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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Tuesday was Round 2 between Hayden and Junction City's boys this season and, just like the first meeting, this game would go down to the wire.
Sophomore Mason Becker scored 21 points with five 3-pointers in Hayden's 75-63 win over Junction City. [File photo/TSN]
The Wildcats got a huge night from their sharp-shooting sophomore Mason Becker, who would score a game high 21 points on 6-12 shooting from the field with five 3-pointers as Hayden took control down the stretch for a 75-63 Centennial League win at the Bueltel Activity Center.
The Wildcats would be in a back and fourth game with 16 lead changes as they would trail the Blue Jays by one at the end of the first quarter and continue to trail by a point at halftime, 26-25.
Hayden would trail 28-25 early in the third quarter before going on a nine-point run to take the lead and never looked back, outscoring the Blue Jays 24-17 in the fourth quarter to take the 12-point win.
"We came into tonight knowing Junction City is a tough team,'' Becker said. "We got them last time at their place and knew they would give us everything they had, we had to just play tougher than them.
"Everybody that touched the ball tonight scored and we all played an amazing game.”
"This is a very big win,'' Hayden coach Dwayne Anthony said. "We played a very tough and scrappy Junction City team, well respected, and a power in Class 6A. So it is unbelievable, our guys have been working hard and they executed the game plan, and I am glad we got the win.”
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Having wrapped up the Centennial League title last Friday, the Washburn Rural boys are now within one game of an undefeated run through the league. They overcame a slow start to roll over Topeka High 72-42 Tuesday. They now stand 15-4 overall and 9-0 in the league.
Senior Kaden Ballard (2) scored 13 points with three 3-pointers in Tuesday's 72-42 road win at Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Junior Blues trailed for much of the first period. An 18-3 second period helped them gain a 32-15 lead. From that point, they played deep into their bench and saw 11 different players score.
“Defensively we were much more disruptive in the second quarter,” said Junior Blues coach Alex Hutchins. “In the first quarter we just kind of showed up on the defensive end. After that first quarter, we did a little better job of being impactful and disruptive.
“We’re not a very big team, so we have to play a certain way to be successful and it requires a lot of effort and it requires a lot of unselfishness.”
One game remains – Friday at Manhattan – between the Junior Blues and an undefeated record against the Centennial League field.
“We felt like (winning the league) was something we were capable of,” Hutchins said. “We won the league two years ago, and then last year we had a lot of injuries and illnesses, and we felt like we kind of just started behind the eight ball but finished strong.”
Washburn Rural senior guard Kaden Ballard said the team stays focused on the task at hand.
“I think our goals are step by step, so winning the league is first,” Ballard said. “We have a chance to go undefeated in the league, which, I don’t know the last time somebody’s done that. Then obviously winning sub-state is something I haven’t done yet. And making it to state is our big goal.
“But I’m enjoying every step, taking in every moment, like the last time playing in the Dungeon, stuff like that.”
One thing Ballard can enjoy is sharing the court with his brother, freshman Brooks Ballard. The younger Ballard came off the bench to hit 5-8 attempts Tuesday. Each brother hit three 3-pointers apiece, and each finished with 13 points.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Having lost twice this season to the Washburn Rural girls – by an average of 18.5 points – the Topeka High Trojans shocked the Dungeon crowd by racing past the Junior Blues 54-45 at Topeka High Tuesday.
Topeka High sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton (right) scored 21 points in Tuesday's 54-45 Centennial League win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Trojans frustrated the visitors by dominating on the glass and throwing different defensive looks at the Junior Blues’ Maddie Vickery. The sophomore finished with 23 points, but hit just eight of 26 attempts.
Vickery shot 1-8 in the first period and Topeka High grabbed a 10-5 advantage. Vickery got hot in the second period, hitting five consecutive shots. But the rest of the Junior Blues struggled to get untracked. Vickery scored 17 of Washburn Rural’s 18 points in the first half. The Trojans clung to a 21-18 advantage.
“We planned to play man defense until just moments before the game,” Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker said. “When we saw how they came out, we changed right before the tip to a two-three zone. (Vickery) got hot in the second quarter. We played a little different defense in the second half and slowed her down.”
