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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
MANHATTAN -- The Silver Lake Eagles scored the game-winning run in the top of the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon at Tointon Family Stadium, taking a 2-1 semifinal decision over Russell/Victoria to advance to the Class 3A state championship game.
In a stellar pitching performance by both senior starting pitchers -- Dayne Johnson of Silver Lake and Sam Thielen of Russell -- the Eagles were able to push across the winning run in extra innings.
“Dayne’s a stud,'' Silver Lake coach Tyler Seele said. "He’s a warrior, a dog and a competitor. When the situation gets tough, he gets tougher.
"He mixed his two pitches very well, stayed down in the zone and pitched to contact.;;
Silver Lake had an opportunity in the top of the first after senior Brady Hogle walked and Johnson singled.
Following an out and an error, the Eagles had runners at first and third, but the Broncos turned an inning-ending double play on a line drive to senior right-fielder Wes Dreiling, who doubled off Johnson at first to end the threat.
Johnson retired the first nine batters of the game, including four strikeouts.
The Eagles finally broke through in the top of the fourth inning as senior Drew Womack reached on an error and stole second with one out.
Junior Miles Kibbee came through with a bloop double in between the left-fielder and center fielder, making the score 1-0.
With another runner in scoring position, the Broncos were able to turn another double play to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, senior catcher Max Evans of Russell got the first hit on an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop.
The Eagles were able to get runners at first and second with no outs in the top of the fifth, but the Broncos were able to get out of the inning with the score still 1-0.
Johnson had another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a great running catch by sophomore left-fielder Jaxton Ross.
Johnson’s counterpart, Thielen, was able to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard in the top of the sixth after having two runners on base for the second straight inning.
Over the first six innings, Silver Lake had two runners on with less than two outs in three different innings.
Coach Seele was asked if the inability to get some insurance runs made him nervous.
“Was I nervous? Yes, yes I was nervous,'' he said. "It was also frustrating, but the thing I’m most proud of is that our kids were frustrated, too. Their ability to turn the page and get to the next play is the reason why we’re playing in the state championship game.”
In the bottom of the sixth, the Broncos were able to scratch across the tying run.
Senior Jaxon Ross drew a leadoff walk and then courtesy runner sophomore Kooper Hamlin stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Walker Middleton. Thielen helped himself by hitting a sacrifice fly, scoring Hamlin and tying the game 1-1.
Both teams went 1-2-3 in the seventh inning and the game went to extra innings.
Thielen reached his mandated 105-pitch limit as he finished the seventh inning with 108 pitches.
Senior pitcher Trey Zorn entered the game in relief in the top of the eighth for the Broncos.
Silver Lake freshman Kipton Kruger hit a one-out triple to the right field corner. Kibbee knocked in his second run with a sacrifice fly to center field, giving the Eagles its 2-1 lead.
Kruger described his hit in the top of the eighth and the frustration of leaving runners on base earlier in the game.
“I came to the plate just thinking about hitting the ball hard and was able to hit it down the right field line,'' he said. "It was frustration because we had opportunities but were hitting it right at people.
“It’s amazing coming in as the eighth seed. It’s very rare to make it to the title game and it’s a great feeling.
Johnson came back out to the mound in the bottom of the eighth and set down the Broncos in order for the sixth time in the game, sending Silver Lake to the state final.
Silver Lake (18-11) advanced to the title game on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. against Girard (23-5) in Manhattan.
“Girard is a really tough team,'' Seele said. "We’re going to have to come with the same mentality, find a way to win the next pitch and have a level head.”
Russell (23-6) will play in the third-place game against Burlington (24-3) on Thursday at 5:45 p.m.
SILVER LAKE 2, RUSSELL/VICTORIA 1 (8 innings)
Silver Lake (18-11) 000 100 01 -- 2 4 0
Russell/Victoria (23-6) 000 001 00 -- 1 1 3
Johnson and Monhollon. Thielen, Zorn (8) and Evans. W -- Johnson. L -- Zorn. 2B -- Silver Lake: Kibbee. 3B -- Silver Lake: Kipton Kruger.
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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
MANHATTAN -- Rossville faced the Monarchs of Thomas More Prep-Marian in the KSHSAA Class 2A-1A state baseball semifinal on Wednesday at Kansas State's Tointon Family Stadium, with the Bulldawgs dropping a 6-2 decision to Thomas More Prep-Marian.
The Monachs were able to pull away during the middle innings and advance to the 2-1A state championship game while Rossville will play for third place on Thursday.
Rossville had a quick start, with senior Jakoby McDonnell hitting the first pitch of the game back up the middle for a base hit. After stealing second, McDonnell scored on a base hit from fellow senior Canaan Mitchell.
TMP-Marian evened the score in the bottom of the first with a run-scoring groundout by junior Ty Schmeidler, which scored senior Carson Liles, who had a base hit and had advanced to third on a walk and wild pitch.
After a scoreless second inning by both teams, Rossville regained the lead on Mitchell’s second RBI of the contest, scoring senior Conner Bush to making the score 2-1.
Once again, the Monarchs responded in the bottom of the inning, with Schmeidler’s second RBI on a triple, high off the right-field wall.
The next batter, senior catcher Caden Dinkel, hit a two-run home run into the left-field bullpen, making the score 4-2.
