By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Thursday night’s doubleheader sweep was due to a complete team effort from Topeka High baseball in both games.
Topeka High’s starting pitching posted an impressive performance, allowing the offense plenty of time to inflict some damage against Hayden.
Dillon Mitchell toed the slab in High's Game 1’s 6-4 victory over the Wildcats and Nathan Plankinton started in the 12-0 decision in the nightcap at Hummer Sports Park.
Topeka High's baseball team huddles up after Thursday's 6-4, 12-0 Centennial League doubleheader sweep over Hayden. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Mitchell’s six innings of work gave him enough time to strike out 11 batters, allowing two hits and one run. Mitchell has been on a hot streak on the bump, recording 26 strikeouts over his last two games.
“My off-speed is working well and my fastball has a little more zip on it this year than previous years,” Mitchell said. “My main goal is that I’m pitching to weak contact. The more weak contact I can get with my pitches, the deeper I can go into games.”
Plankinton pitched a complete-game shutout while striking out four batters and giving up just a single hit.
“I got the job done with my fastball,” Plankinton said. “It wasn’t my best day, but I did enough to help my team get the win. I felt like the day was pretty good, but I definitely could have done better.”
Topeka High coach Cody Miller was pleased his pitcher's work.
“Our two guys that pitched today are capable of having days like they did today,” Miller said. “They can both throw off-speed pitches whenever they want to for strikes. When you can do that, it really keeps hitters off-balance. They both had their good stuff today.”
Sophomore centerfielder Isaiah Kincaid led the way for the Trojans on offense with four combined hits. Kincaid tallied two stolen bases and came in to score three times.
The extra-base hits didn’t light up the stat sheet, but the loud hits made an impact on the victories.
Ty Votaw had a triple and Mitchell had a towering 325-foot home run over the left-field fence.
“I pimped it, had to,” Mitchell said. “The home run didn’t even feel real to be quite honest with you. It was one of my favorite moments I’ve had playing baseball. It will be something I will never forget.”
Topeka High got their runs in large chunks. The run production started immediately in Game 1, as the Trojans opened up the game with a five-run first inning.
Elijah Kincaid would get the scoring started by driving in I. Kincaid with a single. With two runners on, Votaw brought Aiden Feldhausen and Peyton Wheat home on a two-run single.
Plankinton would hit a deep sacrifice fly to drive in another run and give the Trojans a four-run lead. Hank Stamper would cap off the barrage of first-inning runs with a RBI single of his own.
In the top of the second, Matt Genrich would get High’s final run of game one with a groundout.
Topeka High would be sitting comfortably with a 6-1 lead until the top of the seventh.
Topeka High would commit two huge errors that would bring in two Wildcat runners. A passed ball brought in one last Hayden run before Feldhausen closed the door and gave the Trojans a victory.
Topeka High’s early offensive barrage in the opener carried over to the second game with a four-run second inning.
“The early offense gives us so much confidence as a team,” Miller said. “This was the first time we really got on somebody early with our offense. It makes us so much easier for our guys to respond and play with energy.”
With the bases loaded, Plankinton lightened the traffic on the basepaths with a two-run single. John Cordova would follow up Plankinton with a sacrifice fly that drove in a runner and an error brought home Plankinton.
Plankinton hit the gas pedal running from first to home plate in a blink of an eye. His speed was vitally important in Game 2. He ran from first to home twice in the same game, giving Hayden some fits.
“That awareness and speed is something we’ve been working on,” Miller said. “We’ve been doing a good job of getting great reads on the basepath. Nate (Plankinton) was able to score on errant throws with his great speed.”
“We need to be a great baserunning team and Nate exemplified that today.”
Hayden was looking to halt Topeka High’s momentum in any way. Things weren’t going their way offensively, but one defensive play gave the Wildcats some life.
With one runner on first base, E. Kincaid smoked a fly ball out to the deepest part of centerfield, where Gavin Arnold would make the catch. Arnold zipped a ball from the warning track right into the glove of the first baseman Konnor Becker, who would make the swift tag for an 8-3 double play.
However, Topeka High would crush Hayden’s spirits with an eight-run inning in the bottom of the fourth.
I. Kincaid and Stamper would drive in two runs each, E. Kincaid would bring one home and Mitchell would cap it off with his first-ever home run, plating three runs.
That would be all Topeka High needed and the second game would end in the fifth inning.
Topeka High will be in action again next Tuesday when it hosts Centennial League rival Junction City. Hayden will host Topeka West next Friday.
First game
TOPEKA HIGH 6, HAYDEN 4
Hayden 001 000 3 – 4 2 1
Topeka High 510 000 0 – 6 7 3
W – Mitchell. L – Grace. 3B -- Topeka High: Votaw.
Second game
TOPEKA HIGH 12, HAYDEN 0
Hayden 000 00X X – 0 1 3
Topeka High 040 8XX X – 12 9 1
W-- Plankinton. HR -- Topeka High: Mitchell.
