- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls soccer team, which has played in the last two Class 6A state championship games, got its postseason bid off to a good start Tuesday with a 5-0 regional win over Free State at McElroy Field.
The Firebirds trailed Rural by just a 2-0 margin at the half before the Junior Blues tacked on three goals after the break.
Washburn Rural junior Reagan Allen (12) scored a goal and had an assist in the Junior Blues' 5-0 Class 6A regional win over Free State Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural got goals from juniors Belle Kennedy, Sheriden Wichman, Emma Krueger and Reagan Allen and sophomore Karsyn McMaster while Allen, Wichman, junior Hunter McWilliams, sophomore Maya Hoge and sophomore Hailey Beck were credited with assists.
Beck and freshman Mackenzie Flood combined for the shutout in goal for the Junior Blues, who improved to 14-2-1.
Washburn Rural will host Liberal (8-8-1) at 6 p.m. Thursday in a regional championship game. Liberal advanced with a 6-0 win over Junction City on Monday.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 4, BASEHOR-LINWOOD 2
Shawnee Heights opened 5A postseason competition with a 4-2 win over United Kansas Conference rival Basehor-Linwood, with the T-Birds beating the Bobcats for the first time in three games this spring.
Heights had tied Basehor-Linwood 1-1 and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Bobcats in earlier meetings.
The T-Birds, 10-6-1, got a pair of first-half goals from sophomore Kalyn Walter and Heights broke a 2-2 tie with two second-half goals.
Shawnee Heights advanced to a 6:30 p.m. regional final Thusday at Blue Valley Southwest. Southwest (11-1-3) advanced with a 10-0 win over Lansing Monday night.
After Walter put Heights in front 2-0, Basehor-Linwood cut its deficit to 2-1 late in the first half and tied the game with 28 minutes left in regulation.
T-Bird senior Kyler Bowman broke the tie with a goal and then Walter added her third goal of the night late in the match.
Bowman was credited with assists on both of Walter's first-half goals.
SEAMAN 10, KANSAS CITY-SUMNER 0
Seaman ended its Class 5A postseason debut early, rolling to a 10-0 home win over Kansas City-Sumner Tuesday night.
The Vikings (11-5-1), who led 7-0 at the half, got two goals apiece from sophomore Brooklyn Yingling, senior Riley Cowan and freshman Marin Schuler while sophomore Kolbi Zurmely, sophomore Ella Foxhoven, junior Avary Polter and junior Haylee Williams all scored one goal each.
Freshman Makena Schuler posted the shutout in goal for the Vikings.
Seaman will travel to Spring Hill (14-2-0) for a 6 p.m. regional championship game on Thursday. The Broncos beat Highland Park 11-0 Tuesday.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After a semifinal romp where Washburn Rural's softball did more walking than swinging, it took the Junior Blues awhile to get their offense going in Wednesday's Class 6A regional championship game against Dodge City at Washburn University's Gahnstrom Field.
Washburn Rural senior Olivia Bruno delivers a pitch during Wednesday's Class 6A regional tournament. Bruno pitched a one-hitter and hit a home run in the Junior Blues' 12-0 win over Dodge City. [Photo by Aiden Droge/Special to TSN]
But it took just one swing of Olivia Bruno's bad to take care of that, with Bruno's mammoth home run over the left-field fence jump-starting a nine-run third-inning explosion on the way to a 12-0 victory and a third straight trip to the 6A state tournament.
Washburn Rural poses for a team picture after winning a Class 6A regional championship Wednesday with a 12-0 win over Dodge City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural, which has now won 18 straight games, was locked in a scoreless tie with Dodge City through two and a half innings, but Bruno hammered a leadoff homer in the bottom of the third and the rest of the game belonged to the Junior Blues, now 20-2 on the season.
"I think we just needed something to get it going, and that sure did,'' said Bruno, who has now hit 11 round-trippers on the year. "We just started hitting and it was really good.''
Washburn Rural coach Tricia Vogel agreed.
"We needed a little spark,'' Vogel said. "I think we were playing a little tight to start with because the further you make it along in postseason the more pressure there is.
"It was a team we hadn't seen before and we didn't really know a whole lot about them and didn't quite make the adjustment at the plate so (Bruno) came out big with the spark we needed.''