Topeka High senior Jo’Mhara Benning and freshman Hailey Caryl relentlessly pounded the glass and got hands in Vickery’s face while sophomore Ahsieryrhuajh Rayton chased Vickery in the second half.
“We started in the zone, had our bigs keep their hands up where (Vickery) usually likes to shoot,” Rayton said. “Then we went to a box-and-one with me face guarding her. I like playing defense, so that was fun. I love playing against Maddie. She just makes me better.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University junior Sadie Walker pitched her third career no-hitter Tuesday, striking out a career-high 13 in the Ichabods' 4-0 win over Northern State at Gahnstrom Field.
Washburn junior Sadie Walker pitched her third career no-hitter in Tuesday's 4-0 win over Northern State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The WU win salvaged a split on the day after the Ichabods had dropped a 6-2 decision to Wayne State.
Walker, a Holton native, notched her previous high for strikeouts against Texas A&M-Kingsville earlier this season when she struck out 11.
Washburn scored in its first at bat when Kate Ediger's sac fly scored Makenzie Sais, who singled and then stole second base and moved to third on Kaylee Wagner's single.
The Ichabods (12-5) added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth as Sais started the inning with a single and then scored on Wagner's triple to to left.
Ediger reached base with a single down the line, and then with two outs, Ellington Hogle's single scored both Ediger and Ashley Gaughan, who scored to put Washburn up 4-0.
Walker then put the Wolves down in order in the seventh, striking out the final two batters to give her 13 on the day. Walker walked only one batter while throwing a total of 81 pitches.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University softball had to deal with some pitching issues Monday in its Ichabod Invitational doubleheader.
Not only did Ichabod ace Sadie Walker struggle in the opener, but WU also lost its scheduled second-game starter, Alexis Tanguma, to a hamstring injury in the first game.
Junior Jenna Sprague picked up her first Washburn pitching win in Monday's 12-10 decision over Concoria-St. Paul. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN].
Freshman Ava Bloyd improved to 4-2 in Monday's 2-1 Washburn win over Minnesotra-Crookston. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Ichabod newcomers Jenna Sprague and Ava Bloyd came through when it counted as WU pushed its winning streak to six games with a 12-10 win over Concordia-St. Paul and a 2-1 decision over Minnesota Crookston on the second day of the tournament.
"I don't think we played very well today, but we were gritty and you kind of build on that when you're heading into your season before conference play to teach yourself that you can come back when things aren't going well and you can find ways to win,'' Washburn coach Brenda Holaday said.
The Ichabods opened the second day of action with a wild one as the Ichabods and the Bearcats combined for 22 runs and 22 hits in a 12-10 win by the Ichabods.
CSP (1-7) scored two runs in its first bat to take the early lead, but the Ichabods came back with three runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-RBI double by Kaylee Wagner scored Erin Boles and Makenzie Sais.
Washburn stretched its lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the second when Jaden LaBarge started the frame with a double to center before a double by Boles scored LaBarge.
Another double by Sais scored Boles.
The Bears regained the lead at 6-5 with four runs in the third inning, capped with a bases-loaded triple from CSP, but WU came back to knot the score at 6-6 when a sac fly by LaBarge scored Kate Ediger, who reached on a single.
Again, CSP scored in its next at bat with two, two-run homers taking a 10-6 lead, but Washburn rallied to tie the score with four runs in the bottom of the fourth when Tanguma doubled, scoring Boles and Sais.
Ellington Hogle connected on a single up the middle that scored Tanguma after Ediger drove in another run on a fielder's choice as the score was tied at 10-10.
In the bottom of the sixth, Washburn took the lead after Ediger doubled to start the inning and then Mariah Wheeler's pinch-hit single scored Ashlyn Gaughan, who entered as a pinch runner.
LaBarge added a sac fly for Washburn's final run.
Sprague, a junior Kirkwood Community College transfer, picked up the pitching win, her first as an Ichabod, pitching the final 32/3 innings.
In the top of the seventh, Sprague retired the side in order to pick up the win in relief.
"I felt pretty good,'' Sprague said. "I've had a few outings that have been kind of rough and I kind of needed to prove to prove that I was better than what I've been doing.
"Once I stepped in I felt pretty locked in.''
