The Lawrence High baseball team rallied past Shawnee Mission Northwest late in the game on Wednesday, winning 8-6 on the road and snapping a five-game losing streak.

Entering the seventh, the Lions were down by a run, but junior Sammy Stoll tied the ballgame at 6-6 with an RBI single. Fellow junior Connor Nowak, in his third base hit and second RBI of the afternoon, gave LHS the lead and the Lions (3-5) didn’t look back.

Stoll, the starting pitcher, allowed four runs on one hit, five walks and three strikeouts through two innings. Junior Vaughn Wells took over from him in the third and gave up just two more runs on six hits, two walks and six strikeouts. He earned the save in the seventh.

“He’s a very competitive kid, man,” LHS coach Brad Stoll said of Wells. “He’s fiery and he’s tough. I was very proud of him tonight. That’s another kid that’s waited his turn, and that’s what (Wells) and Connor (Nowak) have done. They’ve impressed the coaching staff and earned the respect of their teammates.”

Wednesday’s win looked very different from the tough stretch that the Lions endured over the last few games. In their previous five games, the Lions had six hits or fewer, but on Wednesday, they stacked up 12 hits.

Up next, LHS travels to Gardner Edgerton on Thursday. First pitch is slated for 5:30.

Free State softball rolls past SM South

After rattling off four runs in the first, the Free State softball team raced to a 12-3 home victory over Shawnee Mission South on Tuesday.

The Firebirds (3-3) performed well throughout the game, entering the seventh with a three-run lead and then crossing six more runs to seal the deal.

Junior Elsa Carrillo got the starting nod for Free State and allowed no runs on three hits, four walks and five strikeouts in three innings. Reliever Megan Kohl took over the mound in the fourth and allowed three runs on three hits, three walks and eight strikeouts.

At the plate, junior Grace Rothwell (2-for-4) led the way with three RBIs. Senior Leah Mueller (2-for-3) and junior Aly Richardson (2-for-3) each had two RBIs.

Free State travels to Olathe for the Sunflower League tournament on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 9 a.m.

Free State baseball buries SM East on the road

Taking advantage of four walks and two batters hit by pitches, the Free State baseball team routed Shawnee Mission East 11-1 in just five innings on Tuesday.

Junior Tyler Jeffries got the start and allowed a single run on three hits, no walks and three strikeouts over five innings. He finished 1-for-4 at the plate, including an RBI.

Junior Kyle Graves batted 2-for-3 with three RBIs, including a bases-clearing RBI triple in the third. Sophomore Ryan Weishaar went 3-for-4 with two RBIs at the plate. He added to the fire with an RBI double in the fifth.

With Tuesday’s road win, Free State improves to 9-1. The Firebirds will host Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Hot start by O-Northwest too much for LHS softball

Olathe Northwest overwhelmed the Lawrence High softball team 13-2 at home on Tuesday, handing the Lions their second consecutive loss. The Ravens piled on seven runs over the second and third innings, and LHS didn’t respond until the seventh.

Junior Taylor Zeckser got the start for LHS (4-4), allowing seven runs on seven hits and one walk through three innings. After the third, freshman Sophie Rowley relieved Zeckser and gave up six more runs on three hits, four walks and one strikeout the rest of the way.

LHS had a total of two RBIs and scored in the first and seventh. Sophomore Lydia Folks led the Lions at the plate, batting 2-for-3 and a run.

“Didn’t play good defense, nor did we swing it with confidence,” LHS coach Mike Byrn said after the game. “Better team won, but we made it ugly. Growth is happening; just takes time. We will continue to work and will be better as the season progresses.”

LHS travels to Olathe for the Sunflower League tournament on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 9 a.m.