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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Before Topeka High's non-league 3-2 overtime soccer loss to Free State the Trojans were already without four players with being absent or injured and by the time they left Hummer Sports Park on Friday night, three more players got significantly banged up.
Despite playing with a true 11 players, Topeka High (5-4-0) fell just short of overcoming all of its obstacles against a Free State squad hungry to snap its own nine-game losing streak and winless season.
Topeka High freshman Natalie Barnes (right) scored a goal for the Trojans in Friday's 3-2 overtime soccer loss to Free State. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Despite being shorthanded, Topeka High's soccer team took Free State to overtime in a 3-2 loss at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
But even with the apparent dark cloud hanging above the Trojans' heads, they never gave up. Although disappointed in the loss, Topeka High coach Derek Snook was pleased with what he saw from players that aren't regularly on the varsity field.
"First and foremost, I was proud of the effort," Snook said. "We came into the game being down three or four more players already due to injury or being gone. We had an injury to one of our tweeners in the junior varsity game that gets time. We had another injury in the first half with a possible concussion, so I'm down to playing junior varsity players that don't play that often.
"But the effort was fantastic. Quite honestly, I thought we had some golden opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net. We missed a pass here and didn't make a good run on one there, but the effort was there. I thought we did some good things defensively as well. We had our opportunities, but it just didn't work out."
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural put away the visiting Seaman softball team with two five-inning games shortened by 10-run leads Friday.
The Junior Blues blasted four home runs and rode dominant pitching from seniors Emmerson Cope and Piper Titsworth for the 14-4, 10-0 sweep.
Senior Emmerson Cope picked up the first-game pitching victory and had a big day at the plate in Washburn Rural's 14-4, 10-0 sweep over Seaman. [File photo/TSN]
Cope pitched the first game, striking out six and allowing five hits over five innings. Seaman scratched out four runs against the University of Nebraska commit, but she responded with a double and a homer of her own.
“I’ve done better on the mound, but I think I did get the job done. And I definitely had really good hitting behind me,” Cope said. “So even though I wasn’t 100 percent on my game, I had batters to back me up, which is really huge. Not pitching the best, I really want my hitting to be there for my team.”
“She makes her own adjustments at the plate, knows what she needs to do, and she puts the ball in play even though teams are trying to pitch around her,” said Washburn Rural coach Elizabeth Stover. “The production from other batters is the big thing. One way we can keep getting her at-bats is to keep adding to the lineup.”
The Junior Blues lashed out 13 hits in the opener. Sophomore Nadia Wech ended the first contest in the fifth inning with a blast over the center field fence that gave the Junior Blues a ten-run advantage. Freshman Reagan Chapman homered earlier in the game.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had freshmen and sophomores jump into the lineup and starting,” Stover said. “They bring in a little bit of energy because a lot of these girls have played together for a long time.''
Titsworth was the star of the second game, pitching a shutout and drilling two doubles. The senior gave up just three hits over five innings.
“The goal of our team is just to pick each other up after each at-bat whether it was good or bad,” Titsworth said. “To be able to help in any way I can, whether it’s pitching or hitting, feels good.”
Seaman fell to 6-6. Leading the effort for the Vikings was Jersey Jellison, who doubled and homered in the first game, and Aspen Burgardt, who doubled twice in the second game.
The Junior Blues, who finished second in the Class 6A state tournament a year ago, improved to 12-2 with the doubleheader sweep. Though the team is a blend of returners and first-year varsity players. Stowe said she sees potential in this group.
“We’re a young team and there are still learning moments every game,” Stowe said. “But for the most part I feel pretty confident with the team we have on the field. It’s a well-rounded group and they’re keeping each other pumped up.”
Cope and Titsworth are two of five seniors providing leadership on and off the field.
“We have really good chemistry for a team that hasn’t really done a lot together,” Cope said. “Having that upperclassman leadership encouraging the underclassmen and leading this team really helps us.”
“We learn from each other,” Titsworth said. “The freshmen have had a big impact on our team. They’ve brought a new life that we needed. They keep it light-hearted in the dugout. And they look at us as the mature leaders so it balances out to make us a well-rounded team.”
GAME ONE
WASHBURN RURAL 14, SEAMAN 4
Seaman 202 00 — 4 5 2
Washburn Rural 433 31 — 14 13 1
Burgardt, O’Rourke (3) and McConnell. Cope and Rapp. W — Cope. L — Burgardt. 2B — Seaman: Jellison. Washburn Rural: Cope, Collins. HR — Seaman: Jellison. Washburn Rural: Chapman, Cope, Wech.
