Daily Scores

Tonight's action is now posted in each schools tab.

Both baseball teams were in action, with Blue Springs pulling out a late-inning win, while the eighth-ranked Jaguars lost to top-ranked Liberty. Also in action were the Blue Springs boys tennis team and the Blue Springs South girls soccer team.

Blue Springs boys tennis team takes third in own tournament

The Blue Springs boys tennis team earned a third place finish in its own tournament Friday with 21 team points.

Lee’s Summit West won the tournament with 29 points.

Max Martell had the top finish for the Wildcats, going 2-1 and taking second place in the ‘B’ singles division. Tyler Casey won in the ‘A’ division for singles and placed third, also with a 2-1 record.

Casey’s jump up from No. 4 last year to the top spot has been a work in progress, but Blue Springs head coach Jody McClain has liked his improvement.

“Tyler has played a lot of tough matches at No. 1 all year,” she said. “His mental game has gotten better. He’s willing to pay the price for not just sitting out there and trying to hit the winning shot.”

Chad Stohlman and Ashton Rhodes continued their strong season, taking third and going 2-1.

McClain has been preaching to the doubles teams all season to be aggressive at the net, and she’s seen Stohlman and Rhodes take that to heart.

“They played good teams from Barstow and Lee’s Summit West. I was very happy with them,” she said. “From the first of the season to now, they’ve changed quite a bit. They are serve and volleying more. Their net game has improved tremendously.”

Dan Noud and Andy Anderson made up the doubles team in the ‘A’ division and took seventh, going 1-2.

Blue Springs will now prepare for Platte County Monday and then its showdown with cross-town rival Blue Springs South Tuesday.

While the Wildcats can’t capture a conference title, McClain knows it still means a lot.

“It’s still big for us,” she said. “If the boys play at the top of their game we’ll be extremely competitive. There’s a lot of emotion. We have to play the ball and not worry about the school or the person.”

Blue Springs boys tennis team takes third in own tournament

The Blue Springs boys tennis team earned a third place finish in its own tournament Friday with 21 team points.

Lee’s Summit West won the tournament with 29 points.

Max Martell had the top finish for the Wildcats, going 2-1 and taking second place in the ‘B’ singles division. Tyler Casey won in the ‘A’ division for singles and placed third, also with a 2-1 record.

Casey’s jump up from No. 4 last year to the top spot has been a work in progress, but Blue Springs head coach Jody McClain has liked his improvement.

“Tyler has played a lot of tough matches at No. 1 all year,” she said. “His mental game has gotten better. He’s willing to pay the price for not just sitting out there and trying to hit the winning shot.”

Chad Stohlman and Ashton Rhodes continued their strong season, taking third and going 2-1.

McClain has been preaching to the doubles teams all season to be aggressive at the net, and she’s seen Stohlman and Rhodes take that to heart.

“They played good teams from Barstow and Lee’s Summit West. I was very happy with them,” she said. “From the first of the season to now, they’ve changed quite a bit. They are serve and volleying more. Their net game has improved tremendously.”

Dan Noud and Andy Anderson made up the doubles team in the ‘A’ division and took seventh, going 1-2.

Blue Springs will now prepare for Platte County Monday and then its showdown with cross-town rival Blue Springs South Tuesday.

While the Wildcats can’t capture a conference title, McClain knows it still means a lot.

“It’s still big for us,” she said. “If the boys play at the top of their game we’ll be extremely competitive. There’s a lot of emotion. We have to play the ball and not worry about the school or the person.”

Blue Springs track and field teams strong at Kirkwood Invite

Without Deiondre Hall on the track or in the field and a few others not running their normal events, the Blue Springs boys track and field team still managed a third place finish in the Kirkwood Invitational Saturday.

“We’re still holding out Deiondre (because of a hip injury) and we didn’t run Simon (Belete) in the distance runs, so I feel that showing was very strong. We got some good stuff out of it,” Wildcats head coach Joe Cusack said.

The Wildcats got two firsts, as the 3,200-meter relay team of James Barnett, Belete, Stephen Mugeche and Dominic Piccinini won with a time of 8 minutes, 5.23 seconds, a season best, and Mugeche also won the 3,200-meter run in a time of 9:36.

“We got great splits out of those guys,” Cusack said of the relay. “And Stephen had the race won handily. He’s doing great. Simon is our leader in that event but we’re trying to get two all-state guys in that event.”

Cusack was pleased with the showing all the relays put together, as the 1,600 relay took third and the 400 relay placed fourth with a time of 42.61.

“The 4x100 had a fantastic time. With Deiondre sitting out we still ran a 42.61,” Cusack said. “Two of the three that beat us are the top two teams in the state in Class 4. And the 4x400 continues to lower their time. We had three solid relay showings.”

Other strong individual performances were Erron Holley taking second in the 200, David Johnson finishing second in the discus, Chris Clark fourth in the 300-meter hurdles and Danny Thompson taking fourth in the pole vault.

The Wildcats will now get ready for the Suburban Big Six Conference meet starting with prelims Wednesday and finishing with finals Friday.

“I feel real good about where we are,” Cusack said. “We’re going to hold Deiondre out again until districts, but we’re going to try and win regardless of personnel. The conference has some solid teams.”

The Blue Springs girls team also had a strong showing at Kirkwood with five firsts and 11 top three finishes.

The Wildcats were dominant in the field events with Tyra Bickham taking first in the shot put with a throw of 40-1 and taking second in the discus. Megan Wright was strong once again in the pole vault by clearing 11 feet and taking first, Tyonna Snow won the long jump at 17-8.50 and Bri Starr won the triple jump by going 36-4.

Gabby Hall had the lone first on the track, winning the 200 with a time of 26.03.

Other top three finishes went to Lizzy Wendell placing second in the high jump and Cali Bissel earning third in the pole vault. Blue Springs also had two seconds in the relays – the 800 and 3,200 – while taking third in the 400 relay.

The girls team will also be at the conference meet starting Wednesday at Blue Springs South. 

Blue Springs South soccer splits a pair in Columbia Tournament

Mother Nature put a premature end to the Blue Springs South girls soccer teams stay in the Columbia Hickman Tournament this weekend, but the Jaguars managed a 1-1 record before lightning cancelled the remaining game Saturday afternoon.

After a last-minute goal by Troy led to a 2-1 defeat Friday night, South rebounded for a 6-1 win over Pembroke Hill Saturday.

"It was probably our best, most well-rounded game of the season," South head coach Todd Findley said. "We had beaten Pembroke Hill once this season, but I knew that they had many injured players back in the lineup. Goalkeeping, defense, midfield, possession and forwards attack all came together for us.

"Lexi Meyer and Jen Kaberline did a great job anchoring the middle of the defense."

