Kaukauna softball team celebrates 100th consecutive win, closes in on national record
KAUKAUNA − Tim Roehrig sensed this collection of Kaukauna softball players over the past few years was on the verge of doing something truly special.
But even the longtime Kaukauna coach didn't think 100 straight victories was possible.
The Ghosts reached the century mark in consecutive wins, setting the state record in the process, with an 11-1 victory in five innings Friday against Kimberly.
It's the longest active streak in the country and leaves the Ghosts within striking distance of the national record.
"Their mentality is just different. They refuse to lose," Roehrig said. "We knew we had something special when they were little. I didn’t know if it was 100 games in a row, but we knew we had something special when they were 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 years old."
Kaukauna has won three consecutive WIAA Division 1 state titles during the winning streak. The national record is 112 wins in a row and is held by Vandebilt Catholic in Houma, Louisiana, that was accomplished from 1980 to 1983. Another championship run would likely be another 10 wins this season, leaving the Ghosts an opportunity to tie and surpass the record early next season.
"We’ve run these (players) since they were 6 years old all over the nation to play softball," Roehrig said. "Now to be out here and to say we won 100 in a row … there’s a lot to say about the years when they were 5, 6, 7, 8 that led to this. When they were little and we were out here four or five days a week pounding balls at them and hitting balls ... the parents supported us in that.
"We knew we had something special when they were (young). They were all asking after we got done with a two-hour practice and they were saying, ‘When are we going to go hit some more?' And when are we going to get hit some more groundballs? It’s a special group."
Kaukauna's last loss was May 18, 2021, a 3-2 decision at Neenah.
"I definitely remember it was super tough for us," Ghosts senior Taryn Christopher said of that loss to Neenah. "We definitely want to come out and win every single game. It definitely helped us refocus and it's gotten us to where we are today. At the time it sucked, but now we're happy for it because I know what it's like to lose now and we don't like that feeling."
Run to 100 has had nail-biters
The Ghosts' run to 100 wins hasn't been easy, with the team having tight games against Neenah (1-0) on Thursday and Oshkosh West (2-0) on Wednesday.
The win against Neenah was a 10-inning thriller, with Ghosts junior ace Karly Meredith recording 22 strikeouts in the circle.
Meredith, who is undefeated in her prep career, said she was about 85% against Kimberly on Friday after the back-to-back games against Oshkosh West and Neenah.
"I know I wasn't throwing my hardest," she said. "But I just had to keep trusting my pitches and my spins and my defense behind me and they all did a great job."
Ghosts want to finish strong
The Ghosts' win over Kimberly improved their record to 19-0 overall and 16-0 in the Fox Valley Association. Kaukauna won the FVA title outright for the fourth season in a row and closes the regular season this week with league games at Appleton East and against Oshkosh North before games at the Kaukauna Triangular on Saturday against Kenosha Bradford and Westosha Central.
Bradford is 20-1 this season and might be the Ghosts' toughest opponent before the postseason, not that the players are concerned with that. With win No. 100 behind them, the goal is to remain focused on the "one game at a time" mentality.
"It's a weight off our shoulders," Christopher said of reaching 100 wins. "It's one thing we can check off, but now we have to get back and start working hard again and get to where we want to be at the end of the season."
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Kaukauna Ghosts softball team reaches 100 consecutive victories
