Fort Atkinson Baseball
In arguably the biggest surprise of the 2009-10 high school sports year, the Fort Atkinson Baseball Team will look to keep its storied post season alive in Grand Chute Tuesday, earning this week's Splash of the Week honors. 
The Blackhawks, who finished the regular season 4-20 overall and 0-12 in the Rock Valley South, assumed the worst seed in the 12-team Division 1 Janesville Craig Sectional. Though despite starting the season just 1-20, Fort heated up in the final week before Regionals started.
“These guys came off of a roll, when we won three of four games the last week of the season and they maintained that through this whole process,” Fort Atkinson coach Mark Rowley told Madison.com. “Their confidence and the way we’ve been playing has just been incredible.”
Riding that wave of confidence, Fort Atkinson knocked off 5-seed Stoughton and 4-seed Verona in the regional rounds last week. The Blackhawks weren't done yet though, upsetting top-seeded Oregon 9-7 in the sectional semifinal and fellow Cinderella and 6-seed Oconomowoc 6-3 in the final to qualify for its first State tournament since 1994.
While most obvious underdogs for this week's tournament, the bottom half of the Division 1 State bracket is ripe with other surprise appearances. Fort (8-21) will battle Madison La Follette (17-9), the 4-seed from the Beaver Dam Sectional, in the final quarterfinal Tuesday at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute. The winner will face the winner of Hartford and Waterford, 4- and 7-seeds from their respective sectionals.
Honorable Mention
Tigerton Softball: In a stunning 7-5 Sectional final upset, the Tigers avenged two early-season losses to CWC-10 foe and top-ranked Rosholt to advance to their first ever State tournament. Sophomore Pitcher and reigning CWC-10 Player of the Year Erin Ortner struck out nine batters and went 2x4 on the day with two doubles and three RBI. The Tigers chased Rosholt ace Chelsea Richter from the pitching rubber with a 5-run fourth inning, dotted by three Hornet throwing errors to first base. Ortner gave up three runs in the top of the seventh inning, but hung on for the victory and the Tigers' first ever State berth. Tigerton (19-3) will face Potosi (21-6) in a Division 4 State Semifinal Friday morning at 9 a.m. at Goodman Diamond in Madison.
Homestead Girls Soccer: It may have taken a one-goal victory and another in a shootout, but the Highlanders earned their 10th State tournament berth last week with a pair of tight sectional wins. Thursday, fifth-ranked Homestead and eighth-ranked Brookfield Central played to a scoreless tie at the end of regulation with the North Shore conference champs needing six shootout goals to move onto the Sectional final. Against top-ranked Brookfield East, the Highlanders were outshot 22-2, yet sophomore Kate Wirthin's goal in the fourth minute was enough to hang onto the upset victory. Homestead (18-3-3) will battle Waukesha West (17-6-4) Thursday at Noon in the State Quarterfinals at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.
The Splash of the Week is sponsored by PlayInTheDells.com. It highlights the player, coach or team that has "made a splash" in the world of high school sports. Coming out of nowhere to do something great, going above and beyond the call of duty, etc. Basically making something big happen and having the ripples of the accomplishment resonate throughout your sport. Please contact us to nominate your hometown heroes today!
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