The Jaguar offense was widespread, as five different players scored goals.

Beth Landon was the lone player to have two, while Emily Griffin, Jordan McNamara, Natalie Mandina and Grace Klausen all had one apiece.

"We have no one true goal scorer, it's always a team effort," Findley said. "The girls have such a great time playing together and they're bonding and learning to combine with one another. Of our seven goals (in the tournament), we had six different scorers and six players with assists."

The Jaguars took a tough loss Friday night against Troy. They took an early 1-0 lead in the 15th minute on a goal from Kelly Voigt.

Troy ended up tying things up 15 minutes later making it 1-1 at the half, although Findley said they should have had more than the one goal.

"It was a great first half for us," he said. "We had a lot of attack and possession but could only generate one goal out of it."

It looked as if the game was headed for overtime in the second half when Troy standout Hunter Wagoner found the back of the net in the 79th minute for the backbreaking game-winner.

"It (only scoring one in the first half) came back to haunt us when their all-state forward, Wagoner, got through our back line with one minute remaining to notch the victory," Findley said. "It was a hard loss after such a great start."

South is now 4-12 on the season and they will return to action Monday when they host Lee's Summit.

Blue Springs South boys track & field results

The results are now available for the Park Hill Invitational, where the Blue Springs South boys track and field team competed Thursday night. Final team scores were not available. Below are the highest finishers for the Jaguars in each event.

100-meter dash - Leland Anderson, 5th, 11.47
200 - Steven Sullivan, 2nd, 22.69
400 - Daulton Engman, 6th, 53.88
800-meter run - Connor Dillon, 5th, 2:12.69
1,600 - Brian Gordon, 7th, 4:54.26
3,200 - Mason Harwell, 3rd, 10:27.59
110-meter hurdles - Tyler Blair, 1st, 15.30 (Hunter Stoll, 2nd, 15.73)
300 hurdles - Ben Harvel, 1st, 39.99
4x100 - Blue Springs South, 1st, 43.59
4x400 - Blue Springs South, 5th, 3:38.37
4x800 - Blue Springs South, 1st, 8:16.82
Shot put - Cole West, 5th, 42 feet, 11 inches
Discus - Josh Watson, 2nd, 139-3
High jump - Syrell Fuel, 7th, 5-8
Long jump - Ben Harvel, 4th, 20-0.50
Triple jump - Tyler Blair, 5th, 38-9.50
Pole vault - Bryan Lushbough, 5th, 10 feet

Blue Springs South baseball scores

The Blue Springs South scores from last night and tonight are now located in the schools tab. The Jaguars, who are now in the latest state rankings at No. 8, bounced back from Wednesday's ugly loss to defeat Rockhurst Thursday.

They also put together a complete performance for a conference win over Lee's Summit North.

Thursday night photos

Now posted in the 'Photo Galleries' tab are more photos like the one below from the Blue Springs South boys tennis match against Lee's Summit West, as well as Blue Springs' soccer game against Notre Dame De Sion.

Don't forget that if you would like to purchase some pictures from the site, please contact me at stephen.bubalo@yahoo.com.

Prices for reprints are as follows:

5x7 - $7

8x10 - $10

11x14 - $15

Value package: 1 5x7 and 1 8x10 - $15

Blue Springs South senior Alex Martin hits a volley in a doubles match with his brother Jared Martin against Lee's
Summit West Thursday. The Titans won the match 6-3. Visit the 'Photo Galleries' tab for more photos from Thursday
night action in the area.

Daily Scores

Scores of the Blue Springs baseball and girls soccer team, as well as the Blue Springs South tennis team are now posted. Check back soon for pictures from the soccer game and tennis match.

Twitter!

If you're on Twitter, follow me at www.twitter.com/bsprepsports for live updates at game, news and be notified when new stories are posted on the site.

Daily Scores

Both boys golf teams played in the Class 4, District 4 Tournament today and several golfers advanced to the sectional tournament next week. Also, the Blue Springs baseball team continued to roll and the South soccer team squared off against one of the top teams in the state. All these results are in each schools respective tabs.

Blue Springs South baseball stumbles against Ray-Pec

Blue Springs South's Jared Ginter makes contact with a pitch during Wednesday's home game against Ray-Pec. South
lost 11-6 and fell to 12-4 on the season.

A baseball team doesn’t always need its ‘A’ game to win, but if they bring the kind of game Blue Springs South put on the field Wednesday at home against Ray-Pec, a win is almost completely out of the question.

“We didn’t pitch, we gave them too many outs and we didn’t get a timely hit,” South head coach Ben Baier said. “That’s the ballgame. When you play a good team you lose those games.”

Blue Springs South's Landon Mason throws to first base for an out during
Wednesday's loss to Ray-Pec.

It all started in the first when Ray-Pec’s Jacob Boylan smashed a two-out, three-run homer over the fence in right center field for a 3-0 lead that would help the Panthers to an important Suburban Big Six Conference win, 11-6.

“We started off bad. They scored three in the first and that led to everything,” Jaguar third baseman Landon Mason said. “It was one thing after another. It snowballed from there.”

Blue Springs South starting pitcher Chad Worman throws a pitch during
the first inning Wednesday. 

From that point forward, the Jaguars started gift-wrapping runs for the Panthers.

An error to start the third inning led to a pair of runs, making it 5-1. It would only get worse, as three errors led to three more runs and an 8-2 deficit.

The final blow came in the sixth, when a two-out error extended an inning and gave Boylan the opportunity to hit his second three-run homer of the day for an 11-3 lead.

All the errors were made by Jaguar infielders.

“We’ve got to make those plays,” Mason said.

Added Baier, “When we don’t get it on the mound our defense gets on its heels. It’s not an excuse but it happens. … We should have been out of those innings a long time ago.

“We need consistency, especially on the mound. Our guys on the mound have to step up. Maybe that’s too much on them but that’s the truth.”

South had its chances at the plate as well, especially in the first three innings. Ray-Pec starting pitcher Jeremy Mansur couldn’t find the strike zone, walking seven batters in the first three innings to go along with an error.

But all the Jaguars could muster was Jared Ginter getting an RBI with a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly from Austin Simms. They stranded six runners on base and didn’t record a hit until the fifth inning.

Blue Springs South's Austin Simms connects with a pitch
during Wednesday's game. 

“We didn’t have a good approach,” Baier said. “When their pitcher throws seven balls in a row, as a hitter you have to know you’re not swinging at the first pitch. We have to have patience. We didn’t.”

Mason had an opportunity in the second with the bases loaded and two outs but popped up to the second baseman on the first pitch.

