By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
One of the most impressive streaks in Topeka prep softball came to an end Tuesday afternoon at Hummer Sports Complex.
Topeka High’s 31-game win streak came to a close with a 1-0 Washburn Rural victory in Game 1 and the Junior Blues finished off the Centennial League sweep with an 8-1 win in the second game.
Washburn Rural knew how big of a day Tuesday could potentially be, but the Lady Blues just wanted to approach the day as just another day.
“Today is a huge day for us,” first-year Washburn Rural coach Liz Stover said. “Topeka High is an incredibly tough and competitive team. Getting two high-quality wins against (High) is a big stepping stone for us. We have room to grow, but today was huge.
“We found out more about the heart of our team today. We knew what we had here was good. If we got behind at the plate, we were able to keep our head up and play good defense. Learning how to make adjustments earlier in the game will be big for us for the remainder of the season.”
Washburn Rural junior pitcher Emmerson Cope is congratulated by her teammates after Tuesday's 1-0 Rural first-game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Campbell Bagshaw slides safely into base in Tuesday's doubleheader sweep over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural’s Emmerson Cope’s contributions played a large part in the doubleheader sweep of the reigning Class 6A state champions.
Cope pitched two complete seven-inning games, with a combined 15 strikeouts and two walks. Cope would also hit two home runs, two doubles and brought in four runs, all in Game 2.
“Today was a huge confidence booster for myself and the team,” Cope said. “Going into the rest of the season with wins like today on our backs is big for us. We played great together today and getting a win against a team like Topeka High is special.
“At the end of the day, the only team that can beat us is ourselves.”
Kansas commit Campbell Bagshaw also had an important hand in Rural’s victories.
Bagshaw had two stolen bases, a single and two doubles on the day. With Bagshaw batting leadoff, the Lady Blues fed off of the energy and successful plate appearances.
“We needed to capitalize on every opportunity we had today,” Bagshaw said. “Beating a team like Topeka High wasn’t an accident. We knew that (High) was going to bring it and give everything they had today, so I needed to do my part.
“I’m glad I was able to help the team out and for us to win both games today.”
The first-game pitcher's duel was one to remember.
With wind gusts nearing 50 MPH, the pitchers for both schools took advantage of every pitch.
Cope and Topeka High’s NiJaree Canady were in the circle for Game 1 of the doubleheader.
Winning pitcher Cope notched 10 strikeouts, gave up three hits and pitched seven innings in the complete-game shutout.
Canady also pitched a complete seven-inning game for Topeka High. The Stanford commit fanned 15 Rural batters while giving up just one hit.
Bagshaw was responsible for the one run scored in the game. Bagshaw got on base with a leadoff walk in the top of the first inning. With a couple of wild pitches and a stolen base, Bagshaw touched them all and put Rural on the board.
“At the beginning of the game, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal,” Bagshaw said. “Getting runs on that team is hard. When we got towards the end of the game, it was a possibility that the one run I had in the first could be our only run.
“It makes everything worth it taking that base.”
Cope and Canady would go back and forth throughout the seven-inning contest and were nearly unhittable.
Bagshaw’s aggressive baserunning would be the diference in Game 1.
Cope would be on the mound again in the second game and the star pitcher allowed just one run, six hits and struck out five Trojans.
The Rural offense would light up the scoreboard with eight runs .
The scorching Lady Blues' offense made a statement in the first inning. Bagshaw led off with a double and Mikaila Herring would get on base with a double of her own. Cope would drive in both Bagshaw and Herring with a two-run double. Naudia Wech would immediately follow Cope and bring her home with a run-scoring single.
Bagshaw would put herself in scoring position again with a lead-off double in the top of the second inning. Herring would crush the ball out to the right-field warning track, scoring Bagshaw as Rural took a 4-0 lead.
Topeka High would score its first run of the day in the bottom of the third. Adisyn Caryl brought a runner home with a triple.
Kaci Bath would send the softball out of deep left field for a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning for Washburn Rural. Cope would follow up Bath with a solo home run of her own in the top of the fifth.
With a 6-run lead in the top of the seventh, Cope would crush her second home run of the day to deep left-center field.
At the end of the day, the 7-run deficit was too much for Topeka High to overcome. Rural would win the second game, 8-1.
First Game
WASHBURN RURAL 1, TOPEKA HIGH 0
Washburn Rural 100 000 0 – 1 1 0
Topeka High 000 000 0 – 0 3 0
W – Cope (4-0). L – Canady (3-1). 2B -- Washburn Rural: Herring. Topeka High: Caryl.
Second Game
Washburn Rural (6-0) 310 120 1 – 8 11 1
Topeka High (6-2) 001 000 0 – 1 6 1
W – Cope (5-0). L – Freel (1-1). 2B -- Washburn Rural: Bagshaw 2, Herring, Cope, Dial, Louderback. 3B -- Topeka High: Caryl. HR -- Washburn Rural: Cope 2, Bath.
