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by Michael Smith Grain Valley senior Wes Moon isn’t someone who typically gets a lot of playing time for the boys volleyball team. He got his chance in Thursday’s matchup with Winnetonka on Senior Night at home. Moon took advantage of his opportunity by rattling off 11 consecutive service points in the first set and he notched a team-high five aces as his performance highlighted a 25-10, 25-11, 25-15 victory against the Griffins. Each time Moon got an ace, he drew loud cheers and excitement from his teammates. His success fueled the Eagles’ excitement as head coach Tori Squiers noted the team had an overall fun night. “That’s what Senior Night is all about, having fun,” Squiers said. “At one point, we had all five seniors on the court. It was a lot of fun to watch.” “That just shows the talent that is on this team. Someone who is on the bench a little bit more can still go out there and score five aces. It was fun to watch everyone celebrate his success.” Moon’s performance took fellow senior Lane Olivarez by surprise. “I didn’t know he had that in him,” Olivarez said. “I think he has more aces than me now.” Moon said he was thankful for the opportunity. “I normally don’t get to play that much, so getting to start was a different experience,” Moon said. “I have been getting a lot better at practice with serving.” Olivarez joined in on the fun as he led the team in assists as the setter on Thursday. He even used an unorthodox move in the third set when he used the top of his head to hit the volleyball over the net, which eventually led to a point for Grain Valley (15-7). He got the idea from a TikTok video that he watched. Squiers subbed him out of the game afterward. “I thought it was funny and I tried to do it,” Olivarez said. “I always do it during our peppering sessions.” Seniors Nolan Hessenius, Will Lindley and Josiah Oehlke were a part of the senior festivities, as well. Hessenius, the team’s libero, had multiple digs and even got to play at the net for the first time against the Griffins. Oehlke was second on the team with five kills and the 6-foot-6 Lindley had a game-high 15 kills. Lindley is currently second on the team in kills on the season. He provides a strong presence for the Eagles (15-7) as a blocker and a striker at the net. He said he has turned up his intensity after the Missouri State High School Activities Association sanctioned boys volleyball. “There has definitely been a lot of improvement and I have taken it a lot more seriously,” Lindley said. “Before we were playing as a club team. With this year being official, it’s a big difference and I love it.” Having Lindley at the net has made the job of Grain Valley’s setters easier, Olivarez said. “He can hit any ball because he has such long arms,” Olivarez said. “He is just insane.” From left, seniors will Will Lindley, Nolan Hessenius and Wes Moon all made major contributions in a 25-10, 25-11, 25-15 win over Winnetonka Thursday on Senior Night. Photo credit: Michael Smith
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by Michael Smith The Grain Valley girls soccer team was shorthanded. The Eagles came into Tuesday’s non-conference game with Blue Springs missing center back Taylor Nicholson due to an illness. Junior Mia Cole and sophomore Radleigh Childers also didn’t play as many minutes as normal due to injuries suffered during the contest. This could have been problematic for an Eagles squad that lacks depth. However, Grain Valley managed to score a goal against a strong Blue Springs defense and switched to a defense-heavy scheme in the second half, which resulted the team hanging on to a 1-0 win on the road. “With Mia coming off because of her blood issue, we had to make some tactical adjustments,” Grain Valley head coach Brett Lewis said. “We didn’t attack nearly as much as I wanted to in the second half. We did what we had to do to get a goal and we defended well enough to win.” The Wildcats (6-5) came into the game on a four-game winning streak, all shutouts, including a 1-0 win against then No. 1-ranked Blue Springs South. So, Grain Valley had a tough challenge to score. The Eagles (12-3) got their lone goal in the 23rd minute when sophomore defender Avery Stumpenhaus sent a perfect cross in front of the Blue Springs goal line, and senior midfielder Meghan Knust made a sliding tap in shot. “That was definitely a great ball by Avery,” Knust said. “She had a couple of good, dangerous balls for us.” After seeing his Eagles were struggling to generate chances following the score, Lewis elected to have his team focus more on defense in the second half. “It was a gritty game,” Knust said. “We tried to play defense as much as we could. We were focusing on clearing the ball out.” They appeared to have a bend but don’t break mentality in the final 40 minutes as Blue Springs generated multiple shot attempts but were unable to get one to go into the back of the net. Following Knust’s goal, Blue Springs freshman midfielder Adelyn Karst had an open shot from the left side of the 18-yard box, but Grain Valley goalkeeper Alayna Maybell ranged over to make the save. Later in the first half, senior Brooke Alsup had an open shot right in front of the Grain Valley goal, but she barely nicked the ball, and it resulted in a slow rolling shot and an easy save for Maybell. In the second half, junior Hazel Trotman had a