By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After getting through the toughest softball regional in Class 3A to earn a state berth, Silver Lake wants to capitalize on that opportunity in Thursday and Friday's state tournament at the Envista Softball Complex at Lake Shawnee.
Silver Lake softball celebrates its Class 3A regional championship after scoring the winning run in its 1-0 win over Santa Fe Trail. [File photo/TSN]
The Eagles punched their ticket to state with a dramatic 1-0 win over Santa Fe Trail in the final of the Hayden regional, with Silver Lake pushing across the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a squeeze bunt from senior McKinley Kruger after a triple from junior Kira Lowrey.
Of course, Silver Lake coach Nick Hamilton and his Eagles know there's still tough tests ahead in a 3A field that includes all eight teams with at least 16 victories and six with between 20 and 25 wins.
But Hamilton thinks his Eagles, the No. 4 seed at 22-2, will be ready for the challenge, beginning with Thursday's 1 p.m. first-round game against No. 5 Cheney (19-2).
"All I want is girls that want to compete,'' Hamilton said. "I'm not worried about hanging a banner and I don't think they're worried about it right now. They just want to go prove how good they can be.''
Kruger agreed.
"Being in this regional is going to prepare us for the state tournament, but we're not going to let our guard down because we've had our fair share of long runs in postseason and we don't like to see it end early and we want to win a state championship,'' said Kruger, who helped lead the Eagles to the 3A state basketball championship in March.
Hamilton said there's no doubt that his Eagles have the determination and confidence to make a run at the title, particularly after having their 2023 season ended at regionals by rival Rossville, which went on to claim the 3A title.
"There was some unfinished business for sure but I think these girls have had that in them the whole time,'' Hamilton said. "They came into this as freshmen expecting that they were going to win every year and there was no doubt that they could.
"That's all I ask of my girls because there's been some years I've had girls have doubt and once they get that doubt then they struggle.''
With a win Thursday Silver Lake will advance to an 11 a.m. semifinal on Friday to face the winner between top seed Holcomb (25-0) and No. 8 Marysville (16-11).
On the other side of the bracket No. 2 Chase County (20-1) will face No. 7 Trinity Academy (20-4) in the first round and No. 3 Frontenac (25-2) will take on No. 6 Southeast-Saline (22-3).
The 3A title game is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, following the 3 p.m. third-place game.
Washburn Rural earned its sixth straight trip to the Class 6A state softball tournament with an 8-1 win over Maize last Thursday. [File photo/TSN]
Rural earns sixth straight trip to 6A state tournament
Washburn Rural, making its sixth straight trip to the Class 6A state tournament, may not be considered one of the pre-tourney favorites in a field that includes three schools with at least 20 victories.
But after finishing second in 6A in back-to-back seasons, Joy Marie Galliart's Junior Blues are in the hunt and that's all she cares about.
Rural, 18-7 on the season, is the No. 6 state seed and will face off with No. 3 Blue Valley West (22-6) at 1 p.m. Thursday at Arrocha Ball Park in Lawrence after advancing to state with an 8-1 win over Maize.
"Once you get there anything can happen,'' said Galliart, in her first season at Rural after a successful career in Oklahoma. "I think that's evidenced by some of the teams that aren't even there because they didn't make it out of their regionals and everybody expected them to.
"So the goal is to get there and then when you get there you take it one game at a time and one inning at a time and you give it your best shot and anything can happen, so that's what we'll prepare for. I like our chances. If we're able to take care of ourselves we're usually OK.''
Washburn Rural fell behind 1-0 against Maize in the regional final but responded with eight straight runs to take control.
"We have gotten in a habit, and I won't call it a good habit, but we've gotten in a habit of giving up runs early in games for whatever reason but then we're able to respond,'' Galliart said. "And I think as evidenced (in the final), it takes one person to start it and then just do your part and pass it on. That's what I always ask them to do.
"I do think that we have confidence enough that one run, with the offense that we're able to put out there most games, we're not going to lose a lot of one-run games I feel like, or 1-0 games. We knew we needed to find a way to get one and then once you get some momentum and obviously that big inning we were able to string a lot together.''
Senior Makayla Ekis, in her first season as Rural's frontline pitcher, picked up a complete-game win in the regional final.
"I've been waiting for this moment for quite a long time,'' Ekis said. "I've had some strong pitchers ahead of me, very great athletes, and it was just taking advantage of the opportunities I was given and keeping my work up and continuing to work hard even while it wasn't my turn.
"That way when we have opportunities like this I can come out and I can compete to the best of my abilities.''
With a win Thursday Rural will advance to an 11 a.m. semifinal on Friday to face the winner between No. 2 Olathe Northwest (20-4) and No. 7 Blue Valley (17-11).
On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 Derby (24-4) will face No. 8 Olathe South (14-14) in the opening round while No. 4 Free State (19-6) will take on No. 5 Campus (16-6).
The 6A title game is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, following the 3 p.m. third-place game.
"It doesn't matter really what seed we are, we know what we can do and I have faith in us and what we can do and we've just got to trust ourselves and compete and I think we can do it,'' Ekis said.
Junior Kaelyn O'Rourke picked up both regional wins last Tuesday as Seaman advanced to the Class 5A state softball tournament with a 2-1 win over Salina South. [File photo/TSN]
Perennial contender Seaman back in 5A field
After a one year's absence, Jay Monhollon's Seaman Vikings are back in the Class 5A tournament field for Thursday and Friday's state event at Wichita State's Wilkins Stadium.
Seaman, a longtime 5A power, are the No. 7 seed at 22-6 and will open their state bid with a 3 p.m. first-round game on Thursday against No. 2 Maize South (25-3).
“I always want every team to have the opportunity to have that experience at state,” Seaman coach Jay Monhollon said after the regional tournament. “You’ll never forget it. It’s our expectation and the standard that the kids set for themselves.”
Junior Kaelyn O'Rourke picked up the pitching victories in both of Seaman's regional wins, including a nailbiting 2-1 decision over Salina South in the final.
“We’re really happy with this big win,” O’Rourke said after the South victory. “We knew it would be a hard fight the whole way. We’ve played a lot of good teams all season.
"We’re just excited to go to state and see what we can do.”
With a win Thursday the Vikings will move on to a 1 p.m. semifinal on Friday to face the winner of the first-round game between No. 3 seed Bishop Carroll (24-4) and No. 6 Basehor-Linwood (20-5).
On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 Spring Hill (26-2) will square off against No. 8 Great Bend (22-6) and No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas (23-4) will face No. 5 Piper (20-5).
Seaman, Basehor-Linwood and Piper are all members of the United Kansas Conference.
The 5A title game is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, following the 3 p.m. third-place game.
