By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural baseball has had its problems against Topeka High the past two seasons, with the Trojans taking three of the past four games on the way to back-to-back Class 6A state tournament berths.
Washburn Rural junior left-hander Isaac Ansley twirled a complete-game pitching victory in Rural's 18-1 first-game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Brody Haas picked up a complete-game pitching victory in Tuesday's 24-1 second-game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
But Jay Mastin's Junior Blues turned the tables on the Trojans in a big way Tuesday at Hummer Sports Park, opening Centennial League play with an 18-1, 24-1 twinbill sweep in games that went four and five-inning contests.
"We split with them last year and got swept two years ago by them,'' Mastin said. "We talked about that the last practice that T-High has had our number the last couple of years and don't take anything for granted and come out here and play the game the right way.''
Washburn Rural got complete-game pitching performances from junior Isaac Ansley in the first game and junior Brody Haas in the nightcap while the Junior Blues, now -2 overall, scored at least a run in all nine at bats, with multiple runs in eight of the nine innings, with a high of 10 runs.
Rural opened its day with five runs in the top of the first in the opener and added five runs in the second, three runs in the third and five in the fifth to end the game by a 15-run spread.
The Junior Blues led 4-1 at the end of the first inning in the second game and scored five runs in the second, a run in the third, four in the fourth and 10 in the fifth.
"I feel pretty good,'' Mastin said. "We got good starting pitching, we played good defense and we put the ball in play and we ran the bases aggressively and got to play the game from ahead.
"We have a few guys that had a little bit of varsity experience last year but we're still trying to find a way with this group and find our identity and who we are and today was a pretty good step in that direction.''
Topeka High suffered its first losses of the year and is now 4-2.
