The Pinkall Field scoreboard at Pratt’s Green Sports Complex shows the final score of the Kansas Class 2-1A state softball first-round game: Inman 7, Pittsburg-St. Mary’s 6, eight innings. (Photo courtesy Inman Schools Facebook page).
By John Mesh
The No. 2-seeded Inman Teutons walked off No. 7 Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday at the Kansas Class 2-1A state softball tournament at Pratt’s Pinkall Field-Green Sports Complex.
Inman (23-1) advanced to the 11 a.m. semifinal game Friday against No. 3 Leon-Bluestem (21-3), which defeated No. 6 Onaga 2-0 in the second first-round game of the day.
In the other first-round games Thursday, Dexter/Cedar Vale defeated Medicine Lodge 3-2 and Oskaloosa defeated Central Heights 3-1. Dexter/Cedar Vale (27-1) plays Oskaloosa (23-5) in the 1 p.m. semifinal game.
The semifinal losers play for third place at 3 p.m. and the semifinal winners play for the championship at 5 p.m.
Central Heights finished the season 23-5, Onaga finished 21-8, Colgan finished 16-12 and Medicine Lodge 12-10.
Inman jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings. The Colgan Panthers scored four runs in the top of the third inning.
Colgan’s Bella Ascanio belted a two-out, one-strike two-run homer to give the Panthers a 6-5 lead in the top of the sixth inning.
Freshman Lyla Levin, who pitched for the Teutons, led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and scored on Tyler Froese’s RBI single to tie the score at 6-6, forcing the game into the eighth inning.
Colgan threatened in the top of the eighth, but Inman kept the Panthers off the board.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Levin’s RBI single drove in Maddi Parsons with the winning run. It was Levin’s fifth hit in the game.
Levin notched her 16th win of the season. She allowed three earned runs on 11 hits, struck out seven and walked two in eight innings. Taylor Froese went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, including a game-tying hit in the bottom of the seventh inning. Parsons added two hits. Inman turned a key double play.
Ascanio allowed seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits, walked three and struck out six in 7 2/3 innings for the Colgan Panthers. Katie Duncan, Kara Osborn and Brooklyn Barrows each multiple-hit games. Ascanio and Kylee Kretchnar each drove in two runs.
Hutchinson Salthawk baseball players earn AVCTL I recognition, Caiden Beavers named Co-Player of the Year
Six members of the Hutchinson High School Salthawk baseball team received recognition on the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Division I team released on Thursday.
Hutchinson’s Caiden Beavers was named Co-Player of the Year and First Team shortstop.
Beavers was joined on the First Team by pitcher Jack Davis. Second Team selections were outfielder Jack Yoder and catcher Carter Morgan. Morgan was also an honorable mention pitcher. Gabe Valadez was named the honorable mention utility player.
Hutchinson Salthawk softball players earn AVCTL I recognition
Four members of the Hutchinson High School Salthawk softball team received recognition on the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Division I team released on Thursday.
Junior Kohlbie Craft was named to the AVCTL I Second Team at first base.
Honorable mention selections for the Salthawks are Booke Hogan, catcher; Baylee Pickering, utility; and Jayanna Cornejo, designated hitter.
Halstead, Haven, Nickerson softball players recognized on All-CKL Team
Halstead High School placed seven softball players on the all-Central Kansas League Team, which was released on Thursday.
First team selections include pitchers Kaci Young and Addison Thompson and utility player Thea Boese.
Outfielders Brett Young and Onnyka Nedich made the second team. Honorable mention recognition went to first baseman Katharine Engel and second baseman Sloane Linton.
Seven Haven softball players also were honored. Pitcher Avery Brawner, catcher Sophie Faidley, shortstop Morgan O’Neal and outfielder Mattie Warden made the first team. Second baseman Trista Rogers made the second team. Outfielder Sierra Yoder and designated player Ella Bontrager were honorable mention picks.
Nickerson utility player Jayli Groth was an honorable mention selection.
Four Kansas athletes shine in NCAA II track meet decathlon
The NCAA DII Track and Field Championships recently finished in Pueblo, Colo., and four Kansas athletes (out of the nine competitors) shined in the men’s decathlon.
Joining the first-place national championship performance from Hunter Jones (Nickerson High School) of Pittsburg State was Nolan Churchman, fifth (Rock Creek), Fort Hays State; Otto Knittel, sixth (Spring Hill), Missouri S&T; and Jonah Remsberg, ninth (Newton), Emporia State.