By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
A thrilling walk-off win for the Washburn Rural softball team in the first game of a doubleheader proved to prime the Junior Blues’ bats for a second-game romp over Hayden.
Washburn Rural softball celebrates during Tuesday's 5-4, 12-1 Centennial League sweep over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Junior Blues improved to 8-0 on the season with wins of 5-4 and 12-1 Tuesday at Washburn Rural. Hayden entered the day with a 7-1 mark but couldn’t keep pace after leading most of the early contest.
In the first game, Washburn Rural junior Justice McBurney launched two high-arching blasts through a gusting wind and over the left-field fence.
“I was trying to just lay off the high pitches and waiting for my pitch,” McBurney said. “Before the game, when we were doing pregame hitting, I had probably my best round of front-toss ever. My coach was like, ‘Today’s your day.’ And it just felt like it. I was just fired up this morning when I woke up, ready for this.”
Both of McBurney’s homers were solo shots, however, and the Junior Blues trailed 4-3 entering the final frame. The home team lined the dugout fence cheering for a rally in the bottom of the seventh.
Junior Olivia Koch, who tripled and scored to start the first game, struck a one-out double to breathe life into the Junior Blues in the bottom of the seventh inning.
After a flyout had Washburn Rural down to its final out, senior Henley Rapp singled to center to drive home the tying run. With Rapp at second base, sophomore Zoie Duran slapped another single to center, sending Rapp scampering around the bases for the victory.
“The resilience that I felt like they showed, to not panic when we were down, to have the fight and the confidence in the seventh inning… We were able to string some stuff together when we had struggled early in the game” Washburn Rural coach Joy Marie Galliart said. “We had some kids step up in what is, obviously, a rivalry game.”
“I’m really excited. They were talking a lot of smack before this, so we were pretty fired up,” McBurney said of the rivalry with Hayden. “I was really proud of (the hitters who produced the final two runs) for the way they came through. We work for this every single day. When we need big hits, we can definitely put them together.”
They certainly did just that in the nightcap.
Two Washburn Rural errors spotted Hayden a run in the first inning. But Koch, the Junior Blues’ pitcher in the second game, held Hayden hitless until the fourth inning. She gave up just three hits and dealt the big blow that ended the game, a bases loaded triple that put Washburn Rural up by 11 in the sixth.
It was not the first triple of Koch’s career. She set the Washburn Rural career record for triples recently, and she was greeted after the game by the previous record holder, 1995 Washburn Rural grad and former Washburn University player Marcy Scott.
“Marcy held the record for 31 years until Olivia broke it at Topeka High earlier this year,” Galliart said. “I’m good friends with Marcy, so I reached out to her and said, ‘Hey, your record got broken,’ and she was so excited.
“Olivia is a special player. She is a five-tool kid. She does it defensively, and she does it in the circle. And she does it in the batter’s box. So, she’s fun to coach. She’s fun to watch. She’s a great teammate and she wants to be the one. She threw the ball well tonight and her defense made plays behind her.”
GAME ONE
WASHBURN RURAL 5, HAYDEN 4
Hayden 002 020 0 -- 4 8 0
Washburn Rural 100 101 2 -- 5 8 0
Walter and Matthews. Chapman, Bauer (6) and Rapp. W -- Bauer. L-- Walter. 2B -- Hayden: Valdivia. Washburn Rural: Koch. 3B -- Washburn Rural: Koch. HR -- Hayden: Connell. Washburn Rural: McBurney 2.
GAME TWO
WASHBURN RURAL 12, HAYDEN 1
Hayden (7-3) 100 000 -- 1 3 1
Washburn Rural (8-0) 101 118 -- 12 13 2
Valdivia, Walter (6) and Matthews. Koch and Rapp. W -- Koch. L -- Valdivia. 2B -- Hayden: Peterson. Washburn Rural: Boleski, Duran. 3B -- Washburn Rural: Koch.
