Topeka High softball repeats as 6A state champion, defeats Washburn Rural

Rossville, Seaman, Topeka High and Washburn Rural, were in action Thursday and Friday at the state tournament.

After winnings its first state title in program history with an undefeated season last year, Topeka High repeated as the 6A state champion with a 2-1 win over Washburn Rural.

Here's how all the Topeka-area softball teams did.

Rossville (3A)

The Rossville softball team (21-5) saw its season come to a close in the state tournament, placing fourth in the state after entering the tournament as the No. 6 seed out of eight teams.

With the tournament taking place in Manhattan at the Twin Oaks Complex, Rossville started the tournament Thursday with an upset of No.3 Council Grove (21-3) in a run-rule game, 12-0.

After dropping an 8-inning, 4-3 win over the No. 7 Prairie View (21-4) who had upset No. 2 Scott Community (20-2) in the quarterfinals, Rossville dropped the third-place game to No. 8 Santa Fe Trail (21-5) in another extra-inning bout, this time 11 innings, 2-1.

Seaman (5A)

Seaman (17-6) entered the state tournament as the No. 7 seed, matched up with No. 2, and undefeated, Basehor-Linwood (23-0).

Seaman held the lead for the majority of the game but Basehor-Linwood would make a late comeback to come away with the 4-3 win.

Topeka High (6A)

No. 3 seeded Topeka High (22-3) repeated as 6A state champions.

First, they beat No. 6 Olathe North (18-5) in the opening round, 6-0, after a weather delay to start the day.

Next, Topeka High beat No. 7 Wichita Northwest (18-6), which had upset No. 2 Shawnee Mission North (20-2) in its opening game, in a 10-0 run rule game on Friday, to set up a rematch with No. 1 Washburn Rural (23-2) in the title game.

Washburn Rural had swept Topeka High earlier this season, snapping a winning streak that dated back to last season when Topeka High went undefeated and captured the programs first state title.

"We get to play them at on the stage that matters," said head coach Shane Miles before the game after the win over Wichita Northwest. "The girls will be focused, they know their opponent.

"Washburn Rural is a great team, we have to come out and play the way we play and see where the chips fall. Either way, we're gonna have a Centennial League champ.

"It comes down to executing."

Later that day, Topeka High would get their revenge.

In a low-scoring affair that was a pitcher's duel between two of the best in the state in Washburn Rural's Emerson Cope and Topeka High's NiJa Canady, Topeka High would emerge with the 2-1 victory.

Canady pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and one run, while fanning 10 batters with 77 strikes on 121 pitches.

"The cross-town rivalry was definitely there," said Canady on matching up with another Centennial League foe. "I remember back to my freshman year state basketball, we lost to Washburn Rural.

"To close it out senior year, getting them back, it feels amazing.

"This has been a goal, a whole team goal, the whole season. We knew it would be us and Washburn Rural in the title game, we wanted it to be us and Washburn Rural. It feels great we got our revenge."

Alesia Alvarez and Elycia Joyce each went 2-3 to lead Topeka High at the plate with an RBI for each.

"It's tremendous for our program, back-to-back state championships," said Miles after the game. "These seniors go out (as) back-to-back state championships too. We have some freshmen and sophomores that got experience now.

"We're building our program and we want Topeka High to be noticed.

"The journey was totally different last year. We weren’t the same team as we were last year, we had to find what we do best. Timely hitting, we scored 18 runs and gave up one run in the state tournament.

"It shows our bats came alive at the right time."

Washburn Rural (6A)

Washburn Rural (23-2) entered the state tournament as the No. 1 seed, defeating No. 8 Blue Valley (13-10) via the run rule in game one, 10-0.

A win over No. 5 Derby (20-4) in the semifinals by a 2-0 score set up a Centennial League state title game.

Washburn Rural would fall to No. 2  Topeka High (22-3) but made it a hard-fought win for Topeka High.

"Both were pitching duels, both teams had to make adjustments," said coach Liz Stover on the difference between their 2-0 sweep over Topeka High in April and the title game on Friday. "It was just whether it was in April or now, the first team to make a mistake.

"We ended up on the wrong side of that this time around."

After Topeka High went up 1-0 in the fourth inning, Washburn Rural would respond with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning as their ace on the mound, Emerson Cope, drove in Campbell Bagshaw to make it 2-1.

Cope would go the whole game on the mound: allowing five hits, two runs and striking out eight, with 62 strikes on 82 pitches.

Cope would also go 2-3 with the lone RBI with Bagshaw going 1-4 with a run.

"They're just a good group," said Stover on what she would remember about this team. "Even heading home on the bus, they had the boombox going and a little dance part of their own.

"Just the grit, the mindset they had coming into this. They were determined to make a statement, a change from where they were last year. That's what's gonna stand out to me the most."

Centennial All-League Softball

First Team

Alesia Alvarez – 11 – Topeka High

Campbell Bagshaw – 12 – Washburn Rural

Nija Canady – 12 – Topeka High

Adisyn Caryl – 11 – Topeka High

Emmerson Cope – 11 – Washburn Rural

Baylee Dial – 12 – Washburn Rural

Alyssa Droge – 11 – Hayden

Skylar Duncan – 12 – Seaman

Kierra Goos – 11 – Manhattan

Elycia Joyce – 12 – Topeka High

Carly Stuke – 12 – Hayden

Second Team

Aspen Burgardt – 11 – Seaman

Maylee Burris – 11 – Hayden

Avianna Deguzman – 11 – Junction City

Brilea Flott – 12 – Seaman

Takara Kolterman – 11 – Manhattan

Reagan Neitzel – 10 – Manhattan

Caitlyn Meyers – 12 – Emporia

Rylee Murray – 12 – Seaman

Sara Rexrode – 10 – Junction City

Rosalie Schneider – 10 – Seaman

Emma Smith – 12 – Seaman

Honorable Mention

Tatum Abbey – 11 – Hayden

JoMhara Benning – 9 – Topeka High

Amiah Cain – 12 – Topeka High

Chloe Carlgren – 10 – Washburn Rural

Gracie Gilpin – 12 – Emporia

Shaylee Ginter – 11 – Emporia

Mikaila Herring – 12 – Washburn Rural

Kynlea Heydenreich – 12 – Seaman

Manaia Isaia – 12 – Topeka West

Addison Kirmer – 11 – Emporia

Emily Louderback – 12 – Washburn Rural

Jaden McGee – 10 – Manhattan

Gracie Moe – 10 – Seaman

Peyton Owen – 10 – Topeka West

Kaylee Reimer – 11 – Emporia

Siani Sanchez – 10 – Topeka West

Quincy Smith – 11 – Topeka High

Maddyn Stewart – 12 – Emporia

Piper Titsworth – 11 – Washburn Rural

Anja Vonspreckelsen – 10 – Junction City

Trenna Whitmore – 12 – Washburn Rural

Newcomer of the Year

Caitlyn Meyers – 12 - Emporia

Player of the Year

Emmerson Cope – 11 – Washburn Rural

Coach of the Year

Elizabeth Stover – Washburn Rural

Contact Seth Kinker at skinker@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @SethKinker

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka-area softball teams compete at state, Topeka High wins again