Mid-Plains League To Begin Play

From the Capital-Journal:

The Mid-Plains League begins its fourth year with eight teams split into two divisions. The West Division is Topeka, Rossville Rattlers, Sabetha Lobos and Junction City Brigade and the East Division is Baldwin City Blues, Liberty (Mo.) Monarchs, Midwest Athletics (Belton, Mo.) and Midwest Veterans (Eudora).

“We’re really happy with the product on the field and feel like the league has room to grow, but guys are getting the opportunity to play and that’s the most important thing,” said David Streeter, MPL commissioner and general manager of the Rossville Rattlers.

The Rattlers open their sixth season at home Thursday against Junction City, the defending Cowdin Cup league playoff champion. The Rattlers are coming off a 14-20 season under Tobi Cowdin, the 2015 and 2016 MPL manager of the year.

“We have the most pitching we’ve had since we started in Rossville,” Streeter said. “We have some good talent with K-State and KU guys and we’re pretty well-rounded in the infield and outfield. We have some good juco players, and those guys really benefit in the summer as far as being scouted by Division I and Division II college teams.”

Donna Boatwright Passes Away

      Donna Boatwright, 90, recently of Chanute, KS, died on May 20th, 2017. 
      Born in 1927 near Bennington, KS, Donna and her late husband, Dr. Virgil Boatwright, Superintendent of Schools for USD 321 for several years and also Basehor, lived in the Delia, St. Marys, Basehor, Wamego and Kansas City areas for almost 60 years. Donna remained in the area for another 30 after Virgil's death. They had 4 children, 15 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren. 
      A Celebration of Life for Donna's family and friends is planned from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, June 4, at the pavilion in City Park in Rossville, Kansas. A lite lunch will be served. Casual dress. Children welcome.

Rossville 3A State Runner-Up

From The Capital-Journal:

MANHATTAN — Bat met ball, a thunderous ping followed, and Rossville softball coach Adam Roorbach knew several good things had come to an abrupt end. 

His first season at the helm. The Bulldawgs’ perfect record. The team’s shot at a state title. 

By the time Riverton freshman Camryn Compton’s walkoff three-run home run cleared the fences in center field, everyone in attendance Friday afternoon at Twin Oaks Softball Complex came to that same realization. 

“It hasn’t landed yet,” Roorbach later deadpanned. 

Rossville’s Sara Shinn was perhaps the last to know. The center fielder tracked the jolt until the very last moment, then turned and collapsed to her hands and knees as the ball sailed over her head. 

Riverton had earned a 4-1 victory in the Class 3A championship game, its second straight state crown by way of its second straight title game walkoff home run. 

“We’ve seen a lot of those fly out for us,” Roorbach continued. “She’s a great hitter, and it was gone. Honestly, I didn’t see if it landed. I was headed out to shake their hands.” 

With the score tied at 1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Rams rallied on a leadoff, line-drive single from second baseman Jaylee Hopkins, a walk from starting pitcher Taylor Compton, and the walkoff blast with one out by her younger sister Camryn. 

“Hats off to Riverton,” Roorbach said. “That is an amazing ball club. That team knows how to win.” 

The Bulldawgs (22-1) led the matchup of the unbeatens 1-0 after a defensive miscue in the top of the sixth inning. Taylor Compton — last season’s walkoff hero — fielded a chopper but airmailed the throw to first base, allowing Rossville’s Shinn to score the go-ahead run. 

But the lead wouldn’t last for long as the Rams (26-0) took advantage of a Bulldawg mistake in the bottom of the sixth. Rossville third baseman Giorgia Miliorini threw wild to first on a chopper that would’ve ended the inning, and designated player Zoey Mitchell followed with a two-out, game-tying infield single she capped with a head-first slide into first base. 

The Bulldawgs finished the contest with two hits, both singles, as Taylor Compton hurled a complete game. 

“We had a ground ball, but one single player error doesn’t win or lose a game,” Roorbach said. “We had multiple chances to make some things happen this game. … In softball in 2017, if you score one run in seven innings you’re not going to win.” 

Star starting pitcher Amanda Hill walked a tightrope in the title tilt, surrendering three hits and four walks, but the senior worked around the damage to throw four scoreless innings. All told, Hill struck out 19 in 11 innings between two starts Friday, including a 6-3 victory in the semifinals over Marysville. 