“We have to capitalize on situations like that,” Mason said. “He was wild so we have to be more patient. I was thinking that he was about to groove one. I was being aggressive and I just missed it. I have to be smarter.”

Blue Springs South's Kyle Roberts throws to first base for
an out against Ray-Pec.

The Jaguars finally seemed to get fired up in the sixth but by then the score was 11-3. The first four batters reached base and they plated three runs – two on a single by Mason – before the rally fizzled.

And until the sixth, it seemed as if South’s energy had been taken away on that first inning homer.

“I can’t put it into the team,” Baier said. “We talk about it but they have to do it. We can talk about it every inning but it doesn’t matter if nothing changes.”

South is now 12-4 on the season and they will host ninth-ranked Rockhurst tomorrow at 4:30 p.m., as its search for consistency continues.

“Some games we’ve had good defense and hitting but we haven’t pitched well. Other games we’ve pitched and played defense but haven’t hit,” Mason said. “We need to put all three together. When we do that we’re a good team.”

Pictures

Don't forget that if you would like to purchase some pictures from the site, please contact me at stephen.bubalo@yahoo.com.

Prices for reprints are as follows:

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Value package: 1 5x7 and 1 8x10 - $15

Daily Scores

Blue Springs High School saw a busy day of action, as the boys tennis, baseball and girls soccer teams were all in action. The baseball and soccer teams both picked up exciting victories.

For Blue Springs South, the boys tennis team rolled to an easy victory. Check out the school's tabs for more details.

Late first half goal helps sink Blue Springs South soccer

Blue Springs South sophomore Sarah Smedley tries pass the ball around
Ray-Pec's Kaylen Fowler during Tuesday's game at South. The Panthers
won 3-1. 

Goals scored right before halftime can be game-changers in soccer.

They can shift momentum and change the way the second half will be played. All it takes is one goal before that halftime buzzer.

The Blue Springs South girls soccer team got a first-hand look at just that Tuesday at home against Ray-Pec, as the Panthers broke a 1-all tie when they scored a goal with just 8 seconds before halftime to help propel them to a 3-1 win.

“That set us back a little bit, especially with our confidence level,” Jaguar senior defender Lexi Meyer said. “It could have been prevented.”

Added South head coach Todd Findley, “Looking back, that’s a momentum shift. We’re battling to keep it 1-1 and to give up a beautiful volley is demoralizing a bit. Instead of all that work getting us even at the half, now we have to fight that much harder (in the second half).”

Blue Springs South's Emily Griffin battles for
possession with Ray-Pec's Kenndey Doustou
during Tuesday's game. Griffin scored South's
lone goal.

South took the lead early in the game on a goal from freshman Emily Griffin in the third minute. The Jaguars did a good job of building on an early goal last week against Pembroke Hill in a 5-1 win, but the Panthers and their trio of speedy forwards wouldn’t be held down long.

They knotted the score before the midway point of the half and it appeared the teams would go into the half tied. But the Panthers quickly strung together a few nice passes, which culminated with a volley just over the head of goalkeeper Kylie Young.

“It can’t happen,” Findley said of the goal. “I thought our mark was on her (Vanessa Mann) but it wasn’t tight enough.”

Not only did the goal give Ray-Pec the lead, but also it changed the complexion of the game in the second half.

“Any goal in the first half is a setback to the second half because it dictates what goes on in the second half,” Meyer said.

Now holding the lead, the Panthers were able to put an extra defender in the back when necessary and force the Jaguars to take more chances on offense in the final 40 minutes.

“For them, if it’s 1-1 it’s a tough game and they still have to attack and that might leave their backs vulnerable,” Findley said. “Instead, they’re comfortable and it puts the pressure on us, a team that already struggles to score.”

The Panthers were able to control possession for most of the second half, as just a few times were the Jaguars able to string much of an attack together.

Blue Springs South's Jordan McNamara cuts in front of
Ray-Pec's Becca Millard for possession during
Tuesday's game.

“We talked today about playing with more confidence, taking more chances and joining the team in the attack,” Findley said. “For all the work we do in the back and the midfield we just can’t combine enough elements for more than five or six shots on goal.”

Findley was looking for his team to be more aggressive throughout Tuesday’s game, and while he saw it at times, they still did only manage six shots on goal and frequently struggled to control 50-50 balls.

“Part of it is they’re just more skilled with the ball,” Findley said of possession. “We have to get better to their level. The defense has to join the midfield to help with possession and so do the forwards.

“To me it’s (50-50 balls) a confidence issue and a mentality thing. It doesn’t take much skill to go in and challenge a girl on a header. It’s all about want. Those 50-50 balls are a mentality thing and being willing to take a chance. Against lesser opponents we’re all in their space and won’t let their backs take a break. When we’re snake-bit against a team like Ray-Pec it changes our mindset.”

The loss drops the Jaguars to 3-10 on the season and 0-6 in conference. They will look to get back on track when they host fifth-ranked Lee’s Summit North tonight at 6:30 p.m.

“I feel like our confidence level has to get up,” Meyer said. “We have the skills and the players.”

Daily Scores

The Blue Springs South baseball and boys tennis teams were both in action Monday and saw positive results. Click the South tab for a complete rundown.

Jaguar golfers continue impressive season with conference title; Wildcats unable to put it together

Blue Springs South's J.P. Derksen follows his tee shot during a match
against Lee's Summit West earlier in the season. Derksen won the
individual conference title with a 71 Monday at Adams Pointe, helping
the team claim the shoot a 303 for first place.

It looked as if this would be the day.

Blue Springs South junior golfers J.P. Derksen and Blake Windsor finished up their rounds in the Suburban Big Six Conference championship at Adams Pointe Golf Club by shooting a 71 and 73, respectively, and they thought this was the day.

This was the day they were breaking 300 as a team.

“That was all they were thinking about when they came in with a 71 and 73,” South head coach Mike McGown said.

As it turned out, the Jaguars had to settle for just a conference title, as they shot a 303, beating second place Lee’s Summit North by 11 strokes.

“The boys are still upset,” McGown said. “They’re still focused; they want to break 300.”

Derksen’s 71 gave him the conference individual title in a scorecard playoff with Lee’s Summit’s Austin Staudinger. Along with Windsor’s 73, Zack Kurth shot a 79 and Joe Hanes and Blair Sanders each shot 80.

And according to McGown, it could have been better.

“We hit a lot of fairways and greens. We like to be at 30 putts or below, so if we get rid of Blair’s five three-putts he’s down to 75 and Blake’s 33 putts and all of a sudden we’re at 295,” McGown said, “and we haven’t changed one thing except putting.”

Blue Springs South's Blair Sanders shot an 80 Monday.

This conference title is the beginning of what the Jaguars hope will be a special final few weeks of the season and the culmination of what was an impressive regular season.

