Details

Created: 19 May 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Shawnee Heights' softball team, which has won the last three Class 5A state tournaments that were contested, moved a step closer to yet another state berth Wednesday at Gahnstrom Field, but now will have to wait a couple of days to get an opportunity to finish that quest.

Despite persistent rain showers, the T-Birds were able to finish off a 14-4 six-inning regional semifinal victory over Lansing, but the championship game between Shawnee Heights and De Soto was pushed back to 1:30 p.m. Friday at Gahnstrom due to continuing rain and wet field conditions. 

"We would have loved to have finished it off tonight, but this is rough right here," Shawnee Heights coach Tara Griffith said.

"I think the girls are just excited to still get to play together. They understand this is not ideal weather to play in and Friday looks a little better."

Shawnee Heights freshman Alaryce Adams-Millard (right) is congratulated by sophomore Addison Bryant after she hit a second-inning home run in Wednesday's 14-4 5A regional semifinal win over Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Heights, which improved to 17-4 on the season, had to wait out a slight rain delay before scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the semifinal by way of the 10-run spread rule.

Now, after getting past one United Kansas Conference rival, Shawnee Heights will face another UKC foe on Friday, with 10-11 De Soto advancing to the championship game with a 9-4 win over Pittsburg in Wednesday's first semifinal.

The Heights-Lansing game was halted for a few minutes in the midst of a Lansing mini-rally, but after numerous discussions, umpired made the decision to play on.

Shawnee Heights senior pitcher Mykala Johnico and her teammates got out of the top of the sixth after allowing just one run and the T-Birds then put together a big inning of their own to put the Lions away.

Lansing took a short-lived 1-0 lead in the top of the second, but Shawnee Heights tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run from freshman Alaryce Adams-Millard and scored four runs in the third and fourth innings to take control.

Shawnee Heights senior Taylor Hawkins (right) had a three-run home run and a two-run double in the T-Birds' 14-4 regional semifinal win over Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Senior Taylor Hawkins drove in two runs with a third-inning double and junior Deja Gardenhire and sophomore Addison Bryant delivered run-scoring singles.

Lansing scored two runs in the top of the fourth, but Hawkins hit a three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning.

Shawnee Heights senior pitcher Mykala Johnico pitched a four-hitter with seven strikeouts in Heights' 14-4 regional semifinal win over Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Johnico limited Lansing to four hits on the night while recording seven strikeouts.

"They've got some big swingers on their team and we were able to somewhat keep them off balance," Griffith said. "Mykala did a great job."

Junior Abbie Schulte had a pair of doubles for Shawnee Heights.

Shawnee Heights swept a pair of UKC games from De Soto in the regular season, taking 11-0 and 22-9 wins.

CLASS 5A REGIONAL SOFTBALL

Semifinal

SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 14, LANSING 4

Lansing (8-13) 010 201 -- 4 4 3

Shawnee Heights (17-4) 014 414 -- 14 12 1

Solomon and Foster. Johnico and Bryant. W -- Johnico. L -- Solomon. 2B -- Lansing: Foster 2, Wessel. Shawnee Heights: Schulte 2, Hawkins. 3B -- Lansing: Gray. HR -- Shawnee Heights: Hawkins.

Details

Created: 19 May 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural's girls soccer team, which has played in the last two Class 6A state championship games, got its postseason bid off to a good start Tuesday with a 5-0 regional win over Free State at McElroy Field.

The Firebirds trailed Rural by just a 2-0 margin at the half before the Junior Blues tacked on three goals after the break.

Washburn Rural junior Reagan Allen (12) scored a goal and had an assist in the Junior Blues' 5-0 Class 6A regional win over Free State Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural got goals from juniors Belle Kennedy, Sheriden Wichman, Emma Krueger and Reagan Allen and sophomore Karsyn McMaster while Allen, Wichman, junior Hunter McWilliams, sophomore Maya Hoge and sophomore Hailey Beck were credited with assists.

Beck and freshman Mackenzie Flood combined for the shutout in goal for the Junior Blues, who improved to 14-2-1.

