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High school playoff round-up

Bonner Springs defeated Sumner Academy in the 5A baseball regional semi-final, but lost in the final to Shawnee Heights. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

Late May is a busy season in high school sports, with state playoffs taking place simultaneously in baseball, softball and girls’ soccer. All three sports will finish their season with state championships on May 27 and 28.

Here’s how local teams have fared in the playoffs so far.

Baseball

Bishop Ward defeated Easton-Pleasant Ridge in the 3A regional quarter-final 4-3. The Cyclones will play Perry-Lecompton in the Wellsville regional semi-final. The game has been postponed from Wednesday to Thursday due to expected inclement weather. The game will follow the other semi-final and start at approximately 4 p.m.

Bonner Springs defeated Sumner Academy 6-5 in a regional semi-final played at Legends Field. The Braves lost the final to Shawnee Heights 3-0.

In other regional action:

Mill Valley 3, Piper 1
Olathe West 14, Wyandotte 0
Pittsburg 13, Turner 4
Blue Valley Southwest 15, Washington 0

Softball

Piper defeated Leavenworth 14-9 in the 5A regional semi-final at Basehor, but lost to the Basehor-Linwood Lady Bobcats 7-5 in the final.

Bishop Ward defeated Osage City 1-0 in the 3A regional quarter-final, but lost to Wellsville 10-6.

In other regional action:

Spring Hill 15, Turner 0
Saint Thomas Aquinas 7, Bonner Springs 3

Girls’ soccer

Sumner Academy defeated Bonner Springs 8-2 in the 5A regional semi-final. The Sabres will play Spring Hill in the final on Thursday, starting at 6 p.m. at Schlagle stadium.

In other regional action:

Spring Hill 11, Turner 0
Seaman 6, Piper 2
Bishop Miege 10, Bishop Ward 0
Pittsburg 6, Washington 0 (play-in)
Highland Park 1, Schlagle 0 (play-in)

Piper defeated Leavenworth in the 5A softball regional semi-final, but lost to Basehor-Linwood in the final. (Photo credit Derek Wiley, Leavenworth Times)

Cyclones’ Esparza drives in come-from-behind game-winning run

Sophomore Damon Esparza drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning of Bishop Ward’s 4-3 playoff win over the Pleasant Ridge Rams. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

The Bishop Ward Cyclones made a thriller out of their first round 3A baseball playoff against Pleasant Ridge High School, scoring two runs to come from behind in the seventh inning to win 4-3.

Damon Esparza got the game-winning RBI, driving in pinch-runner Jayden Hendricks from second with a single to center against a drawn in infield. The Cyclones had tied the score moments before when a high throw on Emilio Ramirez’s grounder plated Sergio Fierro from third.

The Rams scored their go-ahead run in the top of the sixth on a wild sequence that started when Erik Tapia came on in relief with one out and runners at first and third.

Tapia picked off the runner at first before even delivering a pitch, then he beaned Pleasant Ridge’s Mason Ewert before nearly picking him off too. The runner from third scored on a passed ball, and Tapia then closed the frame with a strikeout.

Pleasant Ridge tied the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run from Rams’ pitcher Nathan Herken that landed in Dorney Field. Herken previewed his power in the third with a blast that forced center fielder Dustin Rector to make a catch at the wall.

Bishop Ward got on the board in the second when Herken’s control wobbled, and he walked four consecutive batters. Juan Marron earned an RBI for his patience at the plate, then Rector pushed another run across with a sacrifice fly to right.

Christian Stein pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up 3 runs with 8 strikeouts. Tapia pitched 1 2/3 in relief and got the win.

The Cyclones will advance to play the Perry-Lecompton Kaws in the regional held at Wellsville on May 18. If they win that game, the Cyclones will play the winner of Rossville and Santa Fe Trail for the regional championship and a spot in the 3A state tournament in Manhattan on May 26 and 27.

The Bishop Ward Cyclones celebrated on the field after the walk-off single by Damon Esparza. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Head coach Zach Harris waved home freshman pinch runner Jayden Hendricks for the winning run. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

The Cyclones tied the game on a grounder to third by senior first baseman Emilio Ramirez in the bottom of the seventh inning. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

The Bishop Ward Cyclones posed together after their playoff win. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Senior Erik Tapia pitched in relief in the sixth and seventh innings. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Senior first baseman Emilio Ramirez applied the tag to pick off Pleasant Ridge’s Drake Duncan. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Senior first baseman Emilio Ramirez dropped low to pick the throw on a ground ball out. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Junior center fielder Dustin Rector slid in to second base ahead of the tag. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

A high throw on a ground ball in the seventh inning allowed Bishop Ward to tie the game. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Sophomore second baseman Chris Mancinas fielded a ground ball in the first inning. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Sabres take on Pembroke Hill at Legends Field

Senior third baseman Antonio Dunn hit a two-run single in the second inning on the Sumner Academy Sabres game against the Pembroke Hill Raiders at Legends Field. Dunn went 4-of-4 at the plate but the Raiders prevailed 8-3. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

Sumner Academy’s baseball team had an early lead on Pembroke Hill when the teams met Thursday at Legends Field, but the Raiders’ power in the middle innings caught up with them, sending the visitors home with an 8-3 win.

The Raiders got on the board with one run in the top of the second inning, but third baseman Antonio Dunn led the charge back for the Sabres, driving in Juan Galindo and Raul Martinez with a single to left.

The Raiders recaptured the lead in the top of the fourth on a two-run home run to left field by Reece Nutter. Pembroke Hill extended the lead to 6-2 in the top of the fifth on a string of base hits, and tacked on two more runs in the seventh.

Dunn led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and scored on Marcus Dierks’s single, but the Sabres got no closer in their comeback attempt.

Anthony Mendez pitched four innings for the Sabres, and Dunn and Martinez both took a turn on the mound in relief.

Dunn was the offensive star for Sumner, going 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs batted in. Charlie Meek and Juan Galindo each went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles.

The Sabres’ record is now 11-5 with just four games remaining in the regular season. Regional playoffs start May 16.