Standout pitching and extra-inning showdowns defined the 2016 softball season in northwestern Wisconsin.
Both the Superior Spartans and Northwestern Tigers boasted All-State pitchers this season.
Both teams won their respective conference titles, and both teams saw their seasons end with one-run losses in extra innings.
For Superior, the season finale came in a rain-drenched ninth inning against D.C. Everest in the regional finals.
Northwestern ended its year in the WIAA Division 2 state semifinals. The Tigers’ nine-inning game with Delavan-Darien stretched over two days and was played on two different fields due to weather delays.
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During the game, Tigers pitcher Cheyenne Johnson etched her name into the state tournament record book when she struck out 15 batters to give her the third-highest Division 2 total.
The Spartans’ Brandie Goldberg had a similar record-setting feat in the regular season when she struck out 21 batters in a 13-inning victory over Hermantown.
Superior finished with a 21-6 overall record and claimed its second consecutive Lake Superior Conference title.
The Tigers finished in a tie with Bloomer for the Heart O’ North Conference crown - Northwestern’s fourth consecutive title. The Tigers ended the season with a 24-5 overall record after returning to the state softball tournament for the first time in 35 years.
In Solon Springs, the Eagles finished second in the Indianhead Conference behind Hurley. Solon Springs was 7-3 in conference play.
The Northwood Evergreens fielded a team that included three freshmen and two sophomores in the starting lineup this season. The Evergreens faced strong competition in the East Lakeland Conference, but they should have a bright future ahead.
Joining Player of the Year Brandie Goldberg on the 2016 Superior Telegram All-Area Softball Team are four Tigers, three Spartans, two Eagles and one Evergreen.
This year’s team includes six seniors, four juniors and one sophomore.
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Also nominated were Solon Springs senior Lindsey Sickler and freshman Morgan Anderson; Northwood sophomore Jacqueline Manor and freshman Jayden Barrett; Northwestern junior Cassidy Friend; and Superior freshman Madysen Stariha.
