Wildcats mark end of season with memorable championship win

The Warsaw Wildcats’ Class 2 state softball title will be memorable for many reasons.

It was played basically in two halves in two different cities, with the championship game starting Saturday night in Springfield and concluding Monday afternoon in Columbia. The first half of the game was a tight pitchers’ duel, but Kristina Strader’s double on the first pitch Monday doused the scoring drought and put the Wildcats on the path to victory.

And it is the first state championship by a Warsaw girls team.

This collection of players has been making strides each year, and Monday all that work bore the fruit of victory. Senior Megan Palmer told The Democrat’s Kyle Smith: “We won district in all four years of high school. We went a step further every year, and I just knew this would be our year. We have a great team.”

Senior Kelli Wenberg, the ace of the pitching staff, came through with yet another stellar performance, pitching seven scoreless innings while giving up just two hits; she also logged 15 strikeouts and no walks. But this is no one-woman team, and the lineup top to bottom contributed through the season and into the championship run.

We congratulate the Wildcats players and coaches for a most memorable season. This team has certainly made its mark on school history, and all associated with the program should be proud of their accomplishments.