By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 3 seed Topeka High softball looked to be in a golden position to advance to the Class 6A championship game after opening up an early 3-0 lead Friday at Wilkins Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University.
Topeka High junior standout Campbell Dawson delivers a pitch in Friday's Class 6A semifinal game against Gardner-Edgerton. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]
But No. 2 seed Gardner-Edgerton forged a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth and pushed across the game-winning run in the sixth to stun the Trojans, 4-3.
Gardner-Edgerton, now 26-2, advanced to face Campus in Saturday's 10 a.m. championship game while Topeka High finished third in 6A at 26-4 on the season.
Topeka High senior Taimane Isaia throws out a base-runner in Friday's Class 6A semifinal against Gardner-Edgerton. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/TSN]
Junior Madilyn Poole connects with a pitch in Friday's Topeka High Class 6A softball semifinal against Gardner-Edgerton. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/TSN]
Topeka High jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second and the score remained that way until the Trailblazers pushed across three runs to pull even in the fifth.
Gardner-Edgerton scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded walk to junior Kylie Kyle.
Trailblazer sophomore pitcher Kenley Sutton, who turned in a dominating performance in relief, then closed out the game in the top of the seventh to send Gardner-Edgerton to the title game.
Campus, which upset Washburn Rural 4-3 in a regional final, continued its late-season run with a 7-2 semifinal win over Mill Valley, improving to 18-12 on the season.
