The Williston softball team poses with the championship trophy after winning its second consecutive state title, defeating Dickinson, 8-7, in nine innings in the Class A state championship on Saturday, May 30, at Scheels South Hill Sports Complex. Mike Kraft/MDN

The fourth and final clash of the season between WDA foes Williston and Dickinson was as much of a championship boxing match as it was a championship softball contest, with both teams taking and receiving one another’s best punches over nine grueling rounds.

There were times where both times looked down and out, only to pick themselves back up right before the 10-second count. But in the end, it was Williston and Morgan Strietzel who delivered the knockout blow to defend their title belt.

Strietzel came through with the biggest hit of her high school career, delivering a two-out RBI double to right field off Dickinson pitcher Kyndall Peterson, scoring Julie Heller from second base in what would be the game-winning run in the top of the ninth, as the Coyotes defeated Dickinson, 8-7, in the Class A state championship on Saturday, May 30, at Scheels South Hill Sports Complex. Williston won its second consecutive state title in as many attempts, improving to 6-0 lifetime at the state tournament.

“I struggled a couple of at-bats against her and if it was my pitch I had to go and it ended up being the first pitch,” Strietzel said. “I swung and I prayed and it worked out.”

Dickinson won two of the first three meetings this season entering Saturday’s championship game, splitting their regular season doubleheader before the Mavericks defeated the Coyotes in the WDA Tournament title game. Dickinson and Williston were the top-ranked teams in the state all season.

Heller got the offense going in the final inning, singling with one out before moving over to second on a sacrifice bunt from Akayla Slagle. Strietzel brought Heller home on the first pitch she saw from Peterson to give Willison the 8-7 lead.

The Coyotes (31-3) knew not to celebrate prematurely, as the Mavericks had already come back three times in the game, including in the prior inning. But Williston managed to keep Dickinson off the scoreboard to secure back-to-back titles. The Mavericks put runners on second and third with two outs, but Williston pitcher Alana Thomas got Maddie Bren to ground out to Mekiah Klumker at third to end the game.

“We were a team where our senior class was getting beat by 30 runs five years ago, and for them to all stick with it and having six of them still here to see this, it’s super special,” Williston coach Jesse Stundal said. “I’m super proud, not just for my daughters who are on the team, but all of these girls. They are all like family to us.”

Williston was three outs away from winning in the eighth after Rylee Irgens scored on a passed ball to put the Coyotes in front, 7-6. But Dickinson had the response in the bottom half of the frame to extend the contest to a ninth inning. With two outs and Myah Merry on second following a double, Tayon Henke came through with a pinch-hit RBI triple to left. Henke was left stranded on third after Mayzie Koffler popped out to Heller in left.

Heller was the focal point of what could have been a disastrous play turned into one of great fortune for the Coyotes. The Mavericks (30-4) had runners on first and second with one out in the seventh, with courtesy runner Avery Fisher representing the championship-winning run at second. Reagan McMahen sent a fly ball to Heller in left that she was able to get under, but the ball popped out of her glove and fell harmlessly to the turf. Without panicking, Heller threw the ball to Klumker at third to throw out Fisher and Klumker rifled the ball to second in time to force out a diving Hali Henke for the inning-ending double play.

“It’s all about being aware and being a good player and knowing your team is going to be there to back you up on it,” Heller said. “I was definitely like, ‘Oh, that’s not what I wanted to do,’ but I saw (Fisher) was still halfway to third, so I was just going to throw it to Mekiah.”

Long before all the late-game chaos, Williston got on the board first with a run in the third. Alli Wilcox doubled home Strietzel with a shot to left field for one of Williston’s six extra-base hits for the game.

Williston’s lead didn’t last, as the Mavericks responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Koffler tied the game with an RBI single to center and Peterson put the Mavericks in front two batters later with an RBI single to left.

The Coyotes scored four unanswered to recapture the lead and chased McMahen, who started the game for Dickinson in the circle, in the process. Heller doubled and scored Chloee Stundal and Strietzel drove in another run on an RBI ground out to the shortstop. A two-run double from Stundal forced a pitching change in the fifth, with Peterson taking over in the circle for McMahen.

“Our coaches have always told us that it’s all gas and no break and that played a role today,” Chloee Stundal said. “We just kept going and we knew Dickinson would fight back. We just had to keep our sticks up and keep our energy up.”

The Mavericks went from trailing by three runs to taking a 6-5 lead in the blink of an eye, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth, all with two outs. Henke doubled in two and McMahen followed with an RBI single. Bren put Dickinson in front with a run-scoring single to center.

“We knew this was going to be a long, drawn out game,” Jesse Stundal said. “I wasn’t sure it was going to be this high scoring because it’s a couple very good pitchers on both of these teams, but the bats were hot when they needed to be and just some chaos between both teams. We knew it was going to be like that.”

Williston drew even on an error in the sixth, as Wilcox reached base after connecting on a hard-hit ball that slipped past the shortstop.

Irgens, Stundal, Heller and Strietzel all finished with two hits for the Coyotes. Stundal and Strietzel both registered a pair of RBIs.

“It’s exhilarating, but I think I was more nervous,” Strietzel said. “There was a lot of praying on the bench and it worked out in the end. I just had to have faith in my team and that’s what happened. It’s awesome. Our team deserves it. We all deserve it.”

Thomas pitched all nine innings to pick up the win. She hurled 126 pitches – 80 for strikes. She struck out six.

Merry, Koffler, McMahen and Peterson all had multiple hits for the Mavericks. Dickinson finished with 13 hits, five going for extra bases.

While every championship feels good and the two Williston has won have felt similar in its mind, it is a bit more special for the Sundahl family. Saturday’s title game served as the final time Jesse Sundahl coached his two daughters – Chloee and Kyah – in an NDHSAA contest. He will still coach both of them during the summer as well as in the Scheels Softball All-Star Series on Monday, June 1, in Fargo and Tuesday, June 2 in Bismarck.

“You kind of dream about this as they are growing up and hope they can end their high school career on this,” Jesse Stundal said. “Pretty heavy on me right now and will probably hit me on the way home on the bus.”

Chloee Stundal has been coached by her dad her entire life and the two have been together on the varsity team since Jesse joined when she was a freshman. Now, the Stundals have two state titles to share together.

“It’s been surreal,” Chloee Stundal said. “This is probably the last couple of games my dad will coach me and it just means the world to me that we secured it in the bag and I just have no words. I’m just so happy.”

Peterson was named Senior Athlete of the Year, while Dickinson coach Amanda Mickey was named Coach of the Year.

Earlier in the day, Fargo Davies defeated Bismarck Legacy, 11-10, to finish fifth. Following the championship game, West Fargo Horace topped Mandan, 7-0, to take third place.