Lawrence High baseball coach Brad Stoll said before the team’s 4-1 victory against Free State on Wednesday he attached a player from the past to each current LHS player for motivation.

“We talked about playing for the school we go to and how much pride there is at Lawrence High,” Stoll said. “All the tradition at Lawrence High is fine and dandy, but until you do something to back it up, it really doesn’t do you much.”

Behind senior Daniel Green’s two-hit performance, Lawrence defeated Free State for the first time in five years.

Coincidentally, LHS third baseman John Novotny was attached to former LHS player Steve Kelly, who Stoll said was ejected about 15 years ago in a summer league for running over the catcher.

High school rules prohibit any player from running into the catcher at home plate in an attempt to score. Novotny was ejected from Wednesday’s game for running into Free State catcher Andy Petz, resulting in an automatic suspension for the following day’s game against Free State.

¢ Turning point: In Free State freshman Michael Swank’s 9-8 (7-5) tiebreaker loss to Washburn Rural’s Sebastian Reiter at the Class 6A boys state tennis tournament, FSHS coach Jon Renberger noted one point as arguably being the most important of the match.

“If he’d been able to get that next point and make it 6-all and they would have changed ends, I think momentum really would have shifted,” Renberger said about Swank coming back from a 5-1 tiebreaker deficit. “It really would have been a new tiebreaker. But to the Rural kid’s credit, to close it out 7-5 was well earned, but Michael was going to keep fighting until the bitter end.”

Swank trailed, 6-5, when Reiter closed the match with a forehand winner down the line.

¢ Talented twosome: Lawrence High sisters Kristina and Jennifer Taylor staged another impressive performance Friday at the Sunflower League track meet.

Among their strong marks, Kristina Taylor finished second in 58.04 seconds, and Jennifer Taylor was fifth with a 59.56 during the 400-meter dash. Jennifer Taylor ran the first leg and Kristina Taylor the anchor on the LHS 4×400 relay team, which placed first.

“The Taylor twins always show up,” LHS coach Jack Hood said. “The twins are studs.”

¢ Good glove: Although Lawrence High senior Lauren Kelly has struggled a bit at the plate of late, the Bradley-bound shortstop continues to demonstrate her defensive abilities for the LHS softball team.

During Thursday’s sweep of Shawnee Mission East, Kelly twice raced from her spot between second and third to haul in fly balls outside the third-base foul line.

“Lauren’s probably one of the best defensive shortstops I’ve ever had,” LHS coach Reenie Stogsdill said. “She has a great glove, a great backhand. She’s one of those kids that’s fun to watch play defense.”

¢ Stephens signs: Free State High senior Caleb Stephens recently signed a letter of intent to play football at Bethel College.

Bethel is located in North Newton, about 21â2 hours southwest of Lawrence.

Stephens played on the defensive line and center for coach Bob Lisher’s state semifinals team last season. He also served as the Firebirds’ punter.