In the bottom of the fourth TMP-Marian began the inning with a leadoff single by senior Connor Breit and back-to-back bunt singles by sophomore Nash Dreiling and senior Ian Nehls. With the bases loaded Liles had a RBI groundout to shortstop which scored Breit, making the score 5-2.
With Rossville unable to score in the top of the fifth inning, the Dawgs were able to stay within striking distance with outstanding defense in the bottom of the frame.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's Ella Foster and Reese Huscher have already enjoyed sensational senior years, playing in back-to-back-to-back state championship games.
Undefeated Hayden soccer celebrates after Wednesday's 2-1 Class 4A-1A semifinal victory over Bishop Miege, ending the Stags' nine-year state title run. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And now, after ending Bishop Miege's nine-year Class 4A-1A state soccer championship reign with Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Stags, the Wildcats have the opportunity to put together a perfect ending to 2025-2026 in Saturday's state championship game in Wichita.
Foster and Huscher, along with sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein, helped the Wildcats post a second-place finish in volleyball and a state championship in basketball before advancing to their second straight state soccer championship game.
"It's been a whirlwind, definitely a lot of blood, sweat and tears this year,'' Huscher said. "I've had Ella by my side through all three and I couldn't of ask for anybody else better to go through it all with, and Hailey, too.''
Foster agreed.
"It's been an amazing feeling and I've been through the trenches with these girls and just to finish it with three state championship games is a great way to go out,'' Foster said.
Hayden, now 20-0-0, advances to Saturday's 7 p.m. state championship game at Wichita's Stryker Sports Complex to face Rose Hill (15-5-0), a 6-2 semifinal win over Louisburg. Hayden was the most recent school other than Miege to win a 4A-1A state title.
"I think we're so ready,'' Huscher said. "I don't think we've ever been more ready in the past years for sure and I think getting past (Miege) we proved to ourself and to our state that we're here to win it and we're not here to lose another state championship.''
"I think we definitely knew they were going to come out strong,'' Foster said. "They definitely came out and put a lot of pressure on us and we didn't play our best game, but we pulled through and we pushed hard and fought through the adversity going down early. I think we'll come together and put together a good game Saturday.''
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The 2026 All-City girls swimming and diving team -- Front, from left: Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden; Riley Strother, Seaman; Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High; Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural; Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights. Back, from left: Avery Skinner, Topeka High; Megan Strobel, Seaman; Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights; Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural; Ava Von Lintel, Wasnburn Rural; Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior Rhiannon Good, a two-time Class 6A state diving medalist, and senior 16-time city and Centennial League individual champion Audrey Appuhn headline the 2026 All-City girls swimming and diving team.
Good returned from ACL surgery late in the season to post her second straight top-five finish in the 6A state meet while Appuhn, a multi-time state medalist capped her oustanding career by finishing eight of eight in career individual races in both the city and Centennial League meets.
Rural, which won its 23nd straight city title, put a city-high four swimmers on the All-City first team, which is determined by performances in the city meet.
Washburn Rural put Appuhn, Good and senior repeat picks Sophie Heinen and Ava Von Lintel on the first team while Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo joins Appuhn as a four-time All-City first-team pick.
Shawnee Heights is represented on the All-City first team by junior repeat picks Kaitlyn Aldridge and Clara Sobba while Seaman is represented by senior Megan Strobel and sophomore Riley Strother after the Vikings finished second as a team in the city meet.
Junior Kaelyn Gerdel, a two-time city and Centennial League champ, represents Hayden on the All-City first team while Topeka High freshman city champ Avery Skinner joins Del Castillo on the first team.
All-City first-team capsules:
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- When rivals meet, anything can happen. But few would have predicted the 9-0 beating Washburn Rural dealt Manhattan in the Class 6A state baseball quarterfinals at Emporia Tuesday.
Washburn Rural baseball huddles up after advancing to the Class 6A state semifinals with a 9-0 win over Centennial League rival Manhattan. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
The Junior Blues split with Manhattan in mid-season. And even though Washburn Rural did win the second game 12-5, no one expected such a lopsided result in a playoff meeting with everything on the line.
But the Junior Blues found their groove early, collecting five hits and two walks in the top of the second inning to jump to a 6-0 lead. They tacked on runs in the third and sixth to make the end of the game feel anticlimactic.
“That’s just baseball. It seems like every time we play them, it’s a close game. It’s a play here or there. So, yeah, we didn’t expect this at all,” said Washburn Rural coach Jay Mastin. “First round of state, you’re going to come out and compete no matter who it is. But the fact that it’s Manhattan, it’s a rival of ours, I think that does add a little bit of intensity to the guys a little bit.”
With the big lead, Washburn Rural starting pitcher Tyler Edmiston pitched to contact and let his defense turn in dazzling plays behind him. The Junior Blues turned three double plays to help Edmiston shut out the Indians through six innings.
Involved in all three double plays was shortstop Austin Ditch.
“It makes things a lot easier for the (pitchers),” Ditch said of the effect of a double play. “It just brings a big sigh of relief. We’ve got guys everywhere that can make plays. It’s not even a surprise some of the plays the guys make. We’re just an athletic, exciting team with a lot of energy.”
Edmiston exited having thrown just 59 pitches, meaning he will be available to pitch again on Friday.
“Tyler was very efficient on the mound, and we played good defense behind him,” Mastin said, praising his team’s glove work behind the pitcher. “These guys have been doing that for the last couple of years. It’s been fun to watch these guys play defense. They can go out and make some plays.”
