—Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Boone players celebrate after their quarterfinal victory. They reached the Class 4A state championship with a win over Winterset on Wednesday. For more photos, visit CU at messengernews.net

Emma Dighton struggled to put into words just what Wednesday’s semifinal victory over Winterset meant to her and her Boone teammates.

Dighton pitched the Toreadors to a 4-2 victory over the top-ranked and defending state champion Huskies, who now face Western Dubuque in the Class 4A title game on Friday at 5 p.m.

A senior, Dighton had a double in the seventh that just missed clearing the Rogers Park fence by inches.

“It’s just a dream come true,” Dighton said. “Words really can’t describe the feeling. We knew we were the underdogs, but we never gave up.”

With a runner on first in the seventh, Winterset opted to pitch to Dighton, who has committed to Des Moines Area. She hit 13 homers during the regular season, but felt like her Raccoon River Conference rival would pitch to her.

“We’ve played them for five years, so yeah, I kind of expected him to pitch to me,” Dighton said. “I heard it hit the fence, but I was just trying to move the runner.

“We tried to play with as much excitement and energy as we could.”

Zoey Hightshoe led off the seventh with a single and scored alongside Dighton after a ball hit by Laena Solverson was just out of reach of the outfielder. Hightshoe was 3-for-4 with two runs and Solverson had three RBI.

With a two-run lead, Dighton sat the Huskies down in order, including fielding the final out with a throw to first. Dighton and Kennedy Lewis each had two hits, with Lewis also driving in a run.

During the regular season, Winterset swept the season series with Boone, winning 6-1 and 6-2. The Huskies won the state title last year and had won 15 of their last 16 coming into the semifinals.

BOONE 4, WINTERSET 2

Boone 000 020 2 — 4 10 3

Winterset 010 010 0 — 2 3 0

Emma Dighton (W, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB) and Zoey Hightshoe; Thea Banning (L, 7 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 3 K, 2 BB) and Bridget Stover. 2B-B: Emma Dighton, Leana Solverson. RBI-B: Leana Solverson (3), Kennedy Lewis; W: Riley Klous.