Maize South softball keeps state title hopes alive with wild walk-off win
When Maize South softball coach Cody Stucky gave the green light to Kinley Davis before the season, he didn’t exactly have what would ultimately keep the team’s championship hopes alive on Thursday in mind.
Davis had just stolen second base to reach scoring position in the bottom of the 17th inning against Topeka Seaman in a Class 5A quarterfinal epic at Wilkins Stadium.
Stucky, the third-base coach, wasn’t even looking when Davis decided on her own to take off just a few pitches later for third base with two outs.
Not only did Davis arrive safely in time, but Seaman fumbled the throw to third base and allowed Davis to score to lift Maize South to a bizarre walk-off win, 3-2, in 17 innings.
The top-seeded Mavericks (29-0) advanced to face No. 4 seed Spring Hill (25-4) in Friday’s 11 a.m. semifinal.
“I wasn’t thinking she was going to steal third with two outs in scoring position, but it worked out,” Stucky said. “Give her all of the credit on that one. She has the green light for a reason.”
So what motivated Davis to take things into her own hands? Fatigue.
Davis said she looked in the dugout at her teammates who were desperate to keep their undefeated season and title hopes alive.
She looked at ace Sophie Stockam, who was exhausted after throwing 223 pitches and striking out 18 hitters to keep Maize South afloat.
“We had worked so hard for so long, so I just was determined to try to win it for my team,” Davis said. “They were tired. I was tired. So I just got it in my head that I was going to do this thing.”
But much more thought was put into the winning play than what seemed like a spur-of-the-moment decision.
For starters, Davis earned the green light from her coach to begin with because of her superb speed on the basepaths. But the junior is also extremely perceptive.
She knew that Seaman’s catcher was a left-handed thrower, which would make for an awkward throw down the third-base line. She also knew that the throw would be even harder with a right-handed hitter in the box in Camren Moses.
So on the second pitch of the at-bat, Davis dug down and bolted for third base.
“I just trusted myself and was like, ‘If I get out, then Cody can yell at me later,’” Davis said. “But I need to at least try.”
Davis was so pleased with herself that she beat the throw to third, she didn’t even realize that the ball had squirted loose from the third baseman’s glove and rolled into left field.
After a second delay, Davis finally sprung into action with Stucky screaming “Go! Go! Go!” just feet away.
“That was just an insane feeling,” said Davis, who was mobbed by her teammates at home plate after scoring the walk-off run.
In an ironic twist, Maize South defeated Seaman 3-2 in extra innings — just nine, however — last season in the first game at the state tournament.
Stucky was grateful to survive and advance, but also noted the physical toll it might take on his team. Particularly his star pitcher, Stockard, the UNLV signee.
“The unfortunate part is your horse just pitched two and a half games basically,” Stucky said. “But at least we’re alive. Hopefully we’re resilient too.”
In another 5A quarterfinal, Bishop Carroll struck first in the top of the first inning but that was the only lead it would have in a 5-2 loss to Spring Hill.
Kiersten Jones led off the scoring with an RBI double in the top of the first inning, but the Broncos answered back with four runs in the bottom-half of the inning.
Carroll’s other RBI hit came from Olivia Navarro in the fourth inning. Keira Stripling came on in relief and pitched four innings without an earned run to keep the team in it.
The Golden Eagles (24-5) made things interesting in the top of the seventh inning by loading the bases with no outs, but a double play and fly out ended the threat without a run.
Derby softball advances to 6A state semifinals
Carsen Carpenter hit a home run and drove in three runs to spur Derby to a 6-4 win over Blue Valley North in a 6A quarterfinal in Lawrence.
The fifth-seeded Panthers (22-7) advanced to face top-seeded Olathe West (26-1) in Friday’s 11 a.m. semifinals.
Carpenter’s 2-run shot over the fence in the third inning staked the Panthers to a 3-1 lead. Karlie Demel tacked on another run in the fourth on essentially an inside-the-park home run that was aided by an error in the outfield by BV North. Derby extended its lead to 6-2 in the fifth with a pair of unearned runs.
