By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Seaman softball opened its 2026 season with two convincing run-rule United Kansas Conference wins over city rival Topeka West Thursday at Hummer Sports Complex.
From start to finish Thursday the Vikings came out swinging early and often, taking the first game 14-1 and the nightcap 16-1 in three innings.
Seaman began the first game up 2-0 and the Vikings started a rally with no outs in the top of the second.
Senior Addison Sibley had a run-scoring single, senior Kinsley Smith had a two RBI triple and then the Vikings would score another run on a fielder’s choice from junior Acey Thompson, with the Vikings leading 6-0 after two.
Seaman would score another four runs in the top of the third, thanks to a two RBI double from junior Natalee Simpson, followed by an RBI double by senior Claire Watkins. Seaman led 10-0 at that point.
Topeka West couldn’t get much going against sophomore Kynnedi Kitzman in the circle. The Chargers did get runners at second and third, but Kitzman got out of the jam. Kitzman finished with six strikeouts on 88 pitches.
The Chargers would get on the board after a bases loaded walk to senior Samantha Stegman, but that would be it for Topeka West.
In the top of the fifth Seaman would score four more runs on five hits, ending the game by way of the mercy rule.
“I knew we brought back a lot of a lot of kids in the lineup from last year’s team and so I kind of knew what we could do, but you always have those first-game jitters and what are we going to be like and how are we going to fit together and are we where we need to be in the lineup,'' Seaman coach Daniel Ruda said.
"Tonight hopefully answered some questions but it was the best I could ask for, for a start to the season.''
In game two the Vikings put up six runs in the first inning. Seaman got five walks, two hit-by-pitches and a two-RBI triple from Kitzman that started the scoring and the rout was on.
Seaman scored seven more runs in the second inning on a variety of hits, including a sac fly, leading 13-0.
The Vikings combining for 29 runs and allowed just one run in eight combined innings.
The weather was one factor both teams had to adjust to. It was very warm to begin game one, then drastically cooled off with the wind blowing hard out to right for the remainder of the night.
“We talk a lot about controlling what we can and controlling the weather is not one of those things that we get to (control),'' Ruda said. "It went from 95 to 50 in the middle of an inning.
"(With) that wind shift we saw a couple of balls drop that may not have dropped on a regular day,'' Ruda said. "It didn’t phase our kids. We talked about attacking the first pitch to begin the game and we did that. They were ready to go. It felt good to get those first couple under our belt.''
Game 1
Seaman 14, Topeka West 1
Seaman 244 04 -- 14 13 0
Topeka West 000 10 -- 1 3 0
W -- Kitzman L -- Briggs. 2B – Seaman: Watkins, Simpson. 3B – Seaman: Sibley, Warren, Smith.
Game 2
Seaman 16 , Topeka West 1
Seaman (2-0) 673 -- 16 8 0
Topeka West (0-2) 001 -- 1 2 0
W -- Beightel. L -- Miller. 2B -- Topeka West: Munoz (2). Seaman: Simpson. 3B -- Seaman: Kitzman, Simpson.
