By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After hitting six home runs and scoring 27 runs in last Thursday's doubleheader sweep over Perry-Lecompton, Silver Lake's softball team picked up where it left off Monday at Hayden, lashing out 32 hits, including five more round-trippers, in an 11-1, 14-3 doubleheader sweep.
Silver Lake senior Taryn Burkhardt slides into third base for a triple in the Eagles 11-1, 14-3 doubleheader sweep at Hayden. Burkhardt went 8 of 8 on the day with a triple and two doubles. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN.
Silver Lake waits to congratulate Eagle sophomore Kaibryn Kruger (9) after one of her two home runs in Monday's doubleheader sweep over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Taryn Burkhardt had a huge day for the 4-0 Eagles, going 8 of 8 at the plate with four runs scored and three runs batted in. Burkhardt had a first-game triple and stroked a pair of doubles in the second game.
The Eagles also continued their power surge, getting homers in both games from sophomore Kaibryn Kruger while freshman Kira Lowrey, senior Lauren Rollenhagen and sophomore Hailey Horton also homered for Silver Lake.
"There's a lot of confidence in these girls at the plate and I trust any of them to bat with two strikes,'' Silver Lake coach Nick Hamilton said. "They can get the job done if they need to.
"I think our girls came out today with confidence and I told them, 'Don't worry about the scoreboard, just do the little things,' and I think it took care of itself.''
Rollenhagen had five hits in the twinbill, while Horton and sophomore Makenzie McDaniel contributed four hits apiece and Lowrey, K. Kruger and Taylor Zordel three hits apiece.
Horton knocked in five runs in the second game while Rollenhagen and K. Kruger had four RBI apiece in the twinbill.
Sophomore pitcher Avery Wende went the distance for Silver Lake in the six-inning first-game win, allowing four hits while striking out two Hayden batters.
"Avery was the only pitcher we had last year on the varsity squad and she put the time in over the offseason and for her to get so much better as a sophomore than she was a freshman is just awesome,'' Hamilton said.
Eagles freshman Kendra Cook pitched the first 4.1 innings in the second game, allowing four hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out four. Lowrey came on and got the final two outs of the game while allowing one run.
Hayden senior Carly Stuke circles the bases after hitting a second-game home run Monday against Silver Lake. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Freshman Keira Carswell doubled in the first game for Hayden while senior Carly Stuke hit a two-run home run in the second game.
Hayden fell to 4-0 on the season, dropping its season-opening twinbill against Class 6A state qualifier Washburn Rural and Monday's games against Silver Lake, which was the 3A runner-up last spring.
"We knew it was going to be tough but we need to try to take care of the little things that we can control,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. "We're really young and have an injury that has put about six different people in different spots.
"We just need to do some things better, like running the bases better and throwing strikes.''
First game
SILVER LAKE 11, HAYDEN 1
Silver Lake 141 032 -- 11 16 2
Hayden 000 010 -- 1 4 1
W -- Wende. L -- Droge. 2B -- Hayden: Carswell. 3B -- Silver Lake: Burkhardt. HR -- Silver Lake: K. Kruger, Lowrey.
Second game
SILVER LAKE 14, HAYDEN 3
Silver Lake 233 24 -- 14 16 0
Hayden 200 01 -- 3 6 1
W -- Cook. L -- Drum. 2B -- Silver Lake: Burkhardt 2. Hayden: Burris. HR -- Silver Lake: Rollenhagen, K. Kruger, Horton. Hayden: Stuke.
