High schools notebook: LHS softball shelves C Team

Lawrence High softball has canceled its C Team’s season.

Injuries and low turnout were factors, but the biggest issue was the high school limit of 20 games for any girl during the softball season. The Kansas High School Athletic Association says, “no student or team shall participate in more than 20 games of interschool competition during a season.” The 20-game limit does not count towards regionals or state, but it does affect players who would shuffle between junior varsity and the C Team.

“Usually you have rainouts with JV, and then usually they have extra games,” LHS coach Joe Dee Tarbutton said. “But having the 20 games, you know they can’t play more than 20 games, so with them going to down to the C Team, we didn’t want to run into that.”

All of the members of the C Team were moved up to JV, giving the Lions 12 players on varsity and 15 on JV.

The varsity team had its season debut pushed back after bad field conditions postponed a doubleheader against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday. The Lions will open against Shawnee Mission West at 4:15 p.m. today at LHS.

“We’ve been practicing since March 3 without a game, so it’s been really tough for the kids,” Tarbutton said. “But they’ve really kept a good attitude, came together as a team, and I’ve always been been a coach that’s done a lot of different things (in practice).”

FSHS softball confident in offense

It was pitching that carried Free State’s softball team in its season-opening doubleheader against Shawnee Mission South, but coach Lee Ice has plenty of confidence in his team’s offense.

The Firebirds were shut out in the first game, losing 2-0 after being held to just four hits. Starting pitcher Meredith Morris struck out eight in a complete-game three-hitter.

“We really never did square up the ball and get multiple hits until Game Two, and that’s what we talked a little bit (in practice Monday),” Ice said. “One of the things I was not concerned about with this team is our ability to hit. But the fact is we had opportunities. We just didn’t execute. I still have all the confidence in the world with this group of kids swinging the bat.”

The Firebirds won the second game, 6-1, and were led by starter Kaley Delg, who also pitched a complete game, giving up 10 hits and striking out two. The offense didn’t put up more than one run in an inning until scoring three in the top of the seventh.

FSHS (1-1) will play host to Olathe South (2-0) at 4:15 p.m. today.

This, that …

Seabury Academy’s girls swimming team took 12th place out of 13 teams in the Topeka High Invitational on Thursday. Phoebe Edwards swam to first-place finishes in the 100-yard butterfly and the 500-yard freestyle. … Free State track star Alexa Harmon-Thomas has one of her legs in a cast and is moving around on crutches as she deals with a stress reaction. However, FSHS coach Jordan Rose said the senior may be able to return by the Kansas Relays, which begins on April 18, but first Harmon-Thomas will need to be re-evaluated. … Lawrence High senior Gretchen Frick will not swim this year. Frick finished second at the state tournament last year in the 200-yard individual medley and third in the 500-yard freestyle. Frick was also on the Lions’ 400-yard freestyle relay team that finished in sixth place at state.