South has lost just one match all season behind the strength of an experienced team in which each golfer has the ability to shoot a No. 1-type score.

While Derksen and Windsor have been the leaders during the season and are consistently atop the leaderboard, at different times this season Kurth has shot a 72, Hanes a 74 and Sanders a 75.

“Not only are they all pretty consistent but they have the potential to go low,” McGown said.

A tournament earlier in the year was evidence of this, as Derksen wasn’t on his game and fired an 80. But there was Hanes to pick up the slack, leading the way with a 74.

“That day turned everything around. It showed they had confidence in themselves and the team,” McGown said. “This season we’ve been relaxed, there’s been no pressure and we try to keep them in the mindset that you don’t have to go out and win a tournament. There are five guys out there to help pick you up.”

McGown has been preaching that attitude all season, that trust in one another, along with pushing a relaxing environment.

Blue Springs South's Zack Kurth shot an 80
Monday.

“We’ve done it for as long as I’ve been coaching. The harder you push and try the worse you play,” McGown said. “They have to focus on the here and now. They can’t worry about the past. What they have to focus on is this is the shot I have to hit right now.”

That relaxing attitude has helped mold one of the team’s biggest assets, which has been its ability to overcome any rough patch in the course of a round.

“I think they’re strong and able to overcome adversity,” McGown said. “We’ve had situations where we’ve gone bogey, double bogey, bogey and then we turn around with par, birdie, par. They don’t let a couple of bad holes or shots bother them.”

McGown hopes that continues Wednesday in the District Tournament at Longview Golf Club. The top two teams make it out of the district and into sectionals next week, and with the likes of Rockhurst, Lee’s Summit West and Lee’s Summit North as foes, they will need a special kind of focus to continue what has been a special season.

“We feel this is high school sports and being that, anything can happen on any given day,” McGown said. “We never play to an opponent, we just play the golf course. Let’s not worry about what anybody else is doing.

“We finished up the dance on this card here and there’s a whole new dance Wednesday.”

WILDCATS STRUGGLE

Blue Springs’ inconsistency continued at the conference match Monday, as they shot a 354.

“I think the kids are a little discouraged. They just can’t seem to put it together,” Wildcats head coach Tom Round said. “We felt good about going over there (Adams Pointe) and we just didn’t play real well.”

Blue Springs' Zac Clark hits his tee shot during an 18-hole match last
week. Clark fired a 90 at the conference tournament Monday. 

Nathan Podjenski led the way with an 84. Rounding out the scoring was Josh Whitt with an 89, Zac Clark a 90 and Kyle Finley a 91.

Round realizes it may be tough for his team to get excited about Wednesday’s District Tournament, but he hopes they can play a little more free and easy.

“You have to go there with a positive attitude,” he said. “I feel like they’re kind of beaten down. They’re having a hard time being positive and it’s a hard game to play when you’re down on yourself. I don’t think there’s any expectation level so maybe they will go in relaxed and play well.”

Weekend Scores

Both the Blue Springs South boys tennis and Blue Springs baseball teams took part in tournament action Saturday. Check the tabs for full results.

Area golf teams hope they can put it all together for conference tourney

The Blue Springs South and Blue Springs boys golf teams have had completely different seasons so far this year, and it can be summed up with one word: consistency.

Simply put, the Jaguars have had it and the Wildcats haven’t.

Both teams will try and put it all together Monday at Adams Pointe Golf Club as they play for the Suburban Big Six Conference championship.

“We’ve been very, very inconsistent,” Blue Springs senior Kyle Finley said. “We’re making progress. Our scores have been getting lower all year. We keep getting better.”

Blue Springs South is one of the more experienced teams in the area with J.P. Derksen and Blake Windsor leading the way. The Jaguars have claimed three 18-hole tournament titles already this season.

The course should be a fairly familiar one for both schools, even though it’s not the home course for either team.

“It’s one of my favorite courses in Kansas City,” Finley said. “It’s going to be tough regardless. We have to keep it in the fairway – fairways and greens.”

The thing that has hurt the Wildcats the most this season, what head coach Tom Round has harped on consistently, has been the team’s inability to avoid the big number on a hole.

A couple of bad holes can turn a possible round that was headed for the lower 40’s up to the mid- or upper-40’s quickly.

Even worse, one bad hole can lead to another.

“The key to any good golfer is to be able to stay in the moment,” Round said. “They have to take each hole and each shot as it comes. Is there a mental aspect? Absolutely. I don’t know if we’ve overcome that hurdle yet.

“Your intuition is to get down on yourself and let it affect you one more time.”

The team that’s able to do avoid that best Monday may have the best chance to bring home a conference title.

While anything can happen and anyone can get hot on a given day, South and Lee’s Summit North appear to be the favorites.

The Wildcats will do everything they can to throw their name into the mix as well.

“I think we can be competitive,” Round said. “Can we win it? That might be a stretch. Everyone has to play up to their potential one time and we’ll see where that gets us.”

Added Finley, “The talent is there. If we shoot as well as we should we have a shot. It’s definitely possible.”

KU Relays - Saturday results

Both Blue Springs track and field teams, as well as Blue Springs South's Samantha Nightingale wrapped up action at the KU Relays Saturday. Scroll down the page to see results from Friday. Below are Saturday's results and comments from all coaches.


Blue Springs boys: 

Erron Holley (100-meter dash finals) - 8th, 11.01 seconds
Simon Belete (1,600-meter run) - 18th, 4:26.76
Stephen Mugeche (1,600) - 30th, 4:29.52
David Johnson (Discus) - 15th, 149 feet, 2 inches
4x880 relay - 10th, 8:12.43 - Jacob Belke, Alex Johnson, Dominic Piccinini and James Barnett

Wildcats head coach Joe Cusack: "I thought it went pretty well. Chris Clark hit a hurdle in the 300, got hurt, and we had to scratch two relays, so we didn’t do a lot but what did, we did well. Simon got a new personal record in the two-mile with a fantastic time (of 9:22). That’s an all-state caliber run. Stephen (Mugeche) ran a nice 3,200 and missed a PR by a second. He just enjoyed the experience. Simon also got a new PR in the mile and Stephen missed his by six-hundredths of a second.
"The distance medley had a nice race. They just missed a school record by under 3 seconds, and the 4x880 relay ran a season best time and they were very competitive. Erron had his best time of the year in the prelims (in the 100). 

"Now we’re geared up for our trip to St. Louis (next weekend) and there are some other areas I want to identify before conference that we’ll figure out and we’ll go from there."