Washburn Rural added three runs in the fourth en route to ending the game through four and a half innings by way of the 10-run spread rule.
Bruno also turned in a dominating performance in the pitching circle, limiting the Red Demons (16-6) to a first-inning single while striking out 12.
"We just wanted to come out and show everyone what we've got and what we've been working towards this whole year,'' Bruno said.
Washburn Rural had nine hits against Dodge City, with senior Kayden Smith and sophomore Kaci Bath both contributing triples while sophomore Emmerson Cope doubled twice and junior Campbell Bagshaw also had a double.
The championship game was played in an intermittent rain, but Vogel said Rural was thankful just to get the tournament completed.
"This is just crazy,'' Vogel said. "I've never seen weather like this where every day is just rain, so it's just nice we have a place to play. I'm just super thankful to coach (Brenda) Holaday and Washburn for letting us use the field and get the game in because our field's under water.''
Rural took a 10-0 run-rule game over Hutchinson in the semifinal, with Cope and Bruno combining for a one-hitter.
Bruno pitched the first two innings before Cope worked the final three innings and picked up the win.
Offensively, the Junior Blues had just four hits, including a triple from Smith and a double from Bath, but Rural took advantage of eight walks and two hit batsmen.
Rural scored five runs in the first against Hutchinson and added three runs in the second and single runs in the fourth and fifth.
The 6A state tournament will be played next Thursday and Friday (May 27-28) at the Shawnee Mission District Softball Complex.
Washburn Rural was the state runner-up in 2019 after placing third in '18.
CLASS 6A REGIONAL SOFTBALL
Championship
WASHBURN RURAL 12, DODGE CITY 0
Dodge City (16-6) 000 00 -- 0 1 2
Washburn Rural (20-2) 009 3x -- 12 9 0
Lopp, Lenz (3) and Miller. Bruno and Louderback. W -- Bruno. L -- Lopp. 2B -- Washburn Rural: Cope 2, Bagshaw. 3B -- Washburn Rural: Smith, Bath. HR -- Washburn Rural: Bruno.
Semifinal
WASHBURN RURAL 10, HUTCHINSON 0
Hutchinson 000 00 -- 0 1 2
Washburn Rural 530 11 -- 10 4 0
Lusk and Smith. Bruno, Cope (3) and Louderback, Rapp. W -- Cope. L -- Lusk. 2B -- Washburn Rural: Bath. 3B -- Washburn Rural: Smith.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's baseball team didn't have the kind of regular season it's been accustomed to, but the Wildcats are back in a familiar place, headed to the Class 4A state tournament after a strong regional performance Tuesday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Coming off a rare sub-.500 record in the regular season, the Wildcats turned in a solid performance Tuesday, taking a 14-2 five-inning win over Holton in the semifinals before riding a 3-hit pitching performance from senior Erick Teske to a 4-0 win over Louisburg in the championship game.
With the win over Louisburg the Wildcats advanced to the 4A state tournament next week (May 27-28) at Salina's Dean Evans Stadium.
Hayden, now 10-12, took control of the championship game with three runs in the top of the first and added an insurance run in the fourth while Teske limited Louisburg to three singles while striking out six and issuing just two walks.
Senior Ryan Graves went 3 for 4 with a run scored while senior Skyler Specht went 2 for 4 with a run batted in and a run scored.
Junior Gavin Arnold, senior Pete Harrod and senior Jake Gales also knocked in runs for the Wildcats.
Holton took a 2-1 lead over Hayden in the bottom of the first in the semifinal, but the Wildcats tied the game in the top of the second and scored three runs in the third, five in the fourth and four runs in the top of the fifth to take the 12-run win.
Senior Skyler Specht limited Holton to three hits and he also contributed a triple for the Wildcats.
Pete Harrod went 2 for 3 with four RBI and a pair of doubles while Teske went 2 for 3 with three RBI and Jake Gales went 2 for 4 with three RBI.
CLASS 4A REGIONAL BASEBALL
Championship
HAYDEN 4, LOUISBURG 0
Hayden (10-12) 300 100 0 -- 4 9 0
Louisburg (11-11) 000 000 0 -- 0 3 0
Teske and Rose. Lohse, Rockers (2) and Madison. W -- Teske. LP -- Lohse.