wide-open shot from the right wing in the penalty box, but it hit the crossbar. Her team created other chances, as well, but Maybell seemed to consistently be in the right place at the right time, totaling seven saves. “I am really working on reading (shots) more,” Maybell said. “The coaches have been working with me to become a goalie again.” Added Lewis: “She is good at reading the ball and seeing where it’s going to go. I thought she played well. She keeps getting better and better at the saves she should make.” Grain Valley is now on a seven-game winning streak and the key for this current run, according to Lewis, has been the defense. The Eagles have allowed just six goals in that span and have five shutouts. “We’re getting more defensively disciplined in this final stretch of the season,” Lewis said. “We’re not giving up goals and we are making the other teams earn everything.” Grain Valley senior Meghan Knust, left, scored her team's only goal while goalkeeper Alayna Maybell had seven saves during a 1-0 victory over Blue Springs Tuesday on the road. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith At one point, senior Sevreign Aumua was the only girl wrestler in the Grain Valley program. When she was a freshman during the 2020-21 season, she had to practice against the boys. During her sophomore season, she had one other teammate. In 2022-23, the Eagles had multiple girls on the team; and for the first time, Aumua had a teammate, Jayden Moehle, join her in qualifying for the Missouri State High School Wrestling Championships. At the time, Aumua said she was excited to have a teammate join her at state for the first time in three years. Moehle and Aumua have developed a special bond and are good friends on and off the mat. On Friday, they got to compete on the same team at the Rogue Dual at the Mabee Fieldhouse on the Campus of Avila University. It’s an event that features some of the best wrestlers in the Kansas City metro area on the Kansas and Missouri side. The Grain Valley duo represented Team Missouri and were integral in their team’s 57-27 victory over Team Kansas. “I am really happy I got to have one of my actual teammates here, Aumua said. “I am glad I could spend my last high school event with her.” Moehle echoed similar sentiments about their final dual together. “This means a lot to me. I love my teammates. This was a great experience. It’s sad that this was my last event with Sevi, but she is always going to be my teammate and I am always going to have her back.” The sophomore had a tough battle with Maize senior Meya Howell, who won a state championship this year. With the match tied at 4-all, Moehle (235 pounds) nearly got taken down. But she reversed the attempt from Howell into a fat man roll and got the takedown herself. She then used an armbar to turn Howell for the pin in the second period. “I did that move in youth and I just kind of remembered it,” Moehle said of the fat man roll. “It’s just kind of a last-minute move but I am glad it worked.” Aumua (140), a three-time state champion, used her signature chicken wing to turn Goodland senior Destiny Gonzalez for a pin in the second period after being up 8-1. The Grain Valley senior will move on and wrestle for Missouri Valley College after this school year. “That is a move I have been working on since the beginning of my high wrestling career,” Aumua said. “I just ended up really liking it and if it’s there, I am going to use it. If it’s not, I know some other moves.” Grain Valley senior Sevreign Aumua looks to turn Goodland senior Destiny Gonzalez during the Rogue Dual Friday at the Mabee Fieldhouse on the campus of Avila University. She pinned Gonzalez to help Team Missouri beat Team Kansas 57-27. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley sophomore Jayden Moehle, right, prepares for her next move in her match with Maize senior Meya Howell. Moehle pinned Howell in the second period. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith The Grain Valley girls track and field team was cruising. It was leading all 12 teams in team points for most of the Marc Cleveland Grain Valley Invitational Thursday at Moody Murry Memorial Field. Blue Springs South made a late surge during the final four events, but the Eagles managed to hang on to win their home meet with 99 points. South was a close second place with 95. The Eagles accomplished this despite holding out some of their athletes to get ready for the Kansas Relays that take place this weekend at the University of Kansas. “We had some girls step up in some different roles today,” Grain Valley girls track head coach Nick Small said. “We had a couple of girls get varsity medals that typically don’t get the opportunity to. All around it was cool to watch that for sure.” Freshman Madison Rust was one of those who stepped up as she was the primary javelin thrower with senior McKenah Sears not competing. Sears is one of the favorites to win the state champion in the javelin this season, so Rust had some big shoes to fill. Rust broke out and took first place in the javelin event with a throw of 119, 2 inches. She was also a part of the thrower 4x100 relay team along with sophomore Addison Wright, freshman Eva Oehlke and junior Bailey Mason that won with a time of 56.71 seconds. “I just started javelin and I thought it would be fun,” said Rust, who is ranked No. 5 in the javelin in the United States among