VERONA — After coming so close in each of the past three seasons, only to fall one game short, words would have a hard time explaining just how badly the Bradford softball team wanted and needed one more victory.

And with every out and each passing inning, it became clear losing wasn’t an option. Not this year.

The top-ranked Red Devils secured their first-ever appearance in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division-1 State Tournament with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over county foe Central in the sectional final Thursday.

“We weren’t going to let down,” Bradford senior Alyssa Roberts said. “Three years is enough. This is what we worked for all four years and it’s paid off.”

Just how badly did Roberts want this one?

“Really, I was more excited for this game than anything ever,” Roberts said. “It sounds dumb, but softball is our life. We wake up at six in the morning and work out and go to all of those extra practices. This is our life. This is what we wanted.”

Behind a complete-game from Roberts and a momentum-changing solo home run from Sarah Swager, the Red Devils secured their season-long goal. Bradford will face fifth-ranked Stevens Point in a State quarterfinal 11 a.m. Thursday at Goodman Diamond in Madison. Stevens Point advanced with a 1-0 win in eight innings over Kimberly.

Ranked No. 1 in the latest WisSports.net state coaches poll, the Red Devils (23-1) appear ready for the challenge.

“There are a number of teams that could win this thing,” Bradford coach John P. Ruffolo said. “There are some great teams out there. I consider us one of them.”

Unlike the past three seasons, Bradford didn’t have to face Verona in the sectional final. Central (17-7) pulled off a 3-2 upset over the ninth-ranked Wildcats (19-5) in the semifinal, while Bradford knocked off Milton 5-1 simultaneously on a bordering diamond.

Central appeared to carry its momentum into the title game by loading the bases in the first inning against Roberts only to come up empty. Roberts (12-0) overcame a rocky start and went the distance. The right-hander allowed six hits and two earned runs with two walks and nine strikeouts.

Bradford took the lead in the second inning on Swager’s first home run of the season. The Red Devils then built a 2-0 advantage when Ari Roberts followed with a triple and rounded the bases on a throwing error.

It was the same combination, once again, in the fourth inning when Swager led off with a double and advanced to third on a single by Ari Roberts. Both runners then scored on a two-run single from Cynthia Miller.

The Red Devils’ 5-6-7 hitters of Swager, Ari Roberts and Miller went 7-for-9 with three RBI and scored all four runs.

“Every single person in our lineup can hit the ball,” Alyssa Roberts said. “There’s always someone there to pick you up.”

Central’s Jessie Clark (2-2) went four innings and gave up six hits and four runs (all earned) with two walks and three strikeouts.

“I’m proud of the way we played and (the players) should be, too,” Central coach Kerri Hintz said. “They played well and had a great day and never got down on themselves. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get the timely hits we needed early in the game. That’s really what it came down to.”

Central scored both of its runs in the fifth on a two-run single by Randi Rederer. The Falcons mustered just one hit the rest of the game — a two-out single in the sixth from Kristin Kretschmer — against a determined effort from Alyssa Roberts.

“Central gave us a nice battle,” Alyssa Roberts said. “I’ve played with many of those girls and it’s scary to face some of their hitters. They have a great hitting and fielding team. We knew we had to play all the way out.”

Semifinals

Bradford 5, Milton 1

Sophomore Ali Brems (10-0) tossed a six-hitter with 15 strikeouts as the Red Devils cruised into the sectional final for the fourth year in a row. Bradford scored all five runs in the second inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Alyse Mikolas.

Central 3, Verona 2

The Falcons broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run fifth inning and held off a seventh-inning rally in snapping Verona’s streak of eight consecutive State Tournament appearances. Clark entered in relief of starter Heather Pohlman (15-4) with runners at second and third and no outs in the seventh and retired three straight hitters to seal the victory.