Overland Park ? Lawrence High mounted an inspired rally, but it was too little, too late in a 10-9 baseball loss to Blue Valley North on Saturday at Blue Valley District Activity Center.

“We got down, and then they decided they wanted to compete,” LHS coach Brad Stoll said. “When they decided they wanted to compete, they fought hard. Early on, they weren’t a very competitive bunch of kids. But they dug their heels in and played good baseball the last part of the game.”

LHS took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but BV North responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame, a pair of runs in the second and five runs in an ugly third inning — which featured a dropped fly ball, an error and miscommunication

Coming off Thursday’s disappointing loss to crosstown rival Free State High, the Lions came out sluggish Saturday.

“We talked about that,” Stoll said. “After your rival game, you can’t have a letdown, but I don’t know. I would hope not, but something wasn’t right. They weren’t sparked, they weren’t focused, and they weren’t dialed in. When they decided to do that, they were tough.

“We played hard for four innings, but the first three, we didn’t play very hard.”

Stoll said Daniel Green pitched well in relief, striking out four in five innings, and that Michael Sickinger was “swinging a good bat” after going 4-for-4 with a triple and two runs.

The Lions (2-6) will play host to Olathe North at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Ice Field.

Free State takes track title

Stilwell — Austin Winn claimed an individual gold medal and three relays golds — and the Most Valuable Performer Award — and his Free State High track and field team won the boys team title at Saturday’s Blue Valley Relays.

Winn won the 100-meter dash in 10.64 seconds and had a hand in the winning 4×100, 4×200 and 1,600 sprint medley relays.

Free State won the boys team title with 150 points. Shawnee Mission South was a distant second with 108.

FSHS was seventh in the girls team standings with 71 points.

Other FSHS winners were: Alysha Valencia in the 1,600 and the 3,200; Ryan Rastok in the 300 hurdles; and the Firebirds’ 4×400 and 4×800 relay teams.

LHS swimmers 12th

Olathe — Lawrence High’s girls swimming and diving team took 12th place at the Olathe Invitational on Saturday, qualifying two more swimmers for the state meet in the process.

With many LHS swimmers sitting out for various reasons, the Lions’ bright spots were the state-qualifying times of Kristi Rudman in the 200 individual medley and Hannah Buchner in the 500 freestyle, as well as the strong diving performances turned in by Mallory and Meredith West. Mallory West took third with 374.10 points, while Meredith was eighth with 295.20.

“They actually scored close to half of our (team) points,” LHS coach Ryan Adams said. “Mallory West was really close to second, and once she gets a couple of dives down, she’s going to be moving up. She’ll be a force in the state.”