After the game, Roorbach and Hill embraced and the two shared a seemingly out-of-place chuckle when the coach asked his ace if she wanted him to re-attach her arm. Entering the tournament, Roorbach said the Bulldawgs would go as far as Hill took them, and that ultimately represented a nearly flawless record, a Mid-East League title and a second-place finish in their first state title game since 2000. 

“I can’t say enough about what Amanda Hill has done for us all year,” Roorbach said. “She left her arm out there in the circle. I think it’s still sitting out there.” 

On the other end of Rossville’s despair was Riverton’s jubilation. The Ram players huddled and sang a bit of “Hotel California” by The Eagles, then, during a team picture, got doused in a Salvy splash-inspired Gatorade shower.  

Watching his beaming players, Riverton coach Brian Mitchell couldn’t help but remark how surreal the Rams’ dramatic path to back-to-back title victories feels.  

“They always say, ‘Hard work pays off in the end,’” Mitchell said. “We like to think that, and that’s all I can really attribute this to.”  

Across the diamond, the  

Rossville players fought back tears spurred by the most painful of sports defeats. By the end of the team’s five-plus-minute postgame huddle, though, Roorbach had many smiling — and even a few laughing. 

“I don’t feel like it’s really a loss when you get to this point,” Roorbach said. “It’s going to hurt. We told the girls, ‘If it doesn’t hurt you, it doesn’t mean anything,’ and I know it means a lot by the look on their faces. But they’re going to be hungry to get back, and we’re going to be back.” 

MARYSVILLE 3, PERRY-LECOMPTON 1 — The Bulldogs’ third-place finish represents what coach Bert Lord described as the next step in the program’s steady ascent. 

“I’m thrilled to death for the girls,” Lord said. “They’ve worked so hard all year and it’s just great to see them be successful. They haven’t had a lot of success through high school, and these seniors went out winners. I couldn’t be happier.” 

The Bulldogs (20-5) got three runs in the second inning, limited the Kaws (22-4) to a single run in the next inning, and held on thanks to a solid effort from sophomore starter Shelby Downard, one of five returning starters for Marysville.

Championship
RIVERTON 4, ROSSVILLE 1
Rossville … 000 … 001 … 0 … — … 1 … 2 … 1
Riverton … 000 … 001 … 3 … — … 4 … 7 … 2
A. Hill, Kippes (5) and L. Shinn. T. Compton and Greniger. W — T. Compton. L — Kippes. 2B — Riverton: Higinbotham. HR — Riverton: C. Compton.
Records — Rossville 22-1, Riverton 26-0.

Riverton Takes 3A Softball Championship

The Dawgs lost the 3A state championship game to Riverton (25-0) by a score of 4-1.

Rossville to 3A Final Softball Game

Rossville won the 3A state semi-final against Marysville 6-3 on May 26.  They next play Riverton (25-0) for the 3A state championship beginning at 2:00 PM on May 26.  Riverton beat Perry-Lecompton 4-1 in their semi-final.

Rossville-TMP-Marian Game Details

From the Capital Journal:

