By Dustin Armbruster

Two five run innings by the Kansas City Piper Pirates was too much for Hays High to overcome Friday at the 4A-1 state tournament. Hays fell 10-5 to the top seeded Pirates to end their season at 10-11. Hays led off the game with a pair of singles but could not capitalize. Piper scored five runs and sent ten to the plate to take the lead for good.

Hays did get within a single run with two outs in the top of the third. The Indians loaded the bases for Tessa Stickel who launched a grand slam over the fence in right center field. The Stickel blast put Hays back into the game, trailing 5-4. The momentum though was short lived. In the bottom half of the same inning Piper added five more runs to increase their lead to 10-4.

Highlights

Stickel narrowly missed another homer to left field when the ball hit the fence just eighteen inches from the top. That double drove in the Indian’s fifth and final run of the contest.

Coach Erin Wagner

Piper’s Abby Henry who has signed to play at Washburn took the victory in the circle for the Pirates who are now 19-2. Kaitlyn Brown was tagged with the loss allowing five runs over just two-thirds of an inning. Jaysa Wichers allowed five runs over 5.1 innings pitching in relief.