Blue Springs girls: 

4x200 relay - 20th, 1:53.97 - Rey'ven Lawrence, Tyonna Snow, Jessica Lawson and Gabby Hall

4x880 relay - 17th, 9:58.31 - Stephanie Burasco, Shannon Danaher, Elizabeth Reynolds and Elena Chavez

Wildcats head coach Jennifer Reeder: "Probably our highlight of the weekend was Megan (Wright) in the pole vault. She didn’t vault her best but to go out and compete against girls from the four-state area, she did very well. She was the highest Missouri finisher. She competed well.

"Our 4x880 relay was a second or two faster. I think the girls are excited to lower their time even more. Our coaches have a plan for them. We’re taking it piece by piece.

"Gabby (Hall) has been winning all her events in the local meets, so KU is a meet where we see the big dogs from St. Louis and Kansas. It was a good learning experience. She needs to learn from these types of races. Our sprinters, we know we have talent. What we need to do now, what was shown to us this weekend, was that talent only gets you so far. We have to work out the kinks in those relays heading into the postseason. 

"The Kirkwood meet (next weekend) gets us out of our routine of seeing the local teams and seeing some teams we’ll see at the state meet on the other side of the state."

Blue Springs South girls: 

Samantha Nightingale (1,600) - 5th, 4:57.63 (One of five meet-record times)

South head coach Ryan Unruh: "She set her PR by 11 seconds (in the two-mile Friday). That should put her up pretty high in the nation. The girls she beat from Arkansas is a seven-time state champion. She ran an 11-flat last year, so to improve by 27 seconds shows where she’s at right now."

Daily Scores

Both tennis teams were in action today and saw some positive results.

Blue Springs dominated Kearney, while South head a pair of matches that were polar opposites of each other in the Mid-Missouri Invitational in Columbia. Check the tabs for each schools result.

Track & Field results

While the Blue Springs South boys team was in action last night, all three other area squads took to the track today and tonight.

Both Blue Springs teams went to the ultra-competitive KU Relays, while most of the Blue Springs South girls teams was at the Tiger Classic at Lee's Summit. A couple of Lady Jags were also at the KU Relays.

See results below.

Tiger Classic: 
1. Lee's Summit North, 151 points
2. Lee's Summit, 104 points
3. Blue Springs South, 90.5 points

Top finishers: 
Grace Klausen (1,600) - 1st, 5:35 and 3,200 - 1st, 12:23
400-meter relay - 1st, 50.73 - Krishina Stoudermire, Makayla Moore, Shannon Hughes and Savannah Hoyle
Taylor Gregston (800) - 2nd
Moore (100) - 2nd, 12.80
1,600 relay - 3rd - Stoudermire, Moore, Hughes and Taylor Gregston

South head coach Ryan Unruh: "Kind of where we are, it’s a good meet for us with a bunch of young kids and a chance at success heading into conference. It was a good measuring stick.

"She (Klausen) had never run the 3,200 before. I don’t know how excited she was about running it, but she hung with a couple of kids and she’s a good racer. She’s a strong girl and she used it to her advantage. I'm really pleased with her getting out of her comfort zone and running something she’s maybe not ready for and doing well.

"Moore is getting better and better each day. Hughes had a good meet in the relays and the long jump. Those two are a big part of what we’re trying to do in the relays. I think we might be able to make some noise in the 4x100."

KU Relays: 

Blue Springs boys finishes: 

Simon Belete (3,200) - 5th, 9:22
Stephen Mugeche (3,200) - 16th, 9:36.41

Erron Holley (100 prelims) - 7th (qualified for finals), 10.85

Chris Clark (300 hurdle prelims) - 16th, 41.40

Distance Medley - 3rd, 10:42.78 (James Barnett, Alex Johnson, Jacob Belke and Belete)

Blue Springs girls finishes: 

Gabby Hall (400 prelims) - 9th, 1:00.57 and 100 prelims - 17th, 12.66

Megan Wright (pole vault) - 5th, 10 feet, 11 3/4 inches

Cali Bissel (pole vault) - 14th, 10-4

Shannon Danaher (800) - 27th, 2:25.74

Distance Medley - 12th, 13:09.60 (Julia Montgomery, Elena Chavez, Elizabeth Reynolds and Julia Dury)

400-meter relay prelims - 14th, 51.08 (Ronay Coleman, Tyonna Snow, Jessica Lawson and Rey'ven Lawrence)

Blue Springs South girls finishes: 

Samantha Nightingale (3,200) - 1st, 10:33.55 (Meet record)

Brooke Stetzler (300 hurdle prelims) - 32nd, 49.78

Daily Scores

It was a busy night of action for both schools. Both are baseball teams were in action (see below for South story), as were both soccer teams.

A full Blue Springs South boys track and field squad earned a meet victory at the Lee's Summit North Two-Hour Invitational. The Wildcats were also there but didn't have their entire team. Also, the Jaguars boys tennis team claimed another impressive victory.

Click on the tab for each school for full results.

Baier frustrated after South baseball falls in title game

Some coaches, even when their team is winning more than they're losing, can still tell when and why things aren’t going as well as they may seem and won't hide behind those problems.

Blue Springs South baseball coach Ben Baier is one of those coaches right now.

A 3-2 loss to Truman Thursday in the championship game of the Eastern Jackson County Tournament at Legacy Park brought his frustrations to a head, despite a spotless 3-0 record prior to the title game.

Blue Springs South's Colton Pogue flags down a throw from catcher Nate Goff
trying to catch a Truman base stealer in the seventh inning of Thursday's title
game at the Eastern Jackson County Tournament. Truman won 3-2.

“I’m not happy with how we played the entire tournament. We were solid at times,” Baier said. “You can’t be a championship level team and not play solid all the time.”

The Jaguars grabbed a 2-0 lead early in the game before the Patriots scratched their way back into the game to tie things up at 2-all.

In the bottom of the seventh a leadoff walk and a stolen base by Truman set the table for a walk-off double.

“You can’t walk the leadoff hitter,” Baier said. “We didn’t hit our spots and we left the ball out over the plate. … We didn’t run the bases well at all, again, and this stuff has been a common theme.

“We preach these things and they can pay attention to them or not, but if not this is the result.”

South’s pitching wasn’t all that bad during the tournament, but Baier is looking for more consistency.

His frustrations weren’t limited to the mound or the base paths, though, as he pointed to the teams approach at the plate. In particular, they finished with nine fly ball outs to just three for the Patriots.

“If you hit a bunch of fly balls a freshmen team can beat you,” Baier said. “Anyone can catch a fly ball. We’re not changing our approach; we’re not doing it during an at-bat like we need to. Until we get it out of our minds to try and lift the ball for a home run we’re going to have the same result.”

