Anyone who wonders how Ottawa High won the Class 4A state softball championship need only look at pitcher Megan Ramsey’s statistics.

Ramsey, a freshman, pitched 1152/3 innings for the Cyclones, who finished with a 19-5 record, and struck out 203 batters while walking only nine. Her earned-run average was 0.67.

“Her numbers are amazing,” Ottawa High coach Renee Malburg said.

Ramsey pitched all six games in the regionals and at state. At the 4A championships Friday and Saturday in Mulvane, Ramsey hurled the Cyclones past Rose Hill, 2-1; Chapman, 4-0; and Kansas City Piper, 4-3.

Ramsey also led Ottawa in hitting with a .513 average.

Senior center fielder Liz Burks was the Cyclones’ other state standout. Burks had three hits, including two doubles, in the title game against No. 1 seed Piper.

Burks finished as a .380 hitter and led the club in runs scored (27) and stolen bases (21). Burks was thrown out just once, and that was at third base.

Junior left fielder Amanda Guenther also hit over .300 with a .304 average and scored 18 runs. Guenther and Burks, both left-handed hitters, batted at the top of the lineup.

In addition to Burks, Malburg will lose four other senior starters — DH Megan Matile, third baseman Julie Heck, first baseman Jenny Heck and catcher Jennifer Warren.

At one point during the season, the Cyclones had an 8-5 record, but they won their last 11 to capture the first state title in the five years since the school adopted softball as a varsity sport.

Even with Ramsey returning next year, Ottawa could have a tough time repeating as state champ without those five seniors and with the cat out of the bag.

“We caught some teams off guard this year,” Malburg said.

“Next year people are going to know what’s coming at them.”