Waukon softball team plays to first winning record in 13 seasons with 16-15 campaign

The Waukon softball team played to a 16-15 season record that may seem to be about average on paper but was actually well above average in so many more aspects. That 16-15 result marks the first time in more than a decade that the diamond Tribe has recorded both a winning record and 15 wins in a season.

“I think our greatest accomplishment was how well these girls played together and never gave up in any game we played,” Waukon softball coach Melissa Ward shared. “It showed in how close of games we played and our ending record this season. Our 16-15 record is the first year since 2010 where the softball program has won more than 15 games and had a winning record. It’s hard to have teams that know each other as well as this squad did. The experience and leadership this team had was great. There will be a solid group of returners coming back next year, so being able to play the game the way we know how will be what we need to build on moving forward.”

Within that overall winning record, the softball Tribe played to a 6-9 Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) mark that placed the Indians in a tie (record-wise) for fourth place in the league standings with a Crestwood squad that they won three of four games against this season, including a 7-6 win in the opening round of Class 3A Regional Tournament play, a postseason feat that has also been somewhat of a rarity in the past decade. That NEIC result included one win over this season’s conference champion, Decorah, and two victories over a Waverly-Shell Rock squad that finished just ahead of the Indians in the final NEIC standings.

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