GAME TWO
WASHBURN RURAL 10, SEAMAN 0
Seaman (6-6) 000 00 — 0 3 0
Washburn Rural (12-2) 341 02 — 10 10 1
O’Rourke, Burgardt (3) and McConnell. Titsworth and Rapp. W — Titsworth. L — O’Rourke. 2B — Seaman: Burgardt 2. Washburn Rural: Titsworth 2. HR — Washburn Rural: Collins.
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
After struggling offensively in a 2-1 nine-inning, second-game loss to Lansing on Tuesday, Seaman's baseball team struggled to get runs home again early in Friday's home non-league game against Tonganoxie.
But the Vikings came to life just in time, rallying from a 3-0 deficit to take a 5-3 win over the Chieftains.
Seaman junior Holden Finley (4) hit the tie-breaking home run in the sixth inning as the Vikings rallied to take a 5-3 non-league win over Tonganoxie Friday at Seaman. [File photo/TSN]
The come-from-behind win could loom large for 11-2 Seaman, a perennial Class 5A contender, which is fighting for a top postseason seed in 5A.
"I think it was big just because of coming off a loss, you want to get that taste out of your mouth,'' Seaman coach Trent Oliva said. "They have a big weekend as high school kids -- it's our prom weekend -- so that's another thing as a coach you worry about them getting focused on the wrong things and being in the right spot and I think this kind of showed us a little bit of toughness on their part, just being able to get plugged back in to do those things to be able to mark in the fourth, fifth and six innings.''
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Washburn golf could not complete a late push and finished tied for second place at the MIAA Championship tournament.
Dawson Wills led the way with a tie for fifthplace individually as Washburn tied for second in the MIAA golf championships. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will await their fate for qualification for the NCAA Midwest/Central Super Regional Championship beginning May 11.
Washburn finished round three tied with Northeastern State for second place in the tournament finishing at +22. Missouri Southern State made a comeback in the final nine holes and won by two strokes, finishing with a total of 884. Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma rounded out the top five respectively.
Dawson Wills continued to lead the Ichabods through the third day, finishing tied for fifth overall at just four over par. Wills shot a 74 on the final round including notching his second eagle of the tournament on the final hole of the day.
Jack Baker dashed up the leaderboards over the final 18 holes. Baker shot a 72 round good for an even-par round to close out the tournament with a total score of 222 and all alone in eightht place. Max Ullan was just behind him, finishing in a three-way tie for ninth place at seven over par. Ullan shot a 75 on the final round, ending his day with a birdie on hole 18.
Kade Prentice shot a 75 over the final 18 holes to end tied for 12th overall and at eight over par. Cade Uhlenhake wrapped up the scoring with a 75 on the final round as well, placing tied for 15th with a total score of 225.
All five Ichabods finished in the top-15 of the 50-player field. As a team Washburn had the best average scoring on par five holes, carding a 4.68 on them. On par fours the Ichabods averaged 4.19, second best among the 10 teams.
Washburn picked up 157 pars in the tournament, four more than any other team, and had three total eagles which was also the most among the field.
WU men's tennis advances to MIAA/GAC Tournament Championship
No. 24 Washburn men's tennis is advancing to the MIAA/GAC Tournament Championship after sweeping No. 36 Harding 4-0 in the semifinals on Thursday morning. The Ichabods will face No. 15 Northwest Missouri State in the championship on Friday at 9 a.m.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden sophomore baseball standout Cooper Grace and Wildcat junior track and field standout Natalie Hillebert have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2022-2023 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Grace and Hillebert over the past week:
Hayden sophomore Cooper Grace finished off a complete-game pitching victory Monday at Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
COOPER GRACE, Hayden
Grace helped Hayden close out a Centennial League sweep over Class 6A Washburn Rural on Monday with a 15-4 second-game victory that began last Friday.
After Hayden rallied for a 4-3 win in last Friday's first game, the second game was tied at 2-2 in the top of the third inning before lightning pushed the completion of the nightcap back to Monday. Grace posted a complete-game, five-hit victory while striking out seven batters.
Offensively Grace contributed two hits, including a double, and scored three runs.
Junior Natalie Hillebert eclipsed a Hayden girls 400-meter dash school record that had stood for 37 years in last weekend's Kansas Relays. [Twitter]
NATALIE HILLEBERT, Hayden
Hillebert ran a 58.65-second 400-meter dash in last Friday's Kansas Relays preliminaries at Rock Chalk Park, breaking a Hayden school record that had stood since 1986.
A two-time All-Shawnee County selection, Hillebert broke the Hayden school 400 record of 58.9 set by Laura Sargent
HIllebert, who placed third in the Class 4A state meet in the 400 as a sophomore, went on to finish seventh in Saturday's Kansas Relays final of the 400.
