State quarterfinals: Three Topeka-area softball, baseball teams advance to semifinals

TOPEKA — The state tournament quarterfinal softball and baseball games have concluded and three teams from Shawnee County remain alive with Silver Lake softball, Washburn Rural softball and Hayden baseball still vying for a title.

The semifinals and the championships will be played Friday afternoon. Three other Topeka-area teams had their seasons end in defeat during the quarterfinals.

Here’s everything that happened in the state tournament on Tuesday.

Silver Lake's Cook shuts down Cheney softball in Class 3A Quarterfinal

The Eagles did all the little and big things correctly on Thursday afternoon. No. 4 Silver Lake (23-2) rolled to an easy 10-0 win in five innings over No. 5 Cheney (19-3) in the Class 3A State Quarterfinals, winning 10th in a row.

The tone was set early by starting pitcher Kendra Cook as the right-handed hurler tossed four innings and allowed just two hits. She struck out five batters with four coming inside the first six outs. Her poise in the circle was unhittable.

“She puts a lot of time in and she has a great defense behind her,” Silver Lake head coach Nick Hamilton said. “I think that helps her. When you have confidence in your teammates, it’s easy to go up there and throw what you want to throw.”

The offense came in bunches for Silver Lake, especially in the sixth inning. The Eagles were leading 4-0 and filled the bases when Taylor Zordel mashed a deep shot over the centerfield fence for a grand slam.

Momentum piled as Kira Lowrey hit a double to left field. The inning was capped by Makenzie McDaniel’s towering two-run homer that scored Lowrey. McDaniel’s home run went over the right field wall, past the cheering fans and into the next softball field — it's estimated to have been over 300 feet.

McDaniel rounded third base on her home run trot with a huge smile having taken a 10-run advantage. The continuity from the Silver Lake roster was evident, it was euphoric.

“To be friends with your teammates is extremely important,” Cook said. “You are not going to get anywhere if you don’t have good communication as a team, we have that perfectly. Our communication and bond is perfect, unbeatable.”

The Eagles will face No. 1 Holcomb (26-0) in the semifinals. The first pitch is slated for 11 a.m.

KSHSAA state softball: Scores, schedule, live updates from state tournament

Washburn Rural softball advances with a narrow victory

The Junior Blues continue to roll on after securing a 2-1 victory over Blue Valley West in the Class 6A State Quarterfinals. Great pitching and defense helped them take the win.

Makayala Ekis pitched a complete game and allowed just six hits and one run, which came in the final frame. Blu Valley West had the bases loaded with two outs, but Ekis’ pitching to contact worked wonderfully. Layla Collins caught the fly ball to center field to end the game.

Washburn Rural opened the scoring in the third inning when Avery Rupp blasted a solo shot to left field. Reagan Chapman added to the lead in the fifth inning when she hit a line drive to the outfield to score Salah Williams. The two runs would be enough to advance Washburn Rural to the next round.

The Junior Blues will face No. 2 Olathe Northwest (21-4) in the semifinal on Friday at 11 a.m.

KSHSAA state baseball: Scores, schedule, live updates from state tournament

Cooper Grace leads Hayden baseball to quarterfinal win

One of the top junior baseball players in the state rose to the occasion in the Class 3A State Quarterfinals. Cooper Grace’s performance helped No. 7 Hayden (16-12) defeat No. 2 Hesston (20-5) 2-0.

Grace pitched a complete game and allowed just one hit while striking out 13. His day was highlighted by his nine-pitch seventh inning. Hesston struck out twice and hit a grounder to end its season.

Hayden’s Kade Mitchell knocked in the first run in the second inning with a line drive to right field to score Keaton Waggoner. Grace added the second RBI on a double to center field, driving in Mason Becker.

Hayden advances to Friday’s semifinal against No. 3 Sabetha or No. 6 Hoisington/Central Plains. The first pitch is set for 1:15 p.m.

Seaman softball suffers gut-wrenching extra innings defeat

Seaman’s season came to a close in the Class 5A State Quarterfinals as the Vikings fell victim to an agonizing 3-2 defeat in nine innings to No. 2 Maize South (26-3).

No. 7 Seaman (22-7) took the lead in the top of the fourth inning when Anna McLaughlin doubled to drive in Paige Glasgow and Kinsley Smith to take a 2-0 lead.

Maize South answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run double to tie the score. Seaman would finish the game with just two total hits and struggled to get on base.

Seaman’s best opportunity came in the top of the ninth inning when Gracie Moe reached base on a catcher’s interference. Kaelyn O’Rourke and McLaughlin then walked to load the bases with no outs. Yet, Maize South’s Sophie Stockam got out of the jam with a strikeout and a double play.

The Mavericks ended the game with two outs in the bottom half of the inning as Stockam hit a grounder to right field to score Kiley Thornquist.

More: Hayden's Finn Dunshee looks to break Jordy Nelson's record at state

Topeka High baseball's season ends short in quarterfinals

The No. 4 Trojans bowed out of the Class 6A State Tournament with a 12-1 loss to No. 5 Lawrence Free State (22-6) in the quarterfinals.

It was a tough day as they allowed six runs in the first four innings. Then they gave up six runs in the fifth inning alone to reach the run rule after five innings of play. The lone run for the Trojans came in the fourth inning when Hank Stamper hit a grounder and scored Drayden Acosta.

It was another season to remember for Topeka High as it punched its ticket to the state tournament for back-to-back seasons. They finished 17-5.

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Shawnee Heights baseball's comeback falls short

The Thunderbirds’ season came to an end with a 5-2 defeat to No. 4 Spring Hill (18-8) in the Class 5A State Quarterfinals.

No. 5 Shawnee Heights (13-12) trailed 2-0 after the first inning, but tied it up in the second. Jacob Malcom hit a triple, then Jayden Holly drove him in. Holly scored on the next at-bat as Joe Reynolds singled.

Spring Hill added to its lead in the final two innings, but Shawnee Heights came close to tying it in the top of the seventh. It had the bases loaded with zero outs, but Spring Hill’s Holden Lough struck out back-to-back batters and closed it out with a ground out to end the game.

It was the final game for head coach Ryan Schmidt, who announced his retirement at the beginning of the season. Schmidt concluded 25 years of coaching at Shawnee Heights highlighted by two state championships in his career.

Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Three Topeka-area softball, baseball teams advance to state semifinals