freshmen. “I am decent at it. I came out and didn’t know anything about javelin. I watched McKenah and she plays all the sports I play like softball, basketball, and track. She has taught me everything I know along with Coach (Flip) Courter.” Rust was one of four girls to in field events, which seemed to be the biggest strength for the girls team. Junior Alyssa Carver showed why she could be a contender for a state title this year on Thursday. Last season, she finished in fourth place in the pole vault at the Missouri State High School Track and Field Championships. At the Grain Valley Invitational, she took first with a height of 10 feet, 10 inches. The second-place finisher, Grain Valley’s Megan Prestia, had a height of 9 feet, 10 inches. “I don’t think I jumped the best I ever have,” Carver said. “It’s still always cool to come out on top and learn from my experiences. I have the KU Relays this weekend, so I can always come back and do better then.” “I hope I can at least match my (personal record) there and win for myself.” Other Eagles girls to win were junior Izzie Salsman in the high jump with a height of 4 feet, 11.75 inches and senior Izabella West in the long jump with a distance of 17 feet, 6 inches. “I feel like I did pretty well despite how cold it is out here,” said Salsman, who competed in temperatures in the low 50s. “This time, I tried to envision myself making it over the bar and that pushed me from the beginning.” Boys The Grain Valley boys track and field team came on strong late. The Eagles finished third in the 4x400-meter relay race and took first in the 4x100 throwers’ relay, which helped them rack up 16 points in the final two events, and it was enough for them to finish second with 82 points. Lee’s Summit finished third with 80.25 points and Blue Springs South won with 126.5 points. “The 4x400 relay team was huge,” Grain Valley head boys coach Erik Stone said. “They finished high enough to help us overtake Lee’s Summit for second place.” Aside from the throwers’ relay, the Grain Valley boys team finished first in two other events. The 4x200 relay team of Ty Williams, Anthony Greco, Noah Olah and Terrell King took first with a time of 1:33.45. It is a team Stone could make some noise this season. “This team keeps getting better,” Stone said. “There is one stick we can get better with that didn’t do too well tonight, but they keep improving and working hard. That is one of the relays we feel like we have a chance with.” Senior Stylz Blackmon is someone who could earn an all-state honor this season. He broke the school record for the shotput at another meet on Tuesday with a throw of 52 feet, 11.8 inches. He is currently ranked fifth in Class 5 and 11th in Missouri in the event. On Tuesday, he took first with a throw of 50 feet, 5.5 inches. He was also a part of the throwers’ relay team that took first. “I am really blessed to be able to compete against such great talent,” Blackmon said. “Although I have thrown well at previous meets, I am still looking to grow and get better. I want to get back to where I was last year and make it to state. I didn’t do too well and state last year. I want to go there and make a name for myself this time.” Grain Valley junior Izzie Salesman finished third in the high jump with a height of 4 feet, 11.75 inches. Photo credit: Michael Smith 0202: Grain Valley freshman Madison Rust filled in for McKenah Sears in the javelin event Thursday at the Marc Cleveland Grain Valley Invitational. She took first with a distance of 119 feet, 2 inches. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley junior Alyssa Carver took first place in the pole vault with a height of 10 feet, 10 inches. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith Grain Valley head boys tennis coach Randy Draper made a change to his singles line up this week. He made senior Campbell Childers his new No. 6 singles player. Before, Childers exclusively played in No. 3 doubles matches with sophomore Riley Spencer. So far, it’s been a move that has paid off for the Eagles and that showed in Tuesday’s nonconference matchup with Blue Springs South at home. Childers won at both doubles and singles and the Eagles also got a big win from junior Trace Compton near the end of the tennis match as they edged the Jaguars 5-4. The senior defeated South junior Peyton O’Donnell 8-1 in singles; and he and Spencer battled for a 8-6 victory against Tommy Nesbitt and Will Griffel at No. 2 doubles to give Grain Valley two much needed wins. So far, Childers has enjoyed taking on the challenge of playing an additional match. “It’s fun to get to play two matches instead of just doubles.” Childers said. “I hit some more shots than I have in the past. I just kept the ball in play and made the other person mess up.” Draper noted that Childers technique could use improvement, but his athleticism is what helps him be successful on the court. “I tell him that some of his tennis strokes are not something we would teach other people,” Draper said, “but when you’re an athlete, you cover some stuff.” After the Eagles won four games, Compton got the fifth and deciding win following his 8-6 victory against South freshman Zavier Broyles. Compton noted that he and others had to contend with strong winds blowing toward the south end of the school. That caused him to have to adjust according to which side he was on. When he was on the north side, he had