Monday, Jun. 01, 2009
Olathe Northwest caps perfect season with a state title
Jeff Gelski
special to The Olathe News
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ReprintThe Olathe Northwest Ravens can rip apart those 2008 Kansas 6A state softball tournament brackets in their lockers. The 2009 brackets show the Northwest girls as 25-0 and state champions.
Olathe Northwest dumped Topeka Washburn Rural 3-2 in Saturday’s final at the Shawnee Mission Softball Complex. Three consecutive two-out singles from Chantelle Dietz, Hannah Dale and Victoria Toplikar scored the eventual winning run in the sixth inning.
Washburn Rural had clipped Olathe Northwest 2-1 in last year’s 6A final.
“We hung last year’s bracket in everybody’s locker this year,” Olathe Northwest coach Mark Mahoney said. “No disrespect to Rural. They are a great program and defending state champs.
“To beat them is extra special. It shows a lot of grit and heart for this group.” Dietz, a senior outfielder, added, “We had to have revenge. Two years ago, they kicked us out of regionals. Last year, they took state from us.”
A Dietz double and a Washburn Rural error gave Olathe Northwest a 2-0 lead after one inning.
Washburn Rural senior pitcher Paige Ladenburger, the Kansas Gatorade player of the year, got into a groove in the second inning, retiring the first of 14 straight batters.
Ladenburger’s two-out, two-run single in the top of the sixth tied the game. After Ladenburger retired the first two Olathe Northwest batters in the bottom of the sixth, Dietz and Dale stung sharp singles. Toplikar, a junior outfielder, then tried for her first base hit against Ladenburger.
“She hit her outside spots,” Toplikar said of Ladenburger. “Her fastball is really tough. You just have to know how to go with it.”
Toplikar slapped a one-strike pitch into left field to score Dietz.
Olathe Northwest sophomore pitcher Jacinda Ramos, pitched a complete game, striking out five and giving up seven hits. Ladenburger, 17-2, struck out six and gave up six hits.
Olathe Northwest had advanced to the finals earlier Saturday thanks to a 4-2 semifinal victory against Olathe East.