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Heights baseball stifled by Bobcats' Zimbelman in UKC matchup
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
A cold windy night at the Bettis Family Sports Complex Tuesday night did not fare too well for the Shawnee Heights baseball team, as the bats went cold in a 6-2 United Kansas Conference loss to Basehor-Linwood.
Basehor-Linwood jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a couple of RBI singles but Heights also hurt itself, committing two errors in the inning and four total in the game.
In the first two innings Shawnee Heights went three up, three down, including three strikeouts.
The Bobcats led 3-0 in the top of the third inning and began the inning reaching base with an error that opened the door to score two more runs, pushing the advantage to 5-0.
SHHS made a pitching change in the middle of the inning, replacing starter Cambren Floberg for Keaven Ortiz.
“I told Cam, 'You come out here and there’s just days you don’t have it. It happens to all of us. Let it go and it’s about the next time you go on the mound. It’s over with and you can’t fix it,' ” Heights coach Jason Brown said. “He threw strikes, a little unlucky behind him, a lack of focus there but I think he’ll be fine come his next outing.”
The T-Birds went one-two-three in the third despite starting inning with an infield hit. After a double play and a strikeout, any momentum vanished.
Basehor-Linwood took a 6-0 lead in the fourth, and yet again, Heights went one-two-three, ending the inning with a double play.
Through five innings the T-Birds had just two hits, but in the sixth they were able to scratch one across the board as Makade Orton ripped an RBI single into right before being thrown out trying to advance to second base.
Thomas Smith for Shawnee Heights came in at the top of the sixth and retired all six batters he faced to give the T-Birds some hope.
After Steven Zimbelman completed six innings, striking out seven, allowing two walks and one earned run, his brother Colin Zimbelman came on in relief.
The T-Birds loaded the bases with no outs, giving Heights some life at a comeback.
Cayden Lindsay grounded into a double play to push across one run, making it 6-2, and Michael Lilly couldn’t keep the rally going, striking out swinging to end the game.
“We walked on here and we were sleep walking and you can’t do that,” Brown said. “You have to show up and be ready to go every time you step on the field. We tell our players there are three facets to the game, you swing it well, you pitch it well and take care of it behind our pitcher and two of those three we did not do.
“The good thing about this game is the two guys that we brought in relief, we hadn’t thrown them yet this year and us as a coaching staff we found out that some of them are ready. So that was a positive to take something out of this game. We have a lot of baseball left and I think this will wake them up and when you step on the field, you can’t take any days off.”
BASEHOR-LINWOOD 6, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 2
Basehor-Linwood (3-3) 212 100 0 -- 6 5 1
Shawnee Heights (4-2) 000 001 1 -- 2 4 4
W -- S. Zimbelman L -- Floberg. 2B – Basehor-Linwood: Kiernan.
Double individual champ Sobba leads city swimmers in Topeka High Invitational
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights junior Clara Sobba posted a pair of individual wins to pace city swimmers in Tuesday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Shawnee Heights' Clara Sobba posted a pair of individual victories in Tuesday's Topeka High Invitational swimming meet at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sobba won the 50-yard freestyle in 28.04 seconds and captured the 100 freestyle in 1 minute, 01.65 while also helping the T-Birds finish second in the 200 free relay (2:04.55) and third in the 200 medley relay (2:22.16).
Shawnee Heights' Kaitlyn Aldridge (left) won the 100-yard butterfly and finished second in the 100 backstroke in Tuesday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo won the 100-yard backstroke in Tuesday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sobba was one of three city champions in Tuesday's meet, with Shawnee Heights junior Kaitlyn Aldridge winning the 100-yard butterfly in 1:11.46 and Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo winning the 100 backstroke in 1:09.81.
Del Castillo was the runnerup behind Sobba in the 50 free in 28.69 while Aldridge finished second to Del Castillo in the 100 backstroke in 1:10.77.
Aldridge and Sobba teamed with Gracelyn New and Jayde Kinsch for the runnerup finish in the 200 free relay and teamed with Kinsch and Lainey Herrera for the third-place finish in the 200 medley relay.
Topeka High's Mackenzie Caryl finished second in one-meter diving with a score of 138.70.
Manhattan ran away with the team title by a 677-454 margin over Junction City while Shawnee Heights placed third (213), Topeka High fourth (76) and Topeka West fifth (44).
TOPEKA HIGH INVITATIONAL
Unbeaten Rural baseball opens Centennial League play with sweep over Trojans
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural baseball followed up a strong weekend in Kansas City with a home Centennial League doubleheader sweep of Topeka High Tuesday to improve its record to 5-0.
Senior Gavin Payne threw a three-hit shutout Tuesday in Washburn Rural's 14-0 first-game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues got a five-inning shutout from senior Gavin Payne in the opening contest, then rolled out three pitchers who one-hit the Trojans in the nightcap as Washburn Rural collected wins of 14-0 and 12-0, both of which lasted five innings.
Last Saturday Washburn Rural defeated Kansas City, Mo.-Rockhurst 8-1 and Olathe South 3-0. Junior Blues coach Jay Mastin complimented his team’s performance in those contests.
Mastin said Payne’s work against Topeka High was so good, the coach had to tweak his game plan.
“He did a great job. He did everything we asked from him today,” Mastin said of Payne. “Our plan was to throw two or three guys (in the first) game, but he was pretty efficient in his innings, so we just stuck with him.”
Payne permitted Topeka High a single in each of his first three innings. He was the beneficiary of inning-ending double plays in the fourth and fifth innings. His final line included three hits, three walks and four strikeouts.
“I was just working my pitches, working the zone,” Payne said. “I’ve got a great defense behind me, so I just throw strikes and they’ll back me up.”
Washburn Rural senior Drew Moore slides safely into base in Tuesday's double-header sweep over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
After a scoreless first inning to start the day, the Junior Blues put up four, four and six runs in their next three innings. Austin Ditch provided a bases-loaded double that plated three in the second. Drew Moore led off the third inning with a triple. Dominic Nimz collected two hits, including a fourth-inning double.
Payne admitted getting that kind of run support is a lift.
“Everything feels a lot better,” Payne said. “You’ve got more confidence going into each inning. It really helps out there.”
Washburn Rural junior Kyran Smith struck out five batters in two innings in Tuesday's double-header sweep over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
For the second game, Mastin ran out three pitchers, with dominating effect. Isaac Ansley started the game and recorded three strikeouts in two scoreless innings. He gave way to Kyran Smith, who struck out five in two frames. Cody Stafford slammed the door, striking out all three Trojans he faced in the fifth inning. Following a leadoff single to start the game, the Junior Blues allowed only a walk in the third inning.
“We like the momentum that we’ve got going,” Mastin said. “We couldn’t start the season better than this all the way around. Our pitchers have done a great job. Our defense has been solid, and offense has been putting the pressure on the other team by getting some big hits and being aggressive on the bases.”