There’s still plenty of time for South to fix the problems Baier is talking about, not to mention there has been plenty of good things in the teams 11-3 start, even if that wasn’t what was on his mind after the loss.

The Jaguars will look to get back in the win column when they host Lee’s Summit Monday.

“It’s all about performance,” Baier said. “You can’t talk about doing things; you have to do it. You have to bring your focus. We have to ask ourselves what we want to get out of this season.” 

Daily Scores

The Blue Springs boys golf team was in action today for the final time before the conference tournament Monday, while the Wildcat tennis team came up just short against Barstow. Check the Blue Springs tab for full results.

The Blue Springs South baseball team also picked up another win in the Eastern Jackson County Tournament.

Daily Scores

While it was an off day for the Blue Springs High School teams, Blue Springs South's boys golf, baseball and tennis teams were both in action today. The tennis team in particular picked up an important conference win.

Also, pictures are now posted from tonight's golf match and South's soccer game against Pembroke Hill. As always, if you would like to order a photo, email me at stephen.bubalo@yahoo.com for sizes and prices.

South's scoring outburst leads them past Raiders

Blue Springs South's Jordan McNamara battles for possession during Tuesday's game against Pembroke Hill in the
Blue Springs South Tournament. McNamara had two goals and an assist in a 5-1 win.

Coming into Tuesday night’s game against Pembroke Hill in its home tournament, the Blue Springs South girls soccer team had scored just 16 goals in 10 games, and eight of those came in a single contest against Winnetonka.

Needless to say, they needed the exact kind of game they played against the Raiders, as they scored five times and cruised to a 5-1 win.

“We had a more attacking play, more possession,” South head coach Todd Findley said. “We’re definitely building that rapport among the team. We’re feeling more comfortable with our teammates.

Blue Springs South's Sarah Smedley takes a shot on goal in
the second half of Tuesday's win.

“Today was a game where we were able to showcase our skill. There have been few games where we’re been able to showcase our possession, our attacking runs and switching fields.”

And instead of waiting and waiting, wondering when – or if – that first goal would come, the Jaguars didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard.

Beth Landon found senior Jordan McNamara just three minutes into the game for a 1-0 lead.

“We spend all game trying to get that one goal, so to get it so early that helped us all game,” McNamara said. “We were able to keep going and work off each other.”

But it wasn’t just that South was scoring, but the way they were scoring, as they were consistently able to hold possession and string together several passes that led to goals.

Blue Springs South's Hannah Larson moves past a
Pembroke Hill defender during the second half of Tuesday's
win.

McNamara said the first goal was a perfect example.

“Beth Landon played it to the 15 and gave it a little touch. The goalkeeper didn’t come out so I just slid out and hit the far post,” she said. “That goal felt like teamwork.”

McNamara was right in the middle of the second goal when she delivered a perfect through ball to Kelly Voigt who finished for a 2-0 lead with less than 20 minutes to play in the first half.

“To score we have to stay calm,” Voigt said. “We have to look for the ball instead of just kicking it forward. We’ve had a problem with our positioning. We have to find the way we work best together and when we find it we’ll score more.”

Added McNamara, “We have a hard time with communication. It helps to find our feet and connect passes. We’re finally getting that that is the key to success.”

Voigt and McNamara have been the catalysts when the Jaguar offense has been clicking, combining for 12 goals. With several young players around them, the team’s familiarity with each other is still a work in progress.

“It’s taken a while to bond on the field,” Findley said. “The young girls, this is different for them. They’re still learning to play with the speed and confidence they need. The effort has always been there it’s just a matter of confidence and poise under pressure.”

Senior Beth Landon crosses the ball in the first half
against Pembroke Hill Tuesday.

South would go on to score three more goals in the second half from Natalie Mandina, McNamara and Grace Klausen.

Now what the Jaguars (3-8) are looking for is consistency.

Findley always talks to his team about what it will take to compete with the top teams in the area, and an effort like Tuesday is a good blueprint. They have a chance to keep it going Thursday when they close tournament play against Park Hill South before continuing on with an always-difficult conference schedule.

“I hope it can carry over to Thursday and beyond,” Findley said. “We always talk about the big dogs, and how we’re getting the building blocks to compete with the good conference opponents.

“It’s going to be huge if we can knock off a Park Hill South, Liberty or a Lee’s Summit North. Their confidence keeps building. If this can carry over then good things are coming.”

Daily Scores

It was a full day of action in the Blue Springs area, as both schools' baseball and girls soccer teams were in action. The Blue Springs South tennis team also saw time on the court, winning at Staley. Click on each schools tab for results.

Shorthanded Wildcats come up short in close matches, fall to Broncos

Blue Springs' Tyler Casey hits a forehand during his singles match against Lee's Summit North's Rob Durbin Monday.
Durbin won in three sets. 

Sometimes just one player being out of a game or match can throw things just enough out of whack that it can make a difference.

That may have been the case at least somewhat for the Blue Springs boys tennis team Monday, and while the final score may not have indicated a close match, the Wildcats – without No. 2 singles player Max Martell – lost a handful of close matches to Lee’s Summit North and eventually lost 8-1.

“Max Martell got sick so we had to pull him out and move everybody up one spot, which is huge,” Wildcats head coach Jody McClain said. “Not only is it such a big jump for those guys below him, but they didn’t like being on a different court since we were at home. That discouraged me from the beginning.

“Things might have been different if everyone was healthy, but it is what it is.”

Blue Springs' Chad Stohlman hits a backhand during his singles match
Monday against Lee's Summit North. The Broncos won 8-1.

The Broncos swept all six singles matches, three of which went to a third set.

“You would think (we would win at least one),” McClain said. “You would hope. Sometimes that happens. You have to be able to win that third set. I don’t think I ever play Lee’s Summit North without going three sets on several courts.”

No. 1 Tyler Casey, No. 3 Chad Stohlman and No. 4 Ashton Rhodes all went to a third set in singles, but none could win the big points to possibly pick up a much-needed win.

McClain said she wanted her singles players to be more aggressive.

“They stay back a lot, even in singles,” she said. “They don’t like to come to the net. Lee’s Summit North came to the net a little more than we did and were very consistent. It’s all about one more ball over the net. Something I drill into my guys all the time – and they want to end the point with a big hit – but we need to work on being a little more aggressive.”

Casey put the advice into action in the third set against Rob Durbin, frequently approaching the net with mixed results. What seemed to hurt Casey the most were his own errors.

“He knew that his guy pushed the ball a lot and you aren’t going to win on the baseline. He knew he had to win it at the net,” McClain said. “That’s what got him to where he was. When we get to a tiebreaker, that’s when we really need to take care of the ball. Tyler double faulted twice. You can’t do that in a tiebreak. That’s when your tennis has to be more consistent than ever.”

