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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's a given that teams always want to score more runs.
But with the way Washburn University's Sadie Walker and Jaycee Ginter are pitching, Ichabod coach Brenda Holaday also knows that it's probably not going to take a bushel full of runs to get the job done.
Washburn sophomore left-hander Sadie Walker threw her second no-hitter of the season Saturday in the Ichabods' 1-0 win over Missouri Western. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn senior Jaycee Ginter threw a three-hitter and struck out 12 for the second straight day in the Ichabods' 2-0 win over Missouri Western. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
No. 24-ranked Washburn scored just three runs in Saturday's MIAA doubleheader against Missouri Western, but those three runs were enough to push the Ichabods' winning streak to seven games with 1-0 and 2-0 wins at Gahnstrom Field.
"It's kind of who we are as a team,'' Holaday said. "We've got two really quality pitchers and we've got a good defense. We have hits up and down the lineup but we're having some struggles stringing them together.
"A lot of that's credit to who we're playing. They have good pitchers, too, but I was comfortable this weekend. I felt like our pitchers were really dominant and if we could scratch across a couple of runs we'd have a good chance to win. I was really proud of the way our kids played this weekend and the four wins were big for us.''
In the opener, Holton sophomore Walker tossed the first seven-inning complete-game no-hitter since 2021 when Ginter pitched a no-no against Fort Hays State. Walker struck out 10 and improved to 17-5 on the season while facing just one above the minimum batters in the win.
"Honestly I didn't realize it was a no-hitter until it was probably one out into the last inning,'' Walker said. "I had two more outs to go and I was like, 'Well, we'll see what happens.'
"Obviously I wanted to get the no-hitter but at the end of the day I just wanted to shut them down.''
Shawnee Heights product Ginter (14-5) followed Walker's dominating performance with one of her own, twirling a three-hitter while striking out 12 batters for the second straight day.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University softball team used a pair of strong pitching performances from Sadie Walker and Jaycee Ginter to a doubleheader sweep over Northwest Missouri on Friday at Gahnstrom Field, winning 3-1 and 6-0.
Senior Jaycee Ginter threw a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts and hit a three-run home run in Friday's 6-0 Washburn win over Northwest Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Sadie Walker picked up the pitching win in Washburn's 3-1 first-game victory over Northwest Missouri on Friday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods will wrap up the weekend with a Saturday home twinbill against Missouri Western starting at 12 p.m.
Walker, a sophomore, went the distance in the opener striking out five allowing seven hits and one earned run while Ginter, a senior, threw a three-hitter in the second game while recording 12 strikeouts and hitting a three-run home run.
The Bearcats took the early lead in the top of the third of the opener after a single and triple but Washburn knotted the score in the fourth taking advantage of a pair of Bearcat errors.
Alexis Tanguma started things off with a single and after Gracie Gallagher entered as a pinch runner, Ginter's sac bunt moved Gallagher to second. After Autymn Schreiner reached on a throwing error, Jaden LaBarge also reached on a throwing error, scoring Gallagher to tie the score.
In the fifth, the Ichabods' Erin Boles singled to left and then moved to second after the Bearcats (16-18 overall, 5-5 MIAA) committed their third error of the game. After Tanguma reached on a single to deep shortstop, Ginter drove in Boles with a sac fly as the Ichabods went up 2-1.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After losing the bulk of its pitching staff from the 2023 season, Washburn Rural baseball coach Jay Mastin had to turn to several players to fill those holes, including senior left-hander Colin Redeker, who has taken full advantage of that opportunity.
Washburn Rural senior Colin Redeker threw a two-hitter and struck out 11 hitters as the Junior Blues earned a split with a 4-0 win over Seaman on Friday at Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
After winning his first start of the season, Redeker improved to 2-0 on Friday with a dominating performance against Seaman as the Junior Blues earned a home doubleheader split with a 4-0 second-game win after Seaman took a 12-6 win in the opener.
Redeker twirled a two-hitter on Friday while recording 11 strikeouts and not allowing a walk as Washburn Rural (3-4) handed perennial Class 5A power Seaman its first loss of the year.
"I think the key today was just keeping the ball down and taking away the big hits, eliminating that, and letting my curve ball work from there,'' Redeker said.
Redeker has primarily played outfield in his Washburn Rural career, but said he's enjoying the opportunity to get the ball for the Junior Blues.
"I love pitching, I love it,'' Redeker said.
Redeker set the tone early on, striking out two Vikings in each of the first two innings and then striking out the side in the third.
Redeker struck out another Seaman hitter in the fourth and struck out the side for the second time in the sixth.
