The 18U Crofton Lady Warriors softball team won the USA Softball of Nebraska Class D State Tournament during the weekend of July 12-14. This marked the first softball state championship in Crofton girls’ softball history.
After starting the season 5-10, the 18U girls turned it on at the right time as they were a blistering 13-1 to finish off their season, including winning their final twelve games of the season.
The team’s run for the title started in late June as they went on a 7-game tear leading into the state tournament. This included winning against Verdigre and Osmond, winning the league tournament, and then defeating Hartington. They continued rolling into the state tournament where they won all five of their games, including versus the 2024 Flames of Nebraska (13-6–Friday), Hebron Titans (8-4–Saturday), Holdrege Eagles 18U (10-4–Saturday), Ponca (5-3–Sunday), and Ponca (9-5–Sunday).
“Our team put it all together offensively and defensively throughout the state tournament,” Lady Warriors Coach Tony Guenther said. He and fellow coach Lonnie Tramp watched as their team had an offensive outburst over the weekend. The team scored five or more runs in its final 12 games. In the state tournament alone, the 18U hit .386, totaling 51 hits in five games.
They ended up with a .438 on-base percentage in 147 at-bats. This was roughly 64 baserunners, not including those who reached on errors. 45 of those turned into runs. Caitlin Guenther pitched every inning for her team, recording all of the wins for her teams. In their first game against the 2024 Flames of Nebraska, the team got off to an auspicious start in the top of the first when Annabelle Poppe singled in a run.
However, the Flames rallied to take the lead a 2-1 lead the bottom of the first. They tacked on another run in the bottom of the second to make it 3-1. The Warriors retook the lead 5- 3 thanks to a 4-run top of the third. Caitlin Guenther, Kaylee Mauch, and Kayden Acuff each had RBI hits. The Warrios took control of the game in the top of the fifth, scoring six runs. While the Warriors got RBI doubles from both Poppe and Megan Tramp, they also benefited from from three errors and a wild pitch.
Overall, the Warriors had 13 hits, six of which were by Megan Tramp and Caitlin Guenther alone. Poppe and Mauch had two hits each. Rebecca Leader, Emily Guenther, Kayden Acuff, Leila Barta, and Ryley Arens all added a hit a piece. In game two, the Lady Warriors held off the Hebron Tigers 8-4. The Titans started off the game with a 3-0 lead in the top of the first; however, the Lady Warriors scored six runs in the bottom of the second to take a 6-3 lead, thanks in part to Megan Tramp’s 2-run triple.
Caitlin Guenther had three hits including a home run. She fell a triple short of the cycle (home run, double, single). Poppe also had three hits. Ellie Tramp and Emily Guenther both had two hits as well. Mauch and Leader each added a single. Game 3 turned out to be pivotal for the Warriors’ championship run. They faced the Holdrege Eagles who had beaten each of their first two tournament opponents by at least ten runs. The Warriors came out on top 10-4, scoring eight runs in the first three innings. Caitlin Guenther started the scoring in the the top of the first inning with a home run to center field.
The Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the first at 1-1. However, the Warriors had an answer with seven consecutive runs. In the top of the second, Leila Barta singled in two runs before the Eagles allowed another run on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. The Warriors continued with three runs in the third on a costly errors. The Warriors then added two more runs as they held the Eagles’ offense in check for the remainder of the contest. Overall, the Warriors had eight hits, including two by Caitlin Guenther and Leader.
On Sunday, the Warriors advanced to play Ponca to see who would be the first team into the championship round. This proved to be the Warriors most daunting challenge of the whole tournament. They found themselves down 3-0 after the four-and-a-half innings. However, in the top of the fifth, the Warriors strung together fourhits, including a 3-run triple byMegan Tramp, which helpedthem take a 5-3 lead.
The Warriors then held Poncain the bottom half of the inningto seal the win.They had 10 hits in the game, including Ellie Tramp (2), Poppe (2), Tramp (1), Caitlin (1), Mauch (1), Leader (1), Emily Guenther (1), and Barta (1). This win all but cemented the Warriors’ title, considering that Ponca had to turn around and play Wakefield. The winner of that game would then have to play their third consecutive game and beat a rested Warriors team twice before securing the state championship.
Ponca emerged victorious against Wakefield, but the Lady Warriors jumped to a 3-1 lead after the first inning. Guenther then hit another home run in the top of the third inning. In the fifth, the Warriors built their lead to 9-3 after Rylie Arens hit a two-run home run. They ultimately held off Ponca 9-5. They had twelve hits with six girls having a multi-hit game: Poppe (2 singles), Megan Tramp (single/double), Caitlin Guenther (2 singles, 1 home run), Leader (single/double), Arens (single, home run), and Barta (2 singles).
The championship marked a culmination of hard work throughout the season and throughout the years. This group of girls essentially built back up the softball program, which hadn’t had an 18U group for over a decade. “We appreciate this group of girls who stayed with softball to get the 18U team back up and going in Crofton,” Coach Tony Guenther said.
Within the past four years, the team went from not reaching state and having two girls get picked up by Ponca (2021) to playing in the Class C state tournament (2022, 2023). Kayden Acuff, Rebecca Leader, Megan Tramp, and Emma Wuebben played their final games as Crofton Lady Warriors softball players.
Cameryn Fiscus, Caitlin Guenther, Kaylee Mauch, and Ellie Tramp all return for their last season of eligibility next year. Riley Arens, Emily Guenther, and Annabelle Poppe have two seasons left, while Leila Barta, Ella Reifenrath, and Alexa Suing each have three seasons of eligibility remaining. “We want to thank everyone who supported us throughout this year and made it a fun and successful season,” Guenther said.