By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coming off a pair of losses to Class 6A power Topeka High earlier in the week, Washburn Rural's softball team was looking to bounce back Friday in a tournament appearance at the College Boulevard Activity Center.
The Junior Blues achieved that goal in impressive fashion, holding on for a 3-2 win over two-time defending 6A state champion Free State before routing Olathe West, 19-4.
Washburn Rural, which dropped a 1-0 decision to Free State in the 2019 6A state championship game, jumped on top 3-0 and survived a two-run Firebird rally in the seventh to take the 3-2 win.
Washburn Rural junior Campbell Bagshaw had a home run and two runs batted in for the Junior Blues in a 3-2 win over Free State Friday. [File photo/TSN]
The Junior Blues, who improved to 4-2 with Friday's two wins, got on the board in the third against Free State on a sacrifice fly from junior Campbell Bagshaw and added their final two runs in the fifth, including a home run from Bagshaw to lead off the inning. Rural scored its second run of the inning on a throwing error.
Free State, which suffered its first loss, scored a pair of runs and got the potential game-tying run to second base in the seventh, but Rural senior pitcher Olivia Bruno ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
Bruno pitched a four-hitter for the Junior Blues while striking out 13 and issuing six walks.
Washburn Rural was limited to three hits by Free State pitcher Tatum Clopton, who had 10 strikeouts, but the Junior Blues exploded for 13 hits and 19 runs against Olathe West, including a grand slam and six RBI from Kayden Smith.
Washburn Rural's Kayden Smith hit a grand slam and had six RBI in Friday's 19-4 win over Olathe West. [File photo/TSN]
Bruno had a pair of doubles against West while Emmerson Cope had two hits with a double while Emily Louderback a double and Kaci Bath and Christina Burdett two hits apiece.
Cope went the distance for the pitching win, giving up three hits while striking out eight and walking three.