Washburn Rural will host Liberal (8-8-1) at 6 p.m. Thursday in a regional championship game. Liberal advanced with a 6-0 win over Junction City on Monday.

SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 4, BASEHOR-LINWOOD 2

Shawnee Heights opened 5A postseason competition with a 4-2 win over United Kansas Conference rival Basehor-Linwood, with the T-Birds beating the Bobcats for the first time in three games this spring.

Heights had tied Basehor-Linwood 1-1 and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Bobcats in earlier meetings.

The T-Birds, 10-6-1, got a pair of first-half goals from sophomore Kalyn Walter and Heights broke a 2-2 tie with two second-half goals.

Shawnee Heights advanced to a 6:30 p.m. regional final Thusday at Blue Valley Southwest. Southwest (11-1-3) advanced with a 10-0 win over Lansing Monday night.

After Walter put Heights in front 2-0, Basehor-Linwood cut its deficit to 2-1 late in the first half and tied the game with 28 minutes left in regulation.

T-Bird senior Kyler Bowman broke the tie with a goal and then Walter added her third goal of the night late in the match.

Bowman was credited with assists on both of Walter's first-half goals.

SEAMAN 10, KANSAS CITY-SUMNER 0

Seaman ended its Class 5A postseason debut early, rolling to a 10-0 home win over Kansas City-Sumner Tuesday night.

The Vikings (11-5-1), who led 7-0 at the half, got two goals apiece from sophomore Brooklyn Yingling, senior Riley Cowan and freshman Marin Schuler while sophomore Kolbi Zurmely, sophomore Ella Foxhoven, junior Avary Polter and junior Haylee Williams all scored one goal each.

Freshman Makena Schuler posted the shutout in goal for the Vikings.

Seaman will travel to Spring Hill (14-2-0) for a 6 p.m. regional championship game on Thursday. The Broncos beat Highland Park 11-0 Tuesday.

Details

Created: 19 May 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

After a semifinal romp where Washburn Rural's softball did more walking than swinging, it took the Junior Blues awhile to get their offense going in Wednesday's Class 6A regional championship game against Dodge City at Washburn University's Gahnstrom Field.

Washburn Rural senior Olivia Bruno delivers a pitch during Wednesday's Class 6A regional tournament. Bruno pitched a one-hitter and hit a home run in the Junior Blues' 12-0 win over Dodge City. [Photo by Aiden Droge/Special to TSN]

But it took just one swing of Olivia Bruno's bad to take care of that, with Bruno's mammoth home run over the left-field fence jump-starting a nine-run third-inning explosion on the way to a 12-0 victory and a third straight trip to the 6A state tournament.

 Washburn Rural poses for a team picture after winning a Class 6A regional championship Wednesday with a 12-0 win over Dodge City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Rural, which has now won 18 straight games, was locked in a scoreless tie with Dodge City through two and a half innings, but Bruno hammered a leadoff homer in the bottom of the third and the rest of the game belonged to the Junior Blues, now 20-2 on the season.

"I think we just needed something to get it going, and that sure did,'' said Bruno, who has now hit 11 round-trippers on the year. "We just started hitting and it was really good.''

Washburn Rural coach Tricia Vogel agreed.

"We needed a little spark,'' Vogel said. "I think we were playing a little tight to start with because the further you make it along in postseason the more pressure there is.

"It was a team we hadn't seen before and we didn't really know a whole lot about them and didn't quite make the adjustment at the plate so (Bruno) came out big with the spark we needed.''

Washburn Rural added three runs in the fourth en route to ending the game through four and a half innings by way of the 10-run spread rule.

Bruno also turned in a dominating performance in the pitching circle, limiting the Red Demons (16-6) to a first-inning single while striking out 12.

"We just wanted to come out and show everyone what we've got and what we've been working towards this whole year,'' Bruno said.

Washburn Rural had nine hits against Dodge City, with senior Kayden Smith and sophomore Kaci Bath both contributing triples while sophomore Emmerson Cope doubled twice and junior Campbell Bagshaw also had a double.

The championship game was played in an intermittent rain, but Vogel said Rural was thankful just to get the tournament completed.

