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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Topeka West's Alesecio Batson went home disappointed after his state track and field debut as a freshman in 2022.
Topeka West sophomore Alesecio Batson soared to the Class 5A state title in the boys triple jump on Friday at Cessna Stadium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
On Friday Batson left Cessna Stadium as a state champion, jumping 48 feet, 4.25 inches to win the Class 5A boys triple jump as Batson and city rival Tre Richardson of Highlanf Park (46-5.75) went one-two in the event.
Even though he wasn't happy with his '22 state performance, Batson said it was a big help heading into his return to the state meet.
"It really helped me because I hadn't been in a lot of really big events like this,'' Batson said. "Last year coming here I came in with like a 43-5 as a freshman. I was really nervous, scared, the wind was blowing and I ended up jumping like a 39 and it was really bad.
"This year I came in and I had a really big boost of confidence because I had been here before and I was more confident now.''
Batson served notice on Friday's opening jump that he was going to be the man to beat and went on to go wire to wire for the win.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Rossville softball team needed a special relief appearance to advance to the Clas 3A state tournament semifinals for the second consecutive year, defeating Columbus 19-7 at Manhattan Thursday night.
Rossville junior Kinsey Perine, being congratulated by coach John Nitsch, had two doubles and a triple in the Bulldawgs' 19-7 Class 3A state win over Columbus Thursday at Manhattan. [Photo by Brent Mayock/
The sixth-seeded Bulldawgs jumped out to a 15-2 lead over the third-seeded Titans. But Rossville ran into tough sledding in the fourth inning, surrendering a five-run rally to Columbus. After the Titans roughed up the Bulldawgs’ starter and a reliever, Rossville coach John Nitsch turned to junior Kalei Hale to put out the fire.
Hale stepped into the fray having pitched just once before in a varsity game. She put down the three batters she faced in the fourth inning, permitting just one run on a wild pitch. She returned for the fifth with a slightly bigger cushion and retired the Titans, ending the contest in five innings.
“I never would have thought my first two pitchers would have come out and been that nervous and struggle a little bit,” Nitsch said. “But it’s nice when you’ve got another junior who is ready to go at any time. She was ready and threw a heck of a game tonight.”
With pitching a Rossville strength, Hale was an unknown commodity to everyone but Nitsch and the Bulldawgs.
“She carries herself well on the mound. I know she does,” Nitsch said. “She’s always been our number three, but she could pitch for a lot of other teams. We’re deep with pitching. I knew she had it in her and I told her, ‘When you get your time, it’s going to be in a big moment.’ ”
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- To beat Eisenhower senior pitching ace Tyner Horn and the Tigers in Thursday's first-round game in the Class 5A state baseball tournament, Seaman was going to need to get off to a good start and turn in a strong fundamental performance.
Seaman senior Bryson Vawter delivers a pitch in Thursday's 7-0 Class 5A state tournament loss to Eisenhower. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Seaman senior Scout Jellison came on in relief in the Vikings' 7-0 Class 5A state tournament loss to Eisenhower Thursday. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
The Vikings struggled in both those areas, with the No. 5-seeded Tigers never trailing after scoring two runs in the top of the first while No. 4 Seaman issued eight bases on balls and managed just three hits and struck out 10 times against Horn as Eisenhower advanced to Friday's 1:15 p.m. 5A semifinal with a 7-0 victory at Eck Stadium.
"We knew (Horn) was coming off an injury and honestly we didn't know how sharp he was going to be and he was good,'' Seaman coach Trent Oliva said. "We were going to have a few opportunities and you've got to be able to cash those in and we were unable to do that.
"They did have a good start where they got to play from on top and we were chasing the whole way and playing from behind and when you do that the room for error is pretty small.''
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
LAWRENCE – Topeka High baseball’s 9-0 Class 6A state quarterfinal loss to Derby was a lot closer than the scoreboard indicated, and that’s what made the loss sting worse for the Trojans at the University of Kansas’ Hoglund Ballpark on Thursday afternoon.
Topeka High's baseball team huddles up after having their 2023 season ended in a 9-0 Class 6A state tournament loss to Derby Thursday in Lawrence. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Topeka High junior pitcher Nate Plankinton limited to just one run over four innings before the Panthers pulled away for a 9-0 Class 6A state tournament win Thursday. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
The losing result wasn’t what Topeka High (16-7) was searching for after making its first appearance in the Class 6A tournament since 1947. But after a 76-year hiatus from the state tournament, the Trojans provided themselves with a surge of optimism for next year’s program and beyond.
“They have nothing to hang their heads about,” Topeka High coach Cody Miller said. “I’m very proud of them. It was a huge year for us. It was the next step for us to get here where we are today. Derby has knocked us out two years in a row now.
“We were talking in the dugout with our juniors while feeling bad for our seniors about us wanting to get back here next year and knock those guys out. This is something to build on.”
In Thursday's loss, Topeka High had Derby right where they wanted for four innings. The Trojans had limited the Panthers to just one run before the fifth inning.
Topeka High’s best opportunity for offensive damage came in the bottom of the third inning when the Trojans stranded junior Isaiah Kincade after a walk and junior Matthew Genrich after his single.
Through three innings, Topeka High had at least one runner on the basepaths but couldn’t drive in a run. Then, with four opportunities to put a run on the board, they couldn’t break through against Derby pitcher and Cowley College baseball commit Mitchell Johnson.
Johnson, whose fastball varied between 87-90 mph and a dropping curveball in the 75-77 mph range, was tough for Topeka High to crack.
“We had our chances there with the 1-0 game going into the fifth,” Miller said. “We had runners in scoring position a few times against (Johnson). Obviously, he’s a very good pitcher. We had our chances against him, though. They won’t have Mitchell Johnson next year.”
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By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
There is no replacement for experience, and when state tournament time comes around, more times than not that will show, for good or bad.
Washburn Rural softball (20-3) is not lacking in experience as the No. 4-seeded Junior Blues began a fifth straight Class 6A state tournament appearance with a 5-2 win over No. 5 Shawnee Mission North (18-5) on Thursday afternoon.
Senior Kaci Bath makes contact on a home run in Washburn Rural's 5-2 win over Shawnee Misssion North in the Class 6A state softball tournament Thursday. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Emmerson Cope picked up a complete-game pitching victory in Thursday's Class 6A state tournament win over SM North Thursday. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
“It's that first step of coming out and immediately the first inning getting out on top and really showing what we have here at state.” said Washburn Rural coach Liz Stover. “I’m really proud of how they came out and delivered right off the bat.”
In addition to experience, the Lady Blues have new contributors that were not on last season's state runner-up team, as all five hits in Rural’s quarterfinal win came from seniors or from freshman shortstop Reagan Chapman who drove in a game-high three runs.
“I know she’s crazy nervous but she’s been killing it all season and I know that her teammates really respect her.” Stover said. “She had timely hitting at its finest and she’s hot right when we need her to be in the postseason tournament.”
A win for Washburn Rural sets up a semifinal matchup against No. 1 Olathe Northwest (23-0) on Friday at 11 a.m.
