-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Carly Rich of Williamsburt score against PCM during 3A quarterfinals on Monday

As the only defending state champion in the field this week at Rogers Park, the Williamsburg softball team is facing pressure like no other.

But with six returning starters back from last year, the Raiders are well-equipped to handle it.

Williamsburg got a solo homer from Kalon Spratt in the fifth and scored the winning run in the sixth when Ava Hocker came across to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory over Dubuque Wahlert Thursday afternoon. Williamsburg (32-12 overall) will now play long-time Davenport Assumption in a rematch of last year’s title game on Friday at 2:30 p.m. on Channel Seeds Field.

“We didn’t play very well but we got the win,” Williamsburg head coach Adam C. Berte said. “I’m happy we pulled it out.

“These girls know what it takes to win down here after winning it all last season.”

Spratt, the No. 8 hitter in the lineup, now has a team-leading five homers on the year. Her longball broke a 1-1 tie before the Golden Eagles answered with a run in the top of the sixth.

Shannon Finn, a senior, was 3-for-4 with two steals while Jersey Metz added an RBI. Metz also earned the win, striking out a pair.

Berte, a former Twin River Valley standout who played baseball at Iowa Central, has led Williamsburg to five consecutive state appearances while going 235-95 overall.

“These girls are very similar to last year,” Berte said. “I think they felt more pressure last year to (win a title) because it was the last chance for that group.”

WILLIAMSBURG 3,

DUBUQUE WAHLERT 2

Wahlert 100 001 0 — 2 6 4

Williamsburg 000 111 x — 3 7 0

WP–Jersey Metz (7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 K, 5 BB). LP–ulia Roth (6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 BB).

HR–W: Kalon Spratt. 2B–DQ: Sadie Schultz. RBI–DW: Kylie Sieverding, Zoey Knepper; W: Jersey Metz, Kalon Spratt. SB–W: Makenna Hughes, Ava Hocker, Shannon Finn (2).