 3b 300002010 Taylor Burglass c 201 01 0 400 Attigun Benz 1b 302 000 600 Rozilyn Cheaney lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 Sariah Witterholt cf 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 1 Brooklyn Gunn dp 1 00021000 Kira Boehm rf 30 000 2003 Paige Swanson ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Totals 24 0 3 0 3 10 18 6 6 Mineral Point 6 (28-4)
Maddy Kabat cf 4 01 0 00100 Austy Kinch c 3 1 20 1 0 11 1 0 Jadyn Schultz 2b 311 1011 01 Aida Tuttle rf 32 21 00 20 2 Tenleigh Bockhop p 300002100 Ava Ingwell ss 3 1 1 100 000 Leah Hoffman 1b 301 100 300 Chloe McVay lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 Kendall Wenger 3b 31 1 000110 Totals 28 69 4 1 4 21 2 5 Score by Innings RHE
Johnson Creek ……. 000 000 0 – 0 3 1 Mineral Point ……. 401 001 X – 6 9 0 -E – Benz. LOB – Johnson Crk. 6; Mineral Pt. 5. 2B – Ta. Buglass; Kinch; Tuttle; Ingwell; Wenger. 3B – Tuttle. SB – Kinch. Johnson Creek ip h rer bb so wp bk hbp ibb ab bf fo go
Tori Buglass L 6.0 9 6 5 1 4 0 0 0 0 28 29 8 6
Mineral Point
Tenleigh Bockhop W 7.0 3 0 0 3 10 1 0 0 0 24 27 10 1 Win – Bockhop. Loss – To. Buglass. Save – None. WP – Bockhop.