to put more touch on his shots, but on the south side, he had to hit it harder to get it over the net. “I figured out toward the end that I had to be more aggressive than I was in the beginning,” Compton said. “I simply just had to keep the ball in play. I had to put more on my shots to make it harder for my opponent to control it.” While Compton and Childers came up with some critical wins for the Eagles, junior John Cassidy had a significant hand in the team victory, as well. Cassidy won 8-1 against Tommy Nesbitt at No. 4 singles. He said he played better once he got fully adjusted to the wind. That was also a big factor in him and senior Carter Williams overcoming a 6-3 deficit to take down Broyles and junior Landon Wickham 9-7 in the No. 2 doubles contest. “The wind blew to the side toward the fence, so when you were on the side closest to the fence, you could get away with hitting it softer and the wind would push the ball for you,” Cassidy said. “When you were on the other side, you really had to drive the ball to get it past the service line.” Following the match, Draper, who had previously said his team struggled with singles matches this season, was impressed with how well Compton, Cassidy and Childers played on their own. “Cassidy played the best I have seen him play all season,” Draper said. “Compton also played the best I’ve seen him play. We needed both of those wins. There is a lot of reasons to be happy even in matches we didn’t win.” Grain Valley senior Campbell Childers won his singles match 8-1 and teamed up with sophomore Riley Spencer to capture an 8-6 win in the No. 3 double contest. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley junior Trace Compton got a big 8-6 win over Zavier Broyles in the No. 3 singles match to help the Eagles capture a 5-4 win over Blue Springs South Tuesday at home. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith The Grain Valley boys golf team has had a stellar season thus far in 2024. The Eagles have won a tournament and have finished in second place in two others. On Thursday, they showed why they could be a contender for a state tournament spot, even after being bumped up to Class 5. The team battled strong 23 mph crosswinds while playing against St. Michael The Archangel Catholic and Fort Osage in a tri dual at WinterStone Golf Course in Independence. Grain Valley won easily with a team score of 173 to take first place. St. Michael was second with 190 and Fort Osage was third with a 206. Sophomore Eli Herbert was the medalist of the dual with a 40. He said he was able to overcome a pair of bad holes to have an overall solid game despite the windy conditions. “This wind was brutal,” Herbert said. “It was mainly side winds. We definitely had to play two or three more clubs today. “You just must learn to hit different shots in these conditions. You are not always going to be able to hit a full swing shot. You’re going to alter how you hit it in the air. Overall, I think I hit it pretty well.” Senior Charlie Aldred had the second-best score on the team with a 43. The senior, despite having one of the better scores among those who played, was critical of his performance. “I had a couple of bad holes, and my short game was lacking,” Aldred said. “I have some things I need to work on over the weekend. It’s hard on you mentally to play in the wind. You don’t know how the wind is going to affect the ball.” Rounding out the scoring for Grain Valley were freshman Jacob Gorden and sophomore Mason Smith, each with a 45 and senior Jack Hileman with a 47. The WinterStone Golf course presented some challenged for the Eagles as its design made it tough to get low scores and even made it tough to navigate by foot. “The course is very hilly,” Aldred said. “Every hole is down and up and up and down. A lot of pins were on some slopes which made it tough for putting.” Added Herbert: “It’s not an easy walk.” Head coach Andy Herbert was pleased with how his team did given the conditions. “Any time you can get your whole team in the 40s on a day like today is pretty strong,” Herbert said. “We’ve played in about every condition now. We have played in the cold, the rain, and the wind. “This is a good group. They battle.” Sophomore Eli Herbert was the medalist of the dual with a 40. Senior Charlie Aldred had the second-best score on the team with a 43. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith
The Grain Valley boys tennis team got off to an ideal start. The Eagles won two out of their three doubles matches against Warrensburg, a team that made it to the Class 1 state tournament in 2023. They had a challenge on their hands in Monday’s non-conference matchup and home and took a 2-1 lead early on. However, Grain Valley dropped all six singles matches as it fell 7-2. Warrensburg was on a tear coming in as it improved to 8-0 after the win. In eight matches, Warrensburg the Tigers lost just 10 total games. While, the Eagles may have lost, they gained valuable experience after playing of the best teams in Class 2. “This kind of puts out season into perspective,” Grain Valley senior Ben Drinkwater said. “If you ask anyone on this team, they probably played the best tennis they have all season against this team. Against a good team, we all rise to the occasion.” “We just need to figure out who can play those last four, five, six spots (in singles).” Grain Valley (3-3) got a boost early on from its