"This is just crazy,'' Vogel said. "I've never seen weather like this where every day is just rain, so it's just nice we have a place to play. I'm just super thankful to coach (Brenda) Holaday and Washburn for letting us use the field and get the game in because our field's under water.''

Rural took a 10-0 run-rule game over Hutchinson in the semifinal, with Cope and Bruno combining for a one-hitter.

Bruno pitched the first two innings before Cope worked the final three innings and picked up the win.

Offensively, the Junior Blues had just four hits, including a triple from Smith and a double from Bath, but Rural took advantage of eight walks and two hit batsmen.

Rural scored five runs in the first against Hutchinson and added three runs in the second and single runs in the fourth and fifth.

The 6A state tournament will be played next Thursday and Friday (May 27-28) at the Shawnee Mission District Softball Complex.

Washburn Rural was the state runner-up in 2019 after placing third in '18.

CLASS 6A REGIONAL SOFTBALL

Championship

WASHBURN RURAL 12, DODGE CITY 0

Dodge City (16-6) 000 00  -- 0 1 2

Washburn Rural (20-2) 009 3x -- 12 9 0

Lopp, Lenz (3) and Miller. Bruno and Louderback. W -- Bruno. L -- Lopp. 2B -- Washburn Rural: Cope 2, Bagshaw. 3B -- Washburn Rural: Smith, Bath. HR -- Washburn Rural: Bruno.

Semifinal

WASHBURN RURAL 10, HUTCHINSON 0

Hutchinson 000 00 -- 0 1 2

Washburn Rural 530 11 -- 10 4 0

Lusk and Smith. Bruno, Cope (3) and Louderback, Rapp. W -- Cope. L -- Lusk. 2B -- Washburn Rural: Bath. 3B -- Washburn Rural: Smith.

Details

Created: 19 May 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Hayden's baseball team didn't have the kind of regular season it's been accustomed to, but the Wildcats are back in a familiar place, headed to the Class 4A state tournament after a strong regional performance Tuesday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.

Coming off a rare sub-.500 record in the regular season, the Wildcats turned in a solid performance Tuesday, taking a 14-2 five-inning win over Holton in the semifinals before riding a 3-hit pitching performance from senior Erick Teske to a 4-0 win over Louisburg in the championship game.

With the win over Louisburg the Wildcats advanced to the 4A state tournament next week (May 27-28) at Salina's Dean Evans Stadium.

Hayden, now 10-12, took control of the championship game with three runs in the top of the first and added an insurance run in the fourth while Teske limited Louisburg to three singles while striking out six and issuing just two walks.

Senior Ryan Graves went 3 for 4 with a run scored while senior Skyler Specht went 2 for 4 with a run batted in and a run scored.

Junior Gavin Arnold, senior Pete Harrod and senior Jake Gales also knocked in runs for the Wildcats.

Holton took a 2-1 lead over Hayden in the bottom of the first in the semifinal, but the Wildcats tied the game in the top of the second and scored three runs in the third, five in the fourth and four runs in the top of the fifth to take the 12-run win.

Senior Skyler Specht limited Holton to three hits and he also contributed a triple for the Wildcats.

Pete Harrod went 2 for 3 with four RBI and a pair of doubles while Teske went 2 for 3 with three RBI and Jake Gales went 2 for 4 with three RBI. 

CLASS 4A REGIONAL BASEBALL

Championship

HAYDEN 4, LOUISBURG 0

Hayden (10-12) 300 100 0 -- 4 9 0

Louisburg (11-11) 000 000 0 -- 0 3 0

Teske and Rose. Lohse, Rockers (2) and Madison. W -- Teske. LP -- Lohse.

Semifinal

HAYDEN 14, HOLTON 2

Hayden 113 54 -- 14 10 3

Holton 200 00 -- 2 3 3

Specht, Bullock (5) and Rose. Mulroy, Dieckman (5), Jamison (5), Collins (6) and Bohnenkemper. W -- Specht. L -- Mulroy. 2B -- Hayden: Harrod 2. 3B -- Hayden: Specht.