BV North rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to trim its deficit to 6-4, but Derby reliever Ashlyn Hamilton struck out the next hitter and coaxed a fly ball to end the threat without further damage.
McPherson, Clearwater both win to open 4A state softball
The undefeated season for McPherson rolled along with a 10-1 victory over Circle in an AV-CTL rematch in the 4A quarterfinals in Salina.
Addison Chapman hit a home run and pitched a complete game in the circle to earn the victory, while Pera Bauer, Haely Hagemann, Addie Herrera, Ava Romero and Carmin Pavlovich all delivered RBI hits.
The lone run for Circle (20-9) came on an RBI double by Logan James in the third inning to tie the game. McPherson scored two in the fourth to take the lead back, then exploded for six runs in the sixth inning.
The top-seeded Bullpups (29-0) advanced to face fourth-seeded Clearwater (25-4) in another AV-CTL battle in Friday’s 11 a.m. semifinal.
Clearwater won its own rematch of last year’s epic state tournament game against Wamego, this time prevailing with a 4-2 victory.
Liv Miller drove in three runs on two hits for Clearwater, which opened up a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a 2-run home run by Miller following a single from Makenna Hampton.
Clearwater ace Trista Welty earned the win in the circle with a complete-game performance, striking out five hitters and allowing two earned runs on four hits.
Inman, Bluestem, Cedar Vale-Dexter all advance to 2-1A state softball semifinals
A walk-off RBI hit by Lyla Levin lifted second-seeded Inman to a 7-6 win in eight innings over Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan in Pratt.
The Teutons (23-1) advanced to play No. 3 seed Bluestem (21-3) in Friday’s 11 a.m. semifinal.
Inman led 5-0 after two innings, but Colgan rallied with four runs in the third inning and then took a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
Inman rallied to extend the game in the bottom of the seventh inning when Levin led off with a double, then scored on a RBI single by Taylor Froese. The Teutons had the winning run on third base but could not come up with the hit needed until the following inning.
Levin also earned the victory in the circle for Inman, allowing three earned runs in eight innings while striking out seven hitters.
Meanwhile, Bluestem advanced behind a complete-game gem from Pilar Cox, who struck out 13 and only allowed three hits in a 2-0 victory over Onaga.
Bluestem scored its first run in the third inning after Elliana Pierson reached base, then tacked on an insurance run in the fifth on a throwing error by Onaga that allowed Samiya Worrell to score after her double to lead off the inning.
Another superb pitching performance from a local team sent Cedar Vale-Dexter to the other semifinal, as Zoe Davidson struck out 13 hitters to power the way for a 3-2 win over Medicine Lodge.
Top-seeded Cedar Vale-Dexter (27-1) will play in Friday’s 1 p.m. semifinal against the winner of Central Heights and Oskaloosa.
Kylee Bragg scored the game’s first run with a groundout RBI in the fourth inning, then Kendall Ghram extended the lead to 3-0 in the sixth inning with a 2-RBI single.
Medicine Lodge mounted a comeback in the top of the seventh inning, as Avalon Theis led off with a double, then scored on a RBI double by Abby Schreiner, which was then followed with an RBI single by Claire Cunningham.
Medicine Lodge (12-10) had the tying run at second base with one out, but Davidson extinguished the threat with back-to-back strikeouts.
Wichita Trinity softball knocked out at 3A state
It was a pitcher’s duel for nine innings, but Wichita Trinity couldn’t muster up any offense in a 2-0 loss to Silver Lake in extra innings in a 3A quarterfinal game in Topeka.
Dominique Schellenger was superb for Trinity (24-4), pitching eight straight scoreless innings, but Silver Lake broke through for two runs in the top of the ninth inning and Trinity failed to respond.
The Knights were limited to just two hits in the game, although a single by Ava Lay in the bottom of the ninth inning presented a threat. Trinity would record an out on its next two hitters to end the threat, however.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 6:41 PM.
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