Semifinal
HAYDEN 14, HOLTON 2
Hayden 113 54 -- 14 10 3
Holton 200 00 -- 2 3 3
Specht, Bullock (5) and Rose. Mulroy, Dieckman (5), Jamison (5), Collins (6) and Bohnenkemper. W -- Specht. L -- Mulroy. 2B -- Hayden: Harrod 2. 3B -- Hayden: Specht.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
One of Class 5A's most impressive streaks continued Tuesday, with Seaman earning its 17th straight trip to the state tournament with a 7-1 championship-game win over Spring Hill at Seaman.
Seaman, which has won nine 5A state titles overall and two straight, trailed the visiting Broncos 1-0 before scoring the final seven runs to take control, improving to 19-3 on the season.
With the victory the Vikings advanced to the state tournament next Thursday and Friday (May 27-28) at Wichita State's Eck Stadium.
Seaman opened its day with a 15-0 semifinal victory over Kansas City-Washington as senior Kolden Howerton and junior Mason McConnaughey combined to throw a four-inning no-hitter.
The Vikings then got another pitching gem in the championship game, with seniors Kevin Mannell and Brady Stuewe combining to limit Spring Hill to just one hit, which came in the Broncos' final at bat.
Seaman junior Dagen Brewer had a home run and a double in the Vikings' 7-1 win over Spring Hill in Tuesday's 5A regional championship game. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Spring Hill had taken advantage of a pair of walks and a Viking error to take a 1-0 lead in the third inning, but Seaman tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning on back-to-back doubles from senior Andrew Kirmer and junior Aidan Polter and then took the lead in the fifth on a two-run homer from junior Dagen Brewer, his sixth of the season, and a run-scoring single from junior Braden Colley.
Brewer added a run-scoring double in the sixth as Seaman added three runs to take control.
Junior Maclane Finley and senior Cole Askew had run-scoring singles in the sixth.
Seaman senior Kevin Mannell picked up the pitching win in the Vikings' 7-1 win over Spring Hill Tuesday, clinching a 17th straight trip to the Class 5A state tournament. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Mannell worked into the sixth and picked up the pitching win for Seaman before Stuewe came on to finish out the win.
Seaman had seven doubles and a triple in its semifinal win over Washington, with Finley doubling twice while Polter and Askew both contributed three-run doubles.
State pairings will be announced at the conclusion of all 5A regional tournaments.
CLASS 5A REGIONAL BASEBALL
Championship
SEAMAN 7, SPRING HILL 1
Spring Hill 001 000 0 -- 0 1 0
Seaman 000 133 x -- 7 12 2
Scrivner, Johnson (6) and Scoma. Mannell, Stuewe (6) and Kirmer. W -- Mannell. L -- Scrivner. 2B -- Seaman: Kirmer, Brewer. HR -- Seaman: Brewer.
Semifinal
SEAMAN 15, KC-WASHINGTON 0
KC-Washington 000;0 -- 0 0 3
Seaman 616 2 -- 15 12 0
Bidding and Tarwater. Howerton, McConnaughy (4) and Kirmer. W -- Howerton. L -- Biddings. 2B -- Seaman: Finley 2, Polter, Howerton, Vawter, Askew, Kirmer. 3B -- Seaman: Brewer.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake's softball team stared elimination in the face in Tuesday's Class 3A regional tournament at Gahnstrom Field and lived to play another week.
The Eagles needed a last-inning rally to pull out an 11-10 semifinal victory over Santa Fe Trail before punching their ticket to next week's state tournament at Manhattan with an 11-6 championship-game over Oskalosa.
The semifinal went back and forth before Silver Lake, now 20-3, took the walkoff victory and the Eagles also fell behind 1-0 in the championship game before taking control with nine runs over their first three at-bats and holding off the Bears (18-5) the rest of the way.
"The first game put things into perspective that the season can end any time and we have to work for everything,'' Silver Lake senior shorstop Ellington Hogle said. "It was a little bit scary thinking that we were one out away from the season ending but we fought back.''
Silver Lake senior Ellington Hogle, (15) who had a three-run homer and a run-scoring double, is congratulated by freshman Hailey Horton during Tuesday's 11-6 win over Oskaloosa Tuesday at Washburn. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
