Coach Scott Ritzema told Kendyl Pluim to look for a pitch she liked and hit it hard.
That’s exactly what the freshman catcher did in the top of the seventh inning to get Laconia on the board with a two-RBI double.
The Spartans went on to win 3-2 against No. 1 Mishicot on Friday morning in the WIAA Division 3 State Semifinal at Goodman Diamond in Madison.
“I was looking for my pitch in my spot,” Pluim said. “I didn’t want to go chase any junk because you’re not going to get a good hit off of it.
“That was my mentality: go up and find one you like."
Pluim’s big hit came with Laconia trailing 2-0. Despite having at least one runner on base in each inning, the Spartans failed to score, including leaving the bases loaded in the sixth inning.
Senior pitcher Addison Maurer followed Pluim up with an RBI double, which put Laconia (21-8) up for good.
Ritzema said it came down to his team’s ability to battle.
“One of the things I though we’ve done is be battle tested,” Ritzema said. “Our girls knew that even though they were down by two, they could still win the game. They proved that today.
“I’m just excited to continue to play ball yet.”
Pluim said despite having some hard-hit outs during the postseason run, she has tried to stay positive, which she attributes to her success in the big moment.
“It’s definitely a game of errors so you just got to keep going, you’ve got to keep swinging,” Pluim said. “If you give up, then you’re never going to get on. You’ve got to keep trying.”
Maurer not only had the game-winning RBI, but also worked out of some challenging jams in the circle against the previously undefeated Indians.
Mishicot had runners on third base in both the third and fourth innings and runners on second and third in the fifth inning. Maurer worked out of all of those jams without giving up a run.
“It shows the maturity of her as a four-year starter,” Ritzema said. “She’s not going to let the game get any bigger than it is and she just keeps her composure extremely well, especially under pressure.
“That’s not something that comes with every player so for her to be able to do that, I have a ton of confidence in her.”
Maurer got the complete-game win while striking out seven batters.
The Indians (29-1) scored on an RBI single from Cora Stodola in the first inning and a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth that Kaelin Adair smashed to right field.
Katelyn Callahan led Mishicot, going 4-for-4 with two triples, a double and a run in the loss.
Laconia will play Prescott, which got a 4-1 win against Brodhead, at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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