MEDFORD POST 147 SOFTBALL - Championship just eludes Post 147 at softball state tourney
While Wisconsin’s American Legion softball program is still just getting started in building its list of participating teams, it found two very good ones to produce a memorable finish to its third-ever Division 1 state tournament, held last weekend in Merrill.
Meeting for the third time within a 24-hour period, Waupun’s Post 210 edged Medford’s Post 147 in Sunday’s title game 4-3 on a twoout, walk-off bases-loaded single by Maggie Kluge in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was Waupun’s second walk-off win over Medford in their three-game battle during the double-elimination tournament.
Both of the defeats were tough for Medford to swallow as uncharacteristic mistakes made both final plays possible for Waupun. But after the trophies and awards were handed out, Medford took the approach that the positives of the weekend outweighed the “what ifs.”
“I think it was really nice to do well and give us a look at next year and see how we can succeed really well and give a good run next year,” pitcher Rylee Hraby said. The Post 147 team of this summer, who finished 14-3, figures to be the Medford Raiders’ varsity team next spring.
“I think we did awesome,” outfielder and leadoff hitter Addison Brahmer said. “I don’t think I could’ve asked for any better of a weekend. We were so close.”
“The heart of the Post 147 softball girls cannot be matched,” head coach Justin Hraby said. “These girls competed hard all weekend and displayed such class that all our fans, parents and themselves should be very proud of what they accomplished. It was a great summer and hopefully a sign of what is to come in the spring 2026.”
Waupun also won the 2023 Division 1 championship, while Post 147, represented by the Whittlesey Lions, was last year’s champion. About half of Post 210’s core players were part of Waupun’s WIAA Division 2 state championship team of 2024.
“This is my second year at Legion state,” Brahmer said. “Last year we took first. It’s a really cool experience.” Matchup #1
Both teams cruised through their first two games on Friday. Waupun shut out Sparta 7-0 and then got out to a big lead while beating Wausau 11-5, while Medford shut out D.C. Everest 10-0 and was in control throughout a 7-3 win over Shawano. That set up a Saturday afternoon meeting between the two with the winner advancing to Sunday’s championship round.
Rylee Hraby was at the top of her game, no-hitting Waupun’s tough lineup through 6.2 innings. Unfortunately for Medford, Waupun’s standout Addison Braun, a University of Sioux Falls recruit, also threw seven shutout innings on just three hits, including two from Brahmer. She led off the game with an infield hit, stole second and got to third on Hraby’s flyout to center, but was stranded. Ava Hartl had Medford’s third hit with two outs in the top of the seventh. Both pitchers struck out nine hitters and walked only one. Hraby walked Waupun’s Kallie Westphal with one out in the first inning and then retired 19 straight hitters before Leah Buwalda dumped a single into shallow left-center and then scored the gamewinning run when Medford misplayed a fly ball hit by Hannah Bade. “The 1-0 showdown with Waupun was one of the best pitcher’s duels I have ever seen,” Justin Hraby said. “Addison Braun, who pitched in the 2024 D2 state championship game and Rylee went pitch for pitch. We definitely had more chances than them, but just didn’t cash in. Addison Brahmer did a great job of setting the table a few times, but we just couldn’t score her in this game.”
With the loss, Medford knew it would have to win three games on Sunday to win the state championship.
“Rylee pitched her best game she has ever pitched,” Hraby added. “She shut a very good lineup down for seven innings. It was a stinging loss, but I knew the girls would bounce back.”
Medford did just that, burying Wausau 11-3 in an elimination game Sunday morning to set up the rematch with Waupun, with Medford needing to knock Post 210 off twice.
“I think we picked each other up well,” Arndt said. “After somebody got out we didn’t let them get down. The next batter up picked them up.”
“I think our energy was really good,” Rylee Hraby said. “It got better and better throughout the weekend. I think we made good plays. We hit when we needed most of the time. I think we did really well as a team.”
Matchup #2
Medford carried the momentum from its Wausau win into the championship round. Post 147 built an early 3-0 lead over Waupun and a four-run bottom of the fourth made it 7-1 and basically forced Waupun to concede, as it pulled Braun and prepared for a winner-take-all second championship game.
Brahmer led off the bottom of the first with an infield hit and scored on Rylee Hraby’s fielder’s choice. Kayla Baumgartner was hit by a pitch in the second inning. Her pinch runner, Olivia Schaefer, scored on Brahmer’s single. Arndt doubled in Brahmer to make it 3-0. Westphal tripled and scored on Braun’s single in the top of the third, but Medford broke it open in the fourth.