 MANHATTAN — For a program making its first state tournament appearance in four seasons, the Rossville softball team sure made the first inning of its opener look like old hat.    The breezy victory kept Rossville (21-0) perfect on the season and advanced the Bulldawgs to an 11 a.m. Friday semifinal matchup with No. 5 seed Perry-Lecompton.The No. 2-seeded Bulldawgs recorded three swinging strikeouts in the top of the first, plated four runs in the bottom of the frame and rolled to an emphatic 12-0 victory in five innings over No. 7-seeded TMP-Marian on Thursday afternoon at Twin Oaks Softball Complex.    “I challenged them to come out and send a message here in the first inning of the first game, and they did. I’m very proud of them,” Rossville coach Adam Roorbach said. “It doesn’t mean anything tomorrow, so we’re going to come out and get ready to play. But yeah, it couldn’t have gone any better for us.”    Junior Giorgia Miliorini and senior Lora Shinn each clubbed two-run home runs in the first inning for Rossville, Nos. 36 and 37 for the power-hitting Bulldawgs on the season. The two shots were almost identical, each clearing the complex’s long path to the left field fences with relative ease.    “They were no-doubters off the bat, in my mind,” Roorbach said. “We’ve hit a lot this year and we can usually tell right away, and they put good swings on those pitches and really did well.”    All told, the Bulldawg lineup notched 10 hits in four innings and knocked TMP-Marian starter Alison Helget out after just 1/3 of an inning.    The four-run cushion was more than enough for Rossville starter Amanda Hill, who entered the game with an 11-0 record, two no-hitters and 110 strikeouts this season.    Staked to a 9-0 lead after two innings, she was pulled from the contest before the top of the third. She struck out five in her two frames, leaving the door open for the dominant senior to play a key role in Friday’s two contests.    “It was very important,” Roorbach said. “She’s a great pitcher, and we’re going to go as far as she takes us. She knows that. She’s a senior, she’s ready for this and she wants it really bad. To be able to get her to just get a few innings and get out, she’ll come back fresh tomorrow. It was a really big deal for us.”    Roorbach said a doubleheader earlier this season against Manhattan helped get the team used to this turf-surfaced facility. It also appeared to ease any potential nerves in the victory over the Monarchs (17-7).    “We came out and played like we could,” Roorbach said. “It was one of our goals at the beginning of the year, to win a state title. Some teams run away from that, and we ran toward it. We talk about it every day.    “It was good to get the butterflies out.”

PERRY-LECOMPTON 3, SOUTHEAST-SALINE 1 — The Kaws (22-2) advanced thanks to the arm of starting pitcher Megan Fast — and, in no small part, the arm of her battery mate Graci Folks.
    Fast limited runners and damage for the complete game effort, while the catcher Graci gunned down a Southeast-Saline would-be base stealer at second in a pivotal moment that ended the sixth inning, and the No. 5-seeded Kaws scored the minor upset over the No. 4-seeded Trojans (20-2).
    Kaw second baseman Abbi Folks ran in to receive Graci Folks’ throw, then lunged backward for the inning-ending tag.
    “Well, they hadn’t tested Graci’s arm yet, and Abbi (Folks) is such a smart player — got in front of her and got her,” said Perry-Lecompton coach Jill Bradney. “I’m not surprised by it. She’s done it quite a bit this year. But that girl was pretty fast, too.”
    The Kaws took advantage of a pair of Trojan errors for a three-run second inning, and Fast maneuvered through the Trojan lineup the rest of the way. With the potential tying run at the plate, Fast induced a game-ending flyout to right field that put the Kaws in the semifinals.
    MARYSVILLE 9, CHENEY 3 — A two-run home run off the bat of Kali Chrome essentially put the game out of reach in the sixth inning, and the No. 6-seeded Bulldogs (19-4) scored the upset over the No. 3-seeded Cardinals (20-2).
    Marysville stuffed the bases constantly, notching 13 hits en route to scoring at least two runs in every other inning. Bulldog starting pitcher Shelby Downard, meanwhile, allowed only three hits in a complete-game effort, helping Marysville earn an 11 a.m. Friday semifinal against top-seeded Riverton.

ROSSVILLE 12, TMP-MARIAN 0 (5 innings)

TMP-Marian 000 00 —  0   3 2
Rossville      451 2x — 12 10 1

Helget, Lacy (1) and Rupp and L. Gottschalk. Hill, Kippes (3) and L. Shinn and Kirk. W — Hill. L — Helget. 2B — Rossville: Miliorini, Lundin. HR — Rossville: Miliorini, L. Shinn. Records — Rossville 21-0, TMP-Marian 17-7.

MARYSVILLE 9, CHENEY 3

Marysville 202 302 0 — 9 13 0
Cheney     030 000 0 — 3  3  3

Downard and Crome. Monson and Campbell. W — Downard. L — Monson. 2B — Marysville: Downard; Cheney: Higgins, Jones. 3B — Marysville: Pacha. HR — Marysville: Crome. Records — Marysville 19-4, Cheney 20-2.

