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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Right up until the final out at first base, retiring Shawnee Heights baseball coach Ryan Schmidt believed he and his T-Birds could find a way to play another day.
Shawnee Heights senior Jayden Holly (right) celebrates with sophomore teammate Cam Floberg after scoring the tying run in Thursday's Class 5A quarterfinal against Spring Hill. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
But Shawnee Heights couldn't quite complete their late-game rally, dropping a 5-2 Class 5A quarterfinal decision to Spring Hill Thursday at Wichita State's Eck Stadium, officially ending Schmidt's 25-year run as the T-Birds' head coach.
"I'm very proud of them and all Shawnee Heights baseball players for that matter,'' said Schmidt, who was a part of four state titles at Heights (two as head coach, two as an assistant). "It's been a really special career and I'm just proud of everybody.''
No. 5 seed Shawnee Heights, which finished its season 13-12, fought back from a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the first to tie the game in the second.
Senior Jacob Malcom tripled and scored before senior Joe Reynolds singled into right field and went all the way to third on a Spring Hill error, allowing senior Jayden Holly, who had reached on a fielder's choice, score the tying run.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Thursday's Class 5A state softball quarterfinal didn't turn out the way Seaman wanted or the way longtime Vikings coach Jay Monhollon wanted to end his coaching career.
Seaman junior Kaelyn O'Rourke turned in a gutsy complete-game pitching performance in Thursday's 3-2 nine-inning loss to Maize South in the Class 5A state tournament. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Seaman senior second baseman Gracie Moe throws out a Maize South baserunner in Thursday's Class 5A quarterfinal. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
But Monhollon knows his seventh-seeded Vikings gave it their all in the heartbreaking 3-2 nine-inning loss to second seed Maize South Thursday at Wichita State's Wilkins Stadium.
"That's what I shared with the girls is that everybody gave their best effort and that's a tough lesson in life,'' Monhollon said. "Even in life you're going to find out that even when you give your best effort sometimes that desired outcome doesn't come true for you.
"The young ladies are great daughters, great friends and they're going to bounce back and do well. These girls have a lot of character.''
The game was tied at 2-2 from the bottom of the fourth inning on before junior Sophie Stockam, who went the distance for the pitching victory, delivered the walkoff single to push Maize South (26-3) into Friday's 1 p.m. semifinal. Seaman finished its season 22-7.
Seaman took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth when junior Anna McLaughlin delivered a two-run single, but Maize South pulled even in the bottom half of the inning when junior Cameron Moses singled in two runs.
Stockam and Seaman junior pitcher Kaelyn O'Rourke matched zeroes in the circle over the next four innings take the game into the eventful ninth inning.
The Vikings got runners to second and third with one out but Stockham recorded a strikeout and a popout to get out of the inning.
O'Rourke recorded a pair of outs in the bottom of the ninth before a rare catcher's interference call put Maize South in business.
"It was another opportunity and that makes a difference in giving a free pass versus somebody earning it,'' Monhollon said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 2 seed Hesston had no answer for Hayden junior pitching ace Cooper Grace in Thursday's opening round of the Class 3A state baseball tournament, with the No. 7-seeded Wildcats advancing to Friday's state semifinals with a 2-0 victory at Tointon Family Stadium.
Hayden junior pitching standout Cooper Grace threw a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts in the Wildcats' 2-0 win over Hesston in the Class 3A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Grace fired a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts and just two walks as 16-12 Hayden advanced to Friday's 1:15 p.m. semifinal to face No. 6 seed Hoisington (16-10), which upset No. 3 seed Sabetha, 3-1.
Grace was in control from the outset, with no Hesston player reaching second base as Grace only faced 24 batters.
Offensively Hayden was paced by senior Kyren Waggoner, who went two for three in the game, including a triple to open the second inning before scoring the game-winning run.
Sophomore Kade Mitchell knocked in the winning run in Hayden's 2-0 Class 3A state tournament victory over Hesston. [File photo/TSN]
Two batters after Waggoner's triple, sophomore Kade Mitchell singled to right field to drive Waggoner home.
In the top of third after freshman Mason Becker singled, Grace helped his own cause when he knocked a double off the center-field wall to score Becker, who went two for four on the day.
No. 6 seed Rural softball advances to 6A softball semifinal with 2-1 win over No. 3 Blue Valley West
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's softball team is headed to the Class 6A state semifinals for the fifth time in six years and its first semifinal under first-year Junior Blues coach Joy Marie Galliart after No. 6-seeded Rural took a 2-1 first-round win over No. 3 Blue Valley West Thursday at Arrocha Ball Park in Lawrence.
Washburn Rural junior Avery Rupp is congratulated by Junior Blues coach Joy Marie Galliart after her third-inning home run put Rural in front 1-0 in Thursday's 2-1 Class 6A state tournament win over Blue Valley West. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Sophomore Reagan Chapman knocked in what proved to be the game-winning run in Thursday's 2-1 Washburn Rural win over Blue Valley West in the Class 6A state tournament. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
With Thursday's win the 19-7 Junior Blues advanced to an 11 a.m. Friday semifinal against No. 2 seed Olathe Northwest and will be looking for their fourth trip to the 6A championship game over the past six seasons.
Washburn Rural never trailed in Thursday's first-round game after junior Avery Rupp hit a solo home run to left field in the top of the third inning.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Silver Lake slugged its way into the second day of the 3A state softball tournament, ripping three home runs in a 10-0 opening-round win over Cheney at Lake Shawnee Thursday.
Silver Lake junior Taylor Zordel (6) is congratulated by her teammates at home plate after hitting a grand slam in the Eagles' 10-0 first-round state tournament win over Cheney. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior pitcher Kendra Cook allowed just two hits in four innings, picking up the win in Silver Lake's 10-0 state tournament win over Cheney. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Eagles, seeded fourth in the eight-team bracket, defeated the fifth-seeded Cardinals in a five-inning blowout, giving themselves a little extra rest before the second round. The Eagles will face undefeated top-seed Holcomb at 11 a.m. Friday.
Silver Lake jumped on the Cardinals in the first inning on a two-run homer from junior Kira Lowrey.
Two more runs in the second frame gave Eagles junior pitcher Kendra Cook a comfortable cushion. Cook rolled through the Cardinal lineup, surrendering just two singles and a hit batter.
“She’s got a great defense behind her,” Silver Lake coach Nick Hamilton said of Cook. “I think that helps. When you’ve got confidence in your teammates, it’s easy to go up there and throw what you want to throw.”
The Eagles blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning with junior Taylor Zordel launching a based-loaded home run, putting the game away.
“We were all hitting the ball well and I think our defense was really solid. It was my turn to hit the ball hard somewhere,” Zordel said. “I think (this win) gave us a lot of confidence. We know we’re better than that team and we just proved that we’re here ready to make a good run.”
Following Zordel in the batting order, senior Makenzie McDaniel put a punctuation mark on the win with a blast that cleared the left-field fence by a significant distance.
