The first day of the Kansas state track meet produced one state champion from Crawford County and she took her place in a family tradition.
Two baseball heavyweights on the eastern side of Kansas clashed in the Class 3A state championship game Friday night at Frank Myers Field/Tointon Family Stadium on the campus of Kansas State.
St. Mary’s Colgan jumped ahead early on the Lyons Lions and made sure there would be no comeback with six runs in the seventh en route to a 15-1 Class 3A state tournament first round victory Thursday at Frank Myers Field/Tointon Family Stadium on the Kansas State campus.
The Panthers (18-5) will now face the Panthers of Wichita Independent (23-1) at 11 a.m. today. In the first game of the tourney, Wichita Independent defeated Wellsville 6-3, knocking out the defending state runner-up.
Colgan senior leadoff hitter Nate Grimaldi makes a huge difference on the game — whenever and however No. 2 reaches base, his presence on the basepaths fundamentally changes the game. He reached all five times Thursday, recorded three hits, stole three bases and scored four runs. Grimaldi hit a RBI double in the second, plating Tully Yoakam after he reached on an error.
It was a big day for the Cedeno family, older brother Christian and younger brother Ryan. Christian Cedeno drove in five runs — four on a two-run single in the first and a two-run single in the fourth, scoring Grimaldi and Colton Gilbert both times — and Ryan Cedeno added three, all on a bases-clearing double in the seventh.
The Frontenac Raiders were simply overpowered by the Pratt Greenbacks during a 10-4 loss Thursday night in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament at the Bill Burke Complex.
Left-handed pitcher Britnee Hill tossed 13 strikeouts and the Greenbacks relied on three big hits for eight of their 10 runs — Savanah Buntemeyer made the score 2-all with a two-run home run in the third, Kinzie Spurgin gave Pratt a 4-2 lead in the same frame with a two-run double and Bre Becker placed some major distance with a grand slam in the fifth to give the Greenbacks a 8-3 advantage.
The first two innings looked good for the Raiders, as senior pitcher Lindsey Gorham supported herself with a two-run homer in the first and blanked Pratt.
Frontenac could not avoid the two-run and four-run outbursts — Pratt scored four in the third, four in the fifth and two in the seventh.
The Kansas state track meet this weekend in Wichita will feature nearly 3,500 high school athletes competing at the 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A levels.
Events start at 8 a.m. Friday and wrap up Saturday evening in Cessna Stadium.
Cox Kansas 22 will televise 72 races beginning 3 p.m. Saturday with the girls and boys 4x100 relays, 400-meter dash, 300 low hurdles, 300 intermediate hurdles, 800 runs, 200 dashes and 4x400 relays. Team awards will be presented after the conclusion of the last 4x400 race.
County schools Pittsburg (4A), St. Mary’s Colgan (3A), Frontenac (4A), Girard (4A), Northeast (2A) and Southeast (3A) will be represented by several.
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