APPLETON — It was a magical day for the Denmark Vikings baseball team.
On Thursday afternoon in their semifinal matchup against Pewaukee they were down 6-2 and scored seven runs in the top of the seventh innings and held on to win 9-8. The tying run was cut down at the plate on a terrific throw by Vikings senior shortstop Abe Kapinos to end the game.
On Thursday night, the last state playoff game in any division, Denmark took on Jefferson in a rematch of the 2021 Division 2 title game. The Vikings got the best of the Eagles last year and they did once again in 2022 to win their second-straight Division 2 state title.
Senior captain and centerfielder Hayden Konkol ripped a RBI double over the rightfielders head in the bottom of the bottom of the seventh to break a 5-5 tie and win the game for the Vikings.
"I mean, I can't believe this is real right now," Konkol said. It's a dream come true. When you're a kid this is all you dream about — hitting a walk-off in the state championship. It's incredible to see my team coming after me, knowing all the things they did for me. This is how I can give back to them there. "
"There's no one else we would rather have up there at that time than Hayden," said Vikings head coach Bill Miller. "He had that feeling he was going to come through and he did."
