photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Lawrence High's Lili Spinelli takes a practice swing during a game vs. Olathe West on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe, Kansas.

Olathe – April’s hardly been the month Lawrence High softball could’ve dreamed of after taking its seventh straight loss — 7-1 against Olathe West at the CBAC on Tuesday — but coach Mike Byrn and his group are holding their heads high as their league schedule stiffens up.

A three-run seventh inning for the Owls (10-7) ultimately doomed LHS (4-8) sophomore Keira Norris’ start, as the Lions finished the day with a single hit by junior Maddy Crawford in the third.

Norris, who spent the majority of her freshman campaign on the JV squad, battled with Central Arkansas commit Brevyn Kellepouris (5.0 IP, H, R, ER, BB, 8 K) most of the way. Byrn, praising his young starter for grinding out a tough road trip, said confidence begins at the plate.

“If you’re in the box, you’ve got to believe you’re better than that pitcher,” Byrn said. “Great hitters believe that they’re better than the pitcher out there and that they can’t get them – that’s what we lack.”

photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Keira Norris unleashes her pitch during a game vs. Olathe West on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe, Kansas.

Down 3-0 through the second, LHS got on the board with Crawford’s RBI single, and the mojo stopped there.

The Owls added another run on a fielder’s choice in the fourth and stacked three runs in the sixth on an RBI double by junior and Central Florida commit Maliyah Warren and a two-run homer by sophomore Emma Heinemann.

Byrn and LHS will get another shot at the win column when Olathe South comes to town on Thursday. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m.

“We’ve got to be better,” Byrn said. “I thought we did a great job in the infield with the wind getting a good drop step and catching balls that we needed to catch…We are better than we were a year ago, and I’m frustrated with the losses but I love these kids and they work incredibly hard.”

Box score

Lawrence 001 000 0 – 1 1 0

Olathe West 030 103 X – 7 12 0

W – Kellepouris; L – Norris.

Highlights for LHS: Norris 6.0 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 7 K; Crawford 1-3, RBI; Dye 0-2, R.

photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Brae Mayo takes a swing during a game vs. Olathe West on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe, Kansas.

photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Lawrence High head softball coach Mike Byrn signals to his catcher during a game vs. Olathe West on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe, Kansas.

photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Keira Norris winds up her pitch during a game vs. Olathe West on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe, Kansas.

photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Lili Spinelli takes a swing during a game vs. Olathe West on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe, Kansas.

Free State, LHS land top 20 finish at Siler Invite

Four area golfers finished in the top 20 at the sixth annual Justin Siler Memorial Invitational and second round of Sunflower League boys tourney play on Monday at Lawrence Country Club.

Free State senior Jack Randall, carding a 76 for 10th place, and Cash Nelson, shooting a 79 for 16th place, each led the way for the Firebirds. Lawrence senior Gunnar Wayenberg and sophomore Andrew Kirkwood each shot a 79 tying for 16th.

Falling just short of the top 20, FSHS sophomore Henry Thompson tied for 21st, carding an 81, just two strokes ahead of LHS junior Nate Schworm (29th).

FSHS and LHS travel to Topeka on Wednesday for the Seaman Invitational at Village Greens. Teeoffs are set for 1 p.m.

Mill Valley slips past Firebirds in extras

Despite a valiant late rally, Free State baseball fell short of Mill Valley 8-6 in extras for a second consecutive loss at home on Monday.

The Firebirds (12-3) opened the day by crossing three runs on two singles by senior Kyle Graves and junior Ryan Weishaar. The Jaguars (9-5) responded with six runs, including two home runs, through the third as FSHS swapped out starter Graves for sophomore Nathan Young at the top of the fourth.

Mill Valley mounted a five-run lead in the fifth, as the Firebirds looked to junior Charlie Peters and sophomore Ben Graves for an inning’s worth of relief each.

Rallying late, senior Tyler Jeffries and freshman Finn Moore drove in two runs in the fifth and another run crossed in the sixth thanks to a sacrifice fly by senior Mason Lester. The surge wasn’t enough, though, as junior Jake Hobbs silenced FSHS in the seventh.

Free State kicks off its River City Classic schedule on Thursday, challenging Blue Springs (Mo) at Hoglund Ballpark. First pitch is set for 3:45 p.m.

Box score

Mill Valley 015 110 0 – 8 11 2

Free State 300 021 0 – 6 7 2

W – B. Peterson; L – K. Graves.

Highlights for Free State: K. Graves 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 K, 1-3 RBI; Lester 1-3, R, RBI; Young 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K; Jeffries 2-4, RBI; Weishaar 2-2, 2 RBI.

One run sends LHS past O-Northwest

Winning four of their last five games, the Lawrence High baseball team kept rolling with a 1-0 win over Olathe Northwest at home on Monday.

The Lions (10-5) leaned on seven shutout innings between seniors Vaughn Wells and Brooks Jones to put down the Ravens (4-10). Both sides were particularly slow at the plate, each finishing with five total hits on the stat sheet.

Senior Kyan Guss broke the mold for LHS in the third, doubling in the deciding run.

LHS kicks off its River City schedule on Thursday, challenging Blue Springs South (Mo) at Hoglund Ballpark. First pitch is set for 8:15 p.m.

Box score

O-Northwest 000 000 0 – 0 5 0

Lawrence 001 000 0 – 1 5 0

W – Wells; L – Alexander.

Highlights for LHS: Wells 4.0 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K; Jones 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K; Crawford 2-3, R; Guss 1-3, RBI; Stoll 1-3; Paden 1-3.