Ruthie Steinman drew a leadoff walk, Brahmer singled and Arndt bunted for a hit to load the bases for Rylee Hraby, who came up just short of a grand slam, doubling off the rightfield fence. Laney Hraby’s two-out infield single drove in a run and Kailyn Haenel singled off reliever Korbyn Wenzel to knock in the fourth run of the inning.
Medford tacked on two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth on wild pitches to end it with an ll-l margin.
“We picked up where we left off against Wausau,” coach Hraby said. “We really got to Braun early and often. Addison and Finley really set the table for the girls behind them by continuing their hot hitting. If those two both get on at the top of the order, we score a lot of runs.”
Brahmer and Arndt both had three of Medford’s 13 hits. Rylee Hraby and Steinman had two each. Hraby went 5.2 innings, striking out six and allowing just three hits and one walk. Braun struck out five, but gave up eight hits and seven runs, six earned, in 3.1 innings.
The final matchup
Post 147 lost the coin flip before the second championship game and played as the visitors. But batting first allowed it to set an early tone offensively, which it did.
Brahmer walked and, after Arndt’s fielder’s choice, Rylee Hraby singled and took second on the throw to third. Zayleah Leonhardt’s groundout scored Brahmer and a high throw to first base on Laney Hraby’s grounder allowed courtesy runner Rylan Kraschnewski to score for a quick 2-0 lead.
Two errors, however, allowed Waupun to score an unearned run in the bottom of the first. That inning could’ve been worse for Medford. The run scored on a double steal, but Leonhardt threw out Raegen Holz at second on the front end of it. Brahmer made a lunging catch to rob Braun of a hit in rightfield for the first out.
“We jumped on them right away and I thought that would be enough to keep them down,” Justin Hraby said. “To their credit they bounced back. Some big ballin- play at-bats by Zayleah and Laney got us those two runs. It wasn't pretty, but it got us on the board after Finley and Rylee reached base. Our two errors in the bottom of the first let them right back in it. That's the way things go sometimes, momentum can change in a matter of a few pitches. Zayleah made a big play to really limit the damage, throwing a girl out at second on a steal attempt. If she doesn’t make that throw we are looking at a potential big inning. Also Addison made a great catch in the outfield. A few plays there that helped make up for a few that didn’t happen.”
Buwalde singled in the tying run in the third, but two runners were left stranded, keeping it 2-2.
Medford then had its chance to take control, scoring in the top of the sixth. Leonhardt walked and Laney Hraby bunted courtesy runner Grade Strama to second. With two down, Haenel battled Braun until getting a pitch she could handle and dumped it into left-center to score Strama.
“That was huge,” Rylee Hraby said. “She had been struggling a little bit. For herself and our team, that was exciting.”
Braun and Buwalda led off the bottom half with back-to-back doubles to tie it. Rylee Hraby made big pitches to keep it tied. Braun set down Medford in order in the top of the seventh, giving Waupun the chance to walk it off in the bottom half.
With one out, Post 147 pitched around Westphal, who walked. Waupun got a break as Holz may have been been hit by her own bunt outside the batter’s box, which would have been an out. But it was ruled she was still in the box, making it a foul ball. Though she eventually struck out for the second out, Westphal stole second base during the at-bat.
Medford took no chances with Braun and Buwalde, intentionally walking them to load the bases for Kluge, who hit a foul pop fly on the first pitch that was misplayed. Three pitches later, she lined the game-winner up the middle.
“In the seventh we were one pitch away,” Justin Hraby said. “A call that didn't go our way and a play we didn’t make. However, we made a lot of plays all weekend that got us to the end. Waupun took advantage of that and won the game. They are a very solid team and, as displayed all weekend, our two teams were the best two there and very evenly matched.”
Braun struck out six, walked three and allowed three hits. Hraby allowed seven hits and struck out three. Four of her five walks were intentional. Hraby, Baumgartner and Haenel had Medford’s hits.
Hraby, Brahmer and Finley Arndt were named to the Division 1 All-Tournament team and Brahmer was the tournament’s hitting champion for the second straight year, compiling a .550 batting average in six games played.
“Addison, Finley and Rylee all were very deserving of the award,” coach Hraby said. “They hit well, Addison and Fin were solid in the field and Ry was dominant in the circle. I’m proud of them. “Addison did a great job at the plate, being selective and hitting good pitches. When she puts the ball in play and the defense has to work, she is tough to throw out. Her speed puts a lot of pressure on teams.”