3A State Softball, First Round

Rossville                    12
Thomas Moore Prep    0

Marysville                    9
Cheney                         3

Riverton                      10
Central Hts                    0

Perry-Lecompton          3
SE of Saline                  1

Rossville will play Marysville at 11:00 Friday in one of the semi-finals.
Riverton and Perry-Lecompton will play in the other semi-final.
The Championship Game will be at 2:00 PM on Friday.

Car Stolen In Rossville Recovered

    Topeka police arrested a man Wednesday after a brief vehicle and foot chase through an East Topeka neighborhood.     A stolen white Ford sedan was spotted at S.E. 6th and Branner just before 5 p.m. When officers tried to stop the car, the driver drove east on S.E. 6th, Sgt. Josh Klamm said. A short time later, the man ditched the car at S.E. 7th and Lawrence and ran back toward the west.    Officers cornered the man in a yard in the 600 block of S.E. Chandler, Klamm said.    Klamm said the Crown Victoria, which appeared to be a former police interceptor with a driver’s-side spotlight, was stolen in Rossville. Officers at S.E. 7th and Lawrence searched the vehicle and appeared to test material found inside as possible drugs.    The man’s identity and further details haven’t been released.

Announcements Video for 5/24/17

A new announcements video for this week can be viewed at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ReULR9e1U4

KSNT Article On Softball Team

ROSSVILLE (KSNT) – The Rossville softball team enters the Class 3A state tournament on Thursday afternoon with a perfect (20-0) record. The Lady Dawgs are Mid-East League and Regional champions despite a few scares this season.

This is the first state tournament appearance for Rossville softball since 2013. The last, and only, state championship came in the year 2000.

“We’re focused on our first opponent and there’s a lot of great teams that are going to be in Manhattan and we’re focused om Thomas More Prep,” said Rossville softball coach Adam Roorbach.

“We have three more games to go win for a state championship,” said Rossville senior Lora Shinn. “That’s kind of been our thing all year. One game, we won, great. Now it’s time to move on.”

“I think winning the state championship would really give us, all the girls in the community, a boost,” said Rossville junior Ariel Sherer. “A lot of people talk about football and basketball but I think bringing softball back into the equation it would really give us and the community a huge confidence boost.”

“We all work really well together,” said Rossville senior Sara Shinn. “I think we mesh really well as a team and I think working as a team helps us finish the goal of being undefeated.”

“We have talked about winning a state title all year,” said Roorbach. “It’s been our goal. Some teams just want to run from it, but we chose to run toward it. We wanted to win every game, win a Mid-East League title, win a regional title, win a state title. We’ve checked a lot of boxes and we have three games left.”

Rossville begins it’s state tournament with a quarterfinal game at 5:00 p.m. Thursday against Thomas More Prep at the Twin Oaks Softball Complex in Manhattan. The semifinals and championship games will be played on Friday afternoon.

There is a nice video about the team at:  http://ksnt.com/2017/05/24/rossville-softball-aims-to-continue-perfect-season-at-state-tournament/

Latest Willard Bridge Photos

3A Track And Field Regional

The RHS girls track team was 7th of 11 teams.  Athletes scoring for the team were:

Morgan Huston          6th       3200 M
Taylor Bittner             2nd      1600 M
Taylor Bittner             2nd       800 M
Danielle Mason          4th      100 M Hur.
Jordan Bittner             5th      100 M Hur.
Jordan Bittner             6th      300 M Hur.

4 x 800 M Relay         1st of 7 teams
   Team consisted of Badua, Dohrman,T. Bittner, Huston

The RHS boys track team was 14th of 15 teams.    Those scoring points were:

Holden Hurla              5th     1600 M
Holden Hurla              6th     800 M

Morgan Cahill Receives Award

LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas mathematics department recently recognized its undergraduate and graduate students and faculty for outstanding academic and teaching achievements at its 60th annual honors banquet.

Two students received certificates and Jayhawk statues from the Kansas Algebra Program for their outstanding contributions to teaching, tutoring and extra duties. Winners were Morgan Cahill, a senior in biology from Rossville, and Rachel North, a senior in journalism from Overland Park.

Teams At 3A State Softball

CLASS 3A STATE TOURNAMENT AT MANHATTAN, STARTS MAY 25

Here are capsules of four of the teams competing.

Central Heights

Coach: Lea Stegner.

Record: 15-8.