The Wildcats finally picked up a win in doubles when Stohlman and Rhodes came back from losing the first set 0-6 to win the final two sets 6-4, 10-4 in the super tiebreaker.

Blue Springs No. 3 singles player Ashton Rhodes hits a forehand in his
match Monday.

“They just started to come to the net more. I think they get it. I was really proud of them,” McClain said.

The loss hurts the Wildcats chances of contending for a conference championship, putting them at 2-1 in conference play, but doesn’t put them completely out of the running by any means, as they still have Liberty and Blue Springs South on the schedule.

“They won’t be easy, but I know we have the ability if we utilize our talents,” McClain said. “We have to calm down in our head. Their mental game kills them more than anything. They have to keep their head in the game and in the point. We have too many unforced errors. Those turn into games.

“We’ve got guys who stepped up from Nos. 4, 5 and 6 to Nos. 1, 2 and 3. They’re still filling big shoes. It’s tough to teach them to play to win but not to lose. They’re getting it.”

Blue Springs travels to Barstow Wednesday.

Weekend action

The Blue Springs boys tennis team was the lone squad in action Saturday, as they played in the Truman Tournament and placed second. For more details visit the Blue Springs tab.

Daily scores and photos

Check the Blue Springs South tab to read about another Blue Springs South girls soccer win, its second straight after a rough start. The boys baseball team also bounced back from its loss to Blue Springs earlier in the week to beat Rock Bridge. The Blue Springs baseball team fell 5-1 to second-ranked Lee's Summit West.

Also, pictures are now posted from Friday night's Gary Parker Invitational. As always, for picture ordering prices and other information email stephen.bubalo@yahoo.com.

Holley, Hall lead Wildcats track and field to first

Blue Springs senior Deiondre Hall prepares for his third jump in the triple jump
at Friday's Gary Parker Invitational. Hall won the event with a school-record
jump of 47 feet, 7 3/4 inches. 

The Blue Springs boys track and field seniors made the final meet on their home track one to remember Friday night, as they won the Gary Parker Invitational with 131 points.

The performance left head coach Joe Cusack with nothing to do but gush about the leaders of the group.

“The kids performed very well, from our seniors down the line,” he said. “Seniors Deiondre Hall, Erron Holley, Jacob Belke, Tyler Ray and David Johnson went to another level to win this meet.”

Holley and Hall – as usual – were right in the thick of things.

Holley had possibly his best high school meet, winning both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, while also running a leg on the gold-medal-winning 400-meter relay team and a leg in the 1,600-meter team, which took second.

Not a bad days work.

“Last year I trained hard but I didn’t play football. This year I played football and I think that’s helped me,” Holley said. “I got a lot of good speed work in. I just worked hard.”

His win in the 100 may have been the most impressive, as he beat both Liberty’s Adorin Dorsey and Staley’s Morgan Steward – the second and third place finishers, respectively, at state last year – by running a 10.95.

“In the 100 I knew I had a shot at the top three,” Holley said. “I beat the kid from Liberty, which I’ve never done before. I was happy about that.”

Added Cusack, “Erron had a phenomenal meet. Any time you win against Liberty it’s a big thing. Holley knows Dorsey is going to come after him. I don’t mind Liberty getting better because they make us better. He’s definitely ahead of where he was last year.”

Blue Springs' Erron Holley ran past the competition in
the 200-meter dash at Friday's Gary Parker Invitational.
He also won the 100. 

Holley joined DaShaughn Terry, Chris Clark and Deiondre Hall to win the 400 relay in a time of 42.84.

“I was excited. We’re not usually first in the relay,” Holley said. “We had a different rotation tonight and once we got to the third leg Deiondre took it home.”

Hall did his usual thing in the field events, despite not doing the high jump, by winning the long and triple jump. His jump of 47 feet, 7 3/4 inches set the school record, while his final leg of the relay opened some eyes as well.

“Hall had an incredible meet and he didn’t do all of his events. That’s the first race (400-meter relay) he’s done on the track this season and he looked fantastic,” Cusack said.

Tyler Ray picked up a gold medal as well for the Wildcats, edging out teammate David Johnson in the discus by 3 1/2 inches at 163-7 1/2.

“Both of those guys had personal bests in their final home meet,” Cusack said. “They’re good friends but they compete. Tyler got him on the last throw.”

Chris Clark did his best to stay with Blue Springs South’s Ben Harvel in the 300 hurdles, taking second with a time of 39.25. Danny Thompson bumped his personal best up from 11-3 to 12-10 in the pole vault to finish second.

“Thompson was out of this world to get a PR in the pole vault,” Cusack said.

The 1,600-meter relay team closed out the meet with a second place finish. James Barnett finished third in the 800, while Jacob Peister was third in the triple jump.

A bevy of other solid performances had Holley and Cusack in good spirits about the team at this point in the season.

“Coach tells us everyday that we’re a state team,” Holley said. “We just have to work for it. Everyone has to do their part.”

Added Cusack, “I think they’re starting to realize (they could do something special). We’re staying with the plan.”

Blue Springs South's Ben Harvel jumps over a
hurdle during the 300-meter event at Friday's
Gary Parker Invitational. Harvel won the event
with a time of 38.47 seconds.

Blue Springs South finished in sixth place with 50.5 points.

While Harvel was pushed a little bit by Blue Springs' Clark in the 300 hurdles, the senior still won the event in a time of 38.47. The 800-meter relay team claimed the other gold medal with a time of 1:30.24, even with a makeshift rotation. The 400 relay took third.

“Dylan Hernandez had some hamstring issues, so we pulled him out of both relays. Trey Ervin came up lame in the 100 today, so we scrambled at the last minute,” South head coach Troy Harding said. “We have five guys that can run in that. At the last minute we had to add a couple parts in both relays. I knew we would still run well but I was kind of surprised by our time in the 4x200.”

Harding was also pleased with the 110-meter high hurdles combination of Tyler Blair (third) and Hunter Stoll (fifth).

“Getting two guys in the high hurdles was good for us,” he said. “Tyler is really starting to come on for a young hurdler. He ended last season really well. I expected him to take that step and he hasn’t disappointed.”

Josh Watson finished fourth in the discus and Syrell Fuel was fifth in the high jump to round out South’s top performances.

Balanced Lady Wildcats pull away from competition for title

Blue Springs' Tyra Bickham competes in the discus during Friday's Gary Parker Invitational. Bickham set personal
bests in both the discus and shot put, taking second in both events. 

Blue Springs pole vaulter Megan Wright has come a long way in just one year.

Around this time last year, Wright was peaking around 10-feet, and while it seems like small potatoes now, she had set the school record of 9-6.