"He was in the zone, he was dealing tonight,'' Mastin said of Redeker. "I think he threw 80 pitches so you can't ask for anything more than that. He was very efficient tonight.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball opened a three-game MIAA series with Rogers State on Thursday at Falley Field, and after falling behind 2-0, it was all Ichabods the rest of the way as WU topped the Hillcats 12-2 in eight innings while pounding out 16 hits in the win.
Payton McHarg had two homers and a double in Thursday's 12-2 MIAA win over Rogers State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Caden Bressler went six innings to pick up the pitching win in Washburn's 12-2 MIAA win over Rogers State on Thursday. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Ichabod starter Caden Bressler improved to 3-2 on the season, striking out four. After hitting a pair of Hillcats in the first inning, who both came around to score on sac flies, he allowed only three hits the rest of the way in his six-inning stint.
After Rogers State (16-13 overall, 8-10 MIAA) took the early lead, the Ichabods came back with three runs in the first, three more in the second and added two additional runs in the third to open up an 8-2 advantage.
In the first inning, Payton McHarg took a 2-2 pitch over the right-field fence leading off the inning.
After singles by Cash Jay and Hayden Priest, Jay scored on of the Hillcats' three errors on the afternoon. Jett Buck doubled down the left-field line, scoring Priest as Washburn plated three in its first at bat.
Beardslee Invitational: Rural's Sulzen-Watson shatters personal record in discus, posts pair of wins
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
It came down to his final attempt of the day, but Washburn Rural senior thrower Josh Sulzen-Watson got the discus throw he's been waiting for in Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational at Rural.
Washburn Rural senior Josh Sulzen-Watson (left) beams after hearing his winning distance of 179-2 in Thursday's discus event in the Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Josh Sulzen-Watson releases his personal-best discus throw of 179-2 in Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sulzen-Watson, fourth in the Class 6A discus as a junior, unleashed a throw of 179 feet, 2 inches to win the discus title by more than 30 feet while improving his personal record by nearly 20 feet.
"I've been working all year for this,'' Sulzen-Watson said. "Every practice I'm getting closer and closer and I was like, 'This is the time to do it.' I just had to go for it.''
As soon as he released his final throw he knew it was a big one.
"I knew immediately,'' he said.
Sulzen-Watson also gained some family bragging rights with Thursday's clutch throw, surpassing the high school personal-best of older brother Zach, the 6A discus runnerup in 2022 who now throws for Emporia State.
"I've always looked forward to passing him,'' Josh said. "It's always been a back and forth competition and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I've got to pass him this year.' ''
Now, with his 179 throw on the books, he wants to set his sights higher.
"Definitely, I think maybe even a 190 throw now,'' Sulzen-Watson said. "If I get a good wind it might really fly for me.''
Sulzen-Watson, fifth at state in the javelin in 2023, also added a personal-best winning throw of 187 feet, 10 inches in that event Thursday while junior Jacob Hawks made it a sweep of the throws for Washburn Rural with a win in the shot put at 47-5.25.
Other meet highlights:
Washburn Rural junior Payton Fink led a one-two-three Rural finish in Thursday's girls 1,600-meter run in the Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Washburn Rural junior distance star Payton Fink led a one-two-three finish in the girls 1,600-meter run with a win in 5 minutes, 16.93 seconds.
Rural junior Rylee Ismert was the runnerup in 5:20.83 while sophomore Emily Graf was third in 5:23.12.
Fink also posted a second-place finish in the 800 in 2:25.13.
Washburn Rural senior Raegan Petersen won the girls discus with a throw of 112-1 in Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Washburn Rural sisters Raegan Petersen and Kailyn Petersen went one-two in the girls discus while Kailyn Petersen added a win in the shot put.
Senior Raegan Petersen won the discus with a winning throw of 112 feet, 1 inch while freshman Kailyn was second at 107-11.
Kailyn Petersen won the shot put in the first meet of her high school career with a throw of 34-5.75.
• Seaman senior Maggie Lesmeister posted her second straight win of the season in the girls javelin, recording a top throw of 122 feet, 8 inches.
Seaman sophomore Brody Anderson won the boys 800 meters in Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational in 1:59.81. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Seaman sophomore Brody Anderson followed up his 800 meters win in the season-opening Topeka West Invitational with a second straight win on Thursday, with Anderson clocking a personal-best time of 1:59.81.
The Vikings also got a win from senior Aaron Merritt in the boys 110-meter high hurdles in a time of 15.15 seconds while Seaman junior Kaden Whitehurst won the triple jump at 41 feet, 9.50 inches.
• Washburn Rural senior Titan Osburn won the boys long jump with a best jump of 21-2.50 while Rural junior Isaiah Terry won the 400 dash in 53.14.
Terry also teamed with sophomore Liam Morrison, sophomore Draden Chooncharoen and senior Devin Roney to win the 4x400-meter relay by more than four seconds in 3:30.01.
JERRY BEARDSLEE INVITATIONAL
At Washburn Rural