How they got here: beat West Franklin, 4-0; beat Jayhawk-Linn, 17-4; beat Humboldt, 15-12.

First-round game: vs. Riverton (23-0), 5 p.m.

Key players: Megan Davis, sr., P-1B; Riley Roll, jr., OF-P; Lindsay Burson, jr., 2B; Demeree Pendleton, sr., SS; Tess Cotter, sr., C; Shelbi Hettinger, jr., OF-1B.

Worth noting: Vikings qualified for state for first time in program’s 20-year history, knocking off top-seeded Humboldt in regional title game — the first regional final for the program as well. … Hettinger leads Vikings with .488 average. … Davis has struck out 139 batters. … Cotter (.333), Davis (.333), Pendleton (.394), Burson (.348), Hannah Savage (.319) and Abigail Brown (.333) all are hitting above .300.

Marysville

Coach: Bert Lord.

Record: 18-4.

How they got here: beat Riley County, 12-6; beat Nemaha Central, 4-0.

First-round game: vs. Cheney (20-1), 7 p.m.

Key players: Shelby Downard, so., P; Sydney Pacha, jr., 1B; Kali Crome, sr., 3B; Macy Larson, sr., SS.

Worth noting: Bulldogs were North Central Kansas League champions, going 9-1 in league play. … State trip is first since 2013 when Bulldogs took third in 3A, the program’s best state finish. … Downard is 17-4 with 2.35 ERA and 160 strikeouts. … She’s also hitting .592 with 14 HRs and 36 RBI. … Pacha is hitting .493 with 4 HRs and Crome is hitting .426 with 5 HRs. … Larson also has 3 HRs and Marysville set program record with 32 home runs this year.

Perry-Lecompton

Coach: Jill Larson-Bradney.

Record: 21-2.

How they got here: beat Riverside, 17-2; beat Oskaloosa, 8-3.

First-round game: vs. vs. Southeast-Saline (20-1), 7 p.m.

Key players: Harleigh Robertson, sr., OF; Megan Fast, jr., P-1B; Cassody O’Connor, jr., 3B; Abbi Folks, sr., SS; Graci Folks, so., C; Ronna Erickson, sr., 1B-P.

Worth noting: Kaws clinched first state trip since 2008 when they lost in first round of Class 4A tourney. … Perry was Big Seven League champions and only losses came to Royal Valley and Valley Falls. … Record is best in program history and 14 of 21 wins are by run-rule. … Robertson has hit .613 with 16 HRs with 67 RBI. … Fast is 11-0 with 1.88 ERA and 73 strikeouts and also is hitting .603 with 5 HRs and 32 RBI. … O’Connor is hitting .597 with 31 RBIs and both Folks are over .490 with a combined 59 RBIs. … Erickson is 9-2 and is hitting .365. … Kaws avenged last year’s regional loss by beating Oskaloosa in regional title game.

Rossville

Coach: Adam Roorbach.

Record: 19-0.

How they got here: beat Osage City, 10-0; beat Silver Lake, 12-3.

First-round game: vs. TMP-Marian (17-6), 5 p.m.

Key players: Amanda Hill, sr., P; Lora Shinn, sr., C; Sara Shinn, sr., OF; Giorgia Migliorini, jr., 3B; Avery Anderson, fr., SS; Kinlyn Lundin, fr., 1B; Kelci Kippes, so., RF-P; Ashley Zemek, jr., 2B; Rylee Brecheisen, jr., DP; Sami Murray, sr., LF.

Worth noting: Bulldogs return to state for first time since 2013 when they lost in first round. … Rossville captured Mid-East League title for second straight year and are unbeaten in league play the last two years. … Bulldogs own sweeps of 4A I qualifier Wamego and 2-1A qualifier Wabaunsee. … Six Bulldawg regulars are hitting .400 or better led by Lundin (.551) and Migliorini (.547). … Sara Shinn has 10 HRs, Lundin has 9 , Migliorini has 7 and the Bulldawgs have 35 as a team. … Lundin has 43 RBI and Shinn has 35 while six others have at least 13. … Hill is 11-0 with two no-hitters and 110 strikeouts. … Kippes is 7-0 with a no-hitter and 36 strikeouts.