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Area softball All-Stars play final prep games
Platteville's Hoyer among top fundraisers for Special Olympics
pla sb hoyer
Plattevilles KD Hoyer keeps a watchful eye on the pitcher during an at-bat at last weeks All-Star game. Hoyer, who played on the D2/3 Blue team, raised nearly $1,100 for Special Olympics Wisconsin for he event.

WISCONSIN DELLS — A number of area softball standouts had one final chance to perform last Tuesday at the 2017 Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association (WFSCA) All-Star Games at Woodside Sports Complex in Wisconsin Dells.

Belmont outfielder/pitcher Paige Nolan, Iowa–Grant pitcher Maranda McCarthy and Benton/Shullsburg catcher McKailah Strang helped lead the Division 4/5 White All-Star team to a 2–0 record, while  Potosi outfielder Brook McKillip, Darlington shortstop Callie Norton and Black Hawk second baseman Sammy Lovelace went 1–1 on the day with the Division 4/5 Blue All-Star team

Platteville’s KD Hoyer played all over the field, playing catcher, second base, third base, left field and right field for the Division 2/3 Blue team.

Hoyer’s team lost both its games Tuesday, but the event was for a cause close to her heart, Special Olympics of Wisconsin, and she was one of the top individual fundraisers for the entire event.

There were 199 senior All-Stars who took part in this year’s event, chosen from all 5 divisions. Divisions 2 and 3 were combined to make six teams (72 girls) and Divisions 4 and 5 were also combined to form five teams, and there were six Division 1 teams.

Each player had to raise $300 in donations for Special Olympic of Wisconsin to be eligible to play.  Hoyer was part of the $1,000 club, raising a grand total of $1,080. Only 15 of the 199 All-Stars were part of  this elite club.

Hoyer plans to major in Special Education at Waldorf University in Forrest City, Iowa, where she will also continue her softball career this fall.

The D4/5 Blue All-Stars defeated the D4/5 Red team by a score of 9–2 to open the day, but were then edged by the White All-Stars, 7–6, in their second game to finish with a 1–1 record.

The D4/5 White finished a perfect 2–0 at the event thanks to a 13–5 win over the Black D4/5 team on Tuesday afternoon.

Nolan pitched three innings in the White’s win over the Blue and went 6-for-9 at the plate with a pair of doubles. Strang caught all 14 innings for the White and had four hits in nine at-bats during the twinbill. McCarthy earned the win in the circle in game two and batted 4-for-8 on the day for Cambridge head coach Dean Freeland’s D4/5 White team, along with Highland’s Karen McMannes, Southwestern’s Katie Fritz and Amber Brand, Juda/Albany’s Alexis Goecks and Sara Jordan, and Mineral Point’s Destinee Kruser.

McKillip and Lovelace each went 3-for-9 on the day for McDonell Central head coach Chelsea Rosenow’s D4/5 Blue squad. Norton went 4-for-9 at the plate for the Blue team, and made a key catch in left field with the bases loaded to help lead her team to victory over the Red.

Richland Center girls snap 45-game losing streak
Burns makes three free throws with 3.2 seconds left to lift Hornets to 1-point win over Viroqua
Kylie Burns
Richland Center sophomore Kylie Burns made three free throws with 3.2 seconds left to lift the Hornets to a 55–54 non-conference victory over Viroqua Tuesday night. The win snapped Richland Center's 45-game losing streak. - photo by Erik Olson

RICHLAND CENTER — Sophomore Kylie Burns converted three straight free throws with 3.2 seconds left in overtime to give the Richland Center Hornets a 55-54 non-conference win here Tuesday night. 

The win was the Hornets’ first of the season and ended a 45-game losing streak dating back to the end of the 2022–23 campaign.

“They never gave up,” said coach Jeremy Kooi of his team which fought back from an early 12-point deficit 

The Hornets rallied to pull within 27–21 at the half and finally tied the game midway through the second half. The lead changed hands several times down the stretch before Regan Schoepp scored from close range to put the Hornets ahead 47–45. Viroqua freshman Allyah Schwenn quickly penetrated and scored to tie the game, 47–47, and force overtime.

In the extra period, Burns accounted for all eight of the Hornets’ points with a three-pointer and five of five from the free throw line. 

Ella Weiss led the Hornets in scoring with 22 points while Burns finished with 16. Jaycee Gander netted six, Carley Mieden five, Schoepp four and Jasmine Hazlerig two.

Schwenn topped all scorers with 24 points for Viroqua. Emily Hubatch scored 14 and Emma Moilien had 10. 

The Hornets were 19 of 30 from the free throw line while Viroqua converted 15 of 29 but only three of six in overtime.