By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, the third-place finisher in last season’s Class 6A tournament, started the new softball season with a two-game sweep of Centennial League foe Topeka High Friday at Washburn Rural.
Junior Reagan Chapman pitched a first-game no-hitter in Washburn Rural's 7-0 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
“You don’t win championships on opening day, but that lays the groundwork for what happens moving forward,” Washburn Rural coach Joy Marie Galliart said. “We were definitely ready to face someone other than ourselves.
“We saw a lot of positives but saw a lot of things that we need to clean up. We need to execute some things better offensively. But when you only face your own pitching in practice and then you see somebody different, it kind of reveals some things that maybe you haven’t been able to see up to that point.”
Pitcher Reagan Chapman got the season started off on the right foot for Washburn Rural, spinning a no-hitter in the first game. The Junior Blues exploded for five runs in the fourth frame to win their season opener 7-0.
The junior Chapman, who was mostly found at shortstop last season, made a strong bid to be at the front of the pitching rotation for the Junior Blues. The only blemish in the outing came when she clipped a Trojan batter’s toe. She finished with six strikeouts.
“It’s hard to critique much when you come out and throw a no-hitter. But she has things she can work on,” Galliart said of Chapman’s outing. “But I thought she did a great job for the first game out. I thought our defense made the plays behind her which helped her. And obviously it gives you confidence when you know your defense is working behind you.”
“I feel good about it,” Chapman said of her day on the mound. “I had stellar defense out there.
“It’s great to be back. I hate winter. I was so ready to be back out here. I feel like we’re very connected. We’re really having a good time with each other.”
Topeka High pitcher Campbell Dawson held the Junior Blues in check for three innings. But a couple of Trojan errors got the Washburn Rural offense rolling in the fourth. Senior Avery Rupp plated two runs with a triple and the Junior Blues grabbed a 5-0 lead.
The Junior Blues added two insurance runs in the sixth inning when sophomore Justice McBurney launched a blast that hit the left field foul pole.
Washburn Rural sophomore Justice McBurney hit a two-run home run in Friday's 7-0 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Olivia Koch got the start in the second game and held the Trojans to just one run for the first six innings. Topeka High got the bats going in the seventh inning when, trailing 6-1, they plated three runs. Trojan Taimaine Isaia blasted a home run to tighten the score to 6-4, but Koch worked the final out to preserve the victory.
Sophomore Olivia Koch picked up the pitching victory in Washburn Rural's 6-4 second game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Koch opened the bottom of the sixth inning for Washburn Rural with a triple, starting a two-run rally that ultimately proved to be the winning runs in the second game.
“I don’t ever feel like there’s enough time to practice. I still have things that I think we need to work on,” Galliart said. “But at the same time, you figure out what you really need to work on by playing somebody else and getting some game reps.
“First day, you never how the kids are going to react. I thought they handled the pressure well today. I’m optimistic for what our season can look like. We have some uncertainty and some questions to answer, but I think that’s true for most people early in the season.”
WASHBURN RURAL 7, TOPEKA HIGH 0
Topeka High (0-5) 000 000 0 — 0 0 3
Washburn Rural (1-0) 000 502 X — 7 5 0
Dawson and Joyce. Chapman and Rapp. W — Chapman. L — Dawson. 3B — Washburn Rural: Rupp. HR — Washburn Rural: McBurney.
WASHBURN RURAL 6, TOPEKA HIGH 4
Topeka High (0-6) 001 000 3 — 4 7 1
Washburn Rural (2-0) 200 112 X — 6 11 1
Benning and Joyce. Koch and Rapp. W — Koch. L — Benning. 2B — Washburn Rural: McBurney. 3B — Washburn Rural: Koch. HR — Topeka High: Isaia.
