By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
SILVER LAKE – The Class 3A No. 1-ranked Eagles saw their undefeated softball season come to a close Tuesday after losing 3-0 and 6-2 decisions to undefeated Class 4A No. 1-ranked Wamego.
Silver Lake's Kaibryn Kruger puts down a bunt in Tuesday's 3-0, 6-2 losses to Wamego. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Silver Lake's Taylor Zordel slides into second for a double Tuesday against Wamego. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Silver Lake’s 12-game win streak and undefeated season were going to be tested with a scorching hot Wamego team rolling into town.
However, the Red Raiders earned bragging rights in the heavyweight battle after a tight Game 1 victory over the Eagles and a more decisive win in the second contest.
The matchup felt like a state tournament matchup as both teams fought to keep their undefeated seasons alive.
“I think several of the girls continued to compete and made plays,” Silver Lake coach Nick Hamilton said. “When we got the opportunities to make the plays, they did it. I think probably tomorrow, Thursday or Friday, I’ll be impressed with what they want to come back and do.”
The first game featured two of the top pitchers in all classes. Silver Lake junior Avery Wende led 3A in strikeouts a season ago, and on the other side was the defending 4A pitcher of the year from Wamego, Peyton Hardenburger.
Wende pitched well in the circle. The junior went seven complete innings giving up three runs, five hits, a walk and struck out seven Red Raiders. One run came from a solo home run by Creighton signee Ashten Pierson in the third inning, and the other two runs were given up at the top of the seventh.
For Wamego, Hardenburger shut out Silver Lake by fanning 16 batters while giving up three hits and a walk. Hardenburger has not allowed a single run to any team in the 2023 campaign.
“They did very well, in my opinion,” Hamilton said. “Wamego is a pretty good hitting team. It comes down to one play here and one play there. I’ve talked to girls all year long about mastering your skill, your trade and what you do for this team. They’re getting close, and this hopefully will leave them hungry to go fix it.”
Wamego coach Luke Meyer knew this was the most prominent matchup his squad had seen this season.
“That first game had a state tournament and state championship feel to it,” Meyer said. “Two top teams in 3A and 4A going at it was great. Those are maybe two of the best pitchers (Wende and Hardenburger) in the entire state. You don’t see pitchers like that in one game very often. I’m proud of how the girls battled. Our girls played well in the high-pressure tonight.”
Freshman Kailyn Hanni had two out of the three hits against Hardenburger in Game 1, while Reese Dorsey had the other hit for Silver Lake.
“Silver Lake is definitely not a team to overlook,” Hardenburger said. “They are number one in their class for a reason. We had to come in with the same mentality of dominating. My mindset is that it’s either a home run or a strikeout with no in-between. So I’d say this game, the rise ball was definitely dominant, and that was the pitch of the night.”
Game 2 was more positive offensively for the Eagles. While they took a nagging 6-2 loss, they collected five hits against another dominant pitcher in Wamego’s rotation. It wasn’t easy for Silver Lake to attack Holy Cross softball pitching signee Maya Gallagher, but they did create some traffic on the basepaths.
Silver Lake stared at an early deficit immediately in Game 2. Hardenburger nailed a three-run home run out of left field to give the Red Raiders an early 3-0 lead before the first inning concluded.
Wamego’s second and final three-run inning of the night came in the top of the third. A 1-run single by senior Trista Hoobler and a two-run single by sophomore Arabell Razzano gave the Red Raiders a 6-0 lead.
Silver Lake would get its only two runs of the night in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior Kaibryn Kruger would bring a runner home after she laid down a bunt. The throw from Wamego was overthrown, and K. Kruger would break from first to third, giving the Eagles some life.
Junior Makenzie McDaniel would send K. Kruger home off a groundout RBI to decrease the deficit to 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
“We just got to learn to understand that not every at-bat will be a double or triple; we just need to put the ball in play,” Hamilton said.
After allowing two three-run innings in the first and third, sophomore pitcher Kendra Cook settled in and pitched well for the remainder of the contest. Despite the six runs, Cook had a game-high seven strikeouts while allowing six hits and a pair of walks.
Taylor Zordel contributed to Silver Lake with a stellar outing at the plate in the nightcap. Zordel went 2-3 with a pair of doubles, leading the Eagles in hits.
Silver Lake (12-2) will hope to rebound from its two losses of the season when they host Hayden (5-9) next Tuesday.
GAME ONE
WAMEGO 3, SILVER LAKE 0
Wamego 001 000 2 – 3 5 0
Silver Lake 000 000 0 – 0 3 0
W – Hardenburger. L – Wende. 2B – Wamego: Gallagher. HR – Wamego: Pierson.
GAME TWO
WAMEGO 6, SILVER LAKE 2
Wamego (12-0) 303 000 0 – 6 6 2
Silver Lake (12-2) 000 200 0 – 2 5 2
W – Gallagher. L – Cook. 2B – Silver Lake: Zordel 2. HR – Wamego: Hardenburger.