A year later she has a second place finish at the state meet under her belt and she continues to beat her own school record, doing it again Friday night at the Gary Parker Invitational by clearing 11-6.

“I joked with her last week because I found my entry sheet to the Springfield meet from last year and I entered her height at 9-6,” Wildcats head coach Jennifer Reeder said. “She dedicated herself year-round to vaulting and it’s paying off. I’m excited about where she is and where she can go.

“It’s good to see her get confidence and have good vaults in April.”

Wright’s vault not only helped the team win the meet with 141 points, but finally clearing 11-6 was the next step in her continued quest to a state title.

“I’ve gotten 11-6 in practice before, but not at a meet yet, so I was excited. It’s official now,” Wright said with a laugh. “I had a good feeling I would get it. We were inside and there was a raised runway, which helps you run faster. And I also had a new pole. That allowed me to go higher. This was one of my best chances to make 11-6."

This season has been gold medal after gold medal for Wright, who is doing everything she can to use these meets as preparation for May.

“It’s all technique,” said Wright of what she uses these meets for. “I’m learning from others that I watch, learning what to do and what not to do. I’m just figuring out what I need to work on.”

Wright currently has the second-best vault in the state this season behind Lee’s Summit West’s Brittany Kallenberger, the defending state champ, but Reeder is hopeful Wright can make another run like last year.

“If she continues to pick it up like she did last year than the sky is the limit,” she said.

The sky appears to be the limit for the entire Wildcat squad, as they put on an impressive team performance. They would go on to score in all but two events.

“To take home the title at our home meet, I’m very happy about that,” Reeder said. “This team, we don’t have a lot of depth but we have talent in multiple areas.”

Blue Springs' Bri Starr won the long jump with a
leap of 17 feet in her first meet of the season at
Friday's Gary Parker Invitational. She also took
second in the triple jump.

And that was obvious as the results kept rolling in.

Freshman Gabby Hall continues to run well, winning the 200- and 400-meter dashes. The other first for the Wildcats went to Bri Starr in the long jump at 17 feet in what was her first meet of the season.

“She rocked it today. I’m excited about where she can go from here,” Reeder said. “Stuff like that, we need that to beat Lee’s Summit North at conference.”

Blue Springs had several runner-up finishes as well.

Tyra Bickham set two personal bests in the shot put (40-3) and discus (124-10) for second in both events.

“I’m happy that she hit those this early,” Reeder said. “She was in the shadow of Monett (Jackson) last year but she’s the leader of the throwers this year.”

Also coming in second was Lizzy Wendell in the high jump, Starr in the triple jump, Tyonna Snow in the long jump and the 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter relays.

Rounding out the top three finishers were Cali Bissel (pole vault), Julia Dury (3,200) and the 3,200-meter relay team.

All in all, there was plenty for Reeder to be satisfied with as May approaches.

“I’m very encouraged,” she said. “We won the Rusty Hodge meet but Lee’s Summit North wasn’t there. But they were here today and I’m not sure how they were using all their girls, but I’m still going to take it as a win and use it to pump the girls up the rest of the year.” 

Daily Scores

A pair of games - Blue Springs tennis against Platte County and Blue Springs South baseball against Rockhurst - were both rained out today, but check each schools page for some Blue Springs golf and South soccer action. The Lady Jags were able to snag their first win of the season in dominating fashion.

Daily Scores and photos

Check the Blue Springs tab to see how the Blue Springs boys golf team performed in a dual against Pembroke Hill.

Also, to see more photos from the Blue Springs-Blue Springs South baseball game Wednesday, visit the 'Photo Galleries' tab.

Big innings propel Wildcats past rival Jags

Blue Springs' Kyle Reed smacks an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to drive in the go-ahead run in
Thursday's 12-7 win over cross-town rival Blue Springs South.

The Blue Springs baseball team dealt the initial blow in Wednesday’s home game against cross-town rival Blue Springs South.

The Jaguars sat quietly for four innings before the game turned into both teams throwing haymaker after haymaker, with Blue Springs landing the final punch in the way of a five-run bottom of the sixth for a 12-7 win.

The game wasn’t exactly pretty, full of errors, walks, several infield hits, but at the end of the day that didn’t matter.

“Style doesn’t matter as long as you get the ‘W’,” Wildcats head coach Marc Hines said. “Sometimes you have to find ways to win and we found a way to get it done. There was no quit in them. They kept battling and kept battling.”

The Wildcats took an early 4-0 lead, only to see South get it to 4-1, then take a 5-4 lead thanks to a four-run fifth aided by a two-out error. But the Jaguars returned the favor in the bottom of the inning with a pair of errors themselves, helping Blue Springs to a three-run inning and a 7-5 lead.

“We made too many mistakes,” South head coach Ben Baier said. “Lately we’ve been making a lot of mistakes and we are having to fight ourselves out of it. You can’t do that against good teams.”

Blue Springs South's Jared Ginter (12) is congratulated by teammates
after hitting a two-run homer to tie the game at 7-all in the top of the sixth.

The top of the sixth saw Jared Ginter tie the game with a two-out, two-run homer, but the Wildcats kept the foot on the gas for that decisive five-run outburst.

“We’ve been behind a few times this year and we always come back,” Blue Springs’ Kyle Reed said. “I still felt the energy was still positive.”

Wylson Lamb started the rally with an infield single and went to second on an overthrow. Brian Burasco followed with a walk and Reed poked an RBI single up the middle for the lead.

“I was just thinking that if I came to bat I needed to relax and stay focused and do what I can to win the game,” Reed said. “I stayed back on the ball and tried to score a run.”

That opened the floodgates, as Nick Gulotta followed with an RBI single, Corban Hare was hit by a pitch, and David Stober connected on an RBI single. An error brought Gulotta home and Hare scored on a wild pitch.

The Wildcats finished with two three-run innings to go along with the five-run frame. Maybe hitting is contagious after all.

“That really is true,” said Gulotta, who finished with three hits and three RBI. “All year long we’ve been hitting. I knew we would get runs, especially when Wylson got on base. He starts us up.”

“We feed off each other,” added Reed.

The loss moved South to 7-2 overall, 2-2 in conference, and despite the strong start, Baier felt a game like this might be coming.

“We gave them way too many opportunities,” he said. “We’ve talked all year about eliminating the big inning, which, to us, is three-plus runs. We had chances to end it and didn’t. Lately we’ve been good enough to pull out wins. We knew it would come back to bite us, and tonight it did.”

Blue Springs moves to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in conference action. Afterward, Gulotta was hopeful a win over a rival would be what the team needs moving forward.

“This is a big boost,” he said. “We’ve played some tough teams lately. Hopefully, we can get a little streak going.”