No. 3 doubles team of Campbell Childers and Riley Spencer took down the team of the previously unbeaten duo of Calvin Werner and Liam Hynes, 8-5. The Eagles twosome has provided consistency for head coach Randy Draper and his team and that showed on Monday. Childers and Spencer only play doubles for the Eagles, while Blake Galvan and Aidan Wilson just play singles. “With their style of play, we thought having them play in doubles made sense,” Draper said of Childers and Spencer. “They’re aggressive at the net. They haven’t disappointed. They are comfortable together.” Drinkwater and Trace Compton notched the Eagles other doubles win as they topped Quinn Conley and Anthony Rehn, 8-5, in the No. 1 doubles game. Drinkwater noted that his chemistry with Compton is getting better as the season progresses. “We are doing way better than last year,” Drinkwater said. “Our goal is to go state this year. It’s pretty encouraging to get this win. I am excited. We usually play better against better teams. We rise to the occasion.” Drinkwater said he is the aggressive won on the team who makes plays close to the net and the baseline, while Compton focuses on returning shots from the baseline and in the back. “When the ball comes to him, he knows exactly what he needs to do,” Drinkwater said. “I am the one who makes the aggressive plays.” In singles, the Eagles had some close matches but came up short. Johns Cassidy fell 8-5 Werner in the No. 4 doubles match; Galvin narrowly lost to Hynes 8-6; and Carter Williams fell 8-6 against Rehn. “I am pretty happy with our doubles play,” Draper said. “We have some guys trying to figure out how to be successful in singles. There is a lot of people better at doubles, because they have a partner with them. It relaxes them.” “We need to get some guys more comfortable playing by themselves and thinking about how they are going to score points.” The Eagles head to Park Hill South for the Park Hill Doubles tournament on Wednesday, April 10th. by Michael Smith Grain Valley was off to a good start. The Eagles boys volleyball team won the first set against an undefeated St. Michael The Archangel Catholic Tuesday at home. It looks like it was going to be a tight battle between two evenly matched teams. However, the passing, setting and ball striking from the Guardians got stronger as the game went on. The Eagles dropped the next three sets as St. Michael took a 23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-14 victory. The match marked the first time the Eagles played four sets in a game. Fatigue was a factor in the loss, head coach Tori Squiers said. “They were a little tired and that hurt us,” Squiers said. “We knew what we needed to do, and we executed in the first set. The second and third, we started letting our own errors get to us. St. Michael’s offense was spectacular, and we struggled to read and communicate on defense.” “We have several weeks before the postseason starts. These are fixable things. We just must start playing as a team.” Grain Valley (8-4) was the first team to win a set against a strong Guardians team. There were multiple lead changes in the first game and at one point the Eagles were down 20-19. A kill from junior Maddox Dresslaer sparked a 6-3 spurt to help his team take the first set. Junior outside hitter Ryan Rohr also had a big block in that stretch to fuel the run. St. Michael led for most of the second set, but Grain Valley battled back to tie it at 16-all at one point following a kill from sophomore Jordan Jackson. The road team outscored the Eagles (8-4) 9-3 the rest of the way that was fouled by its opponent’s miscues and kills from St. Michael seniors Shea Gaffney and John Garside. Grain Valley managed to take the lead on a pair of occasions early in the third set as a kill from junior Maddox Dresslaer gave his team a 9-8 edge. However, St. Michael went on a 5-0 run that helped them take control thanks to the serving of junior Benjamin Salanski. He had a float serve that was difficult for the Eagles to return as he notched two aces during that spurt. “Our serve receiver really struggled with that,” Squiers said. “(Salanski) is a national player. He’s a great setter. It was good for us to see something like that.” The Guardians led from start to finish in the fourth game as Garside and Gaffney led the way with three kills each and senior Hayden Pace added two kills and an ace. Despite the loss, there were some positive things for the Eagles to take away from the game. Senior middle hitter, Will Lindley, led Grain Valley with 11 kills. The 6-foot-6 senior provides a strong offensive and defensive presence at the net for the Eagles. “He is an offensive beast,” Squiers said. “Feed him the ball. He is also a defensive beast by putting up a giant block.” Dresslaer added 10 kills of his own and Jackson had five. Grain Valley senior Josiah Oehlke goes down for a dig during a 25-23, 19-25, 21-25, 14-25 loss to St. Michael The Archangel Catholic Thursday at home. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley junior outside hitter Ryan Rohr kneels down to bump the ball.
Photo credit: Michael Smith by Michael Smith The Grain Valley girls soccer team struggled to score during the first three games of the season. Those contests were played at the Platte County Invitational and the Eagles scored just three goals in as many games and went 1-2 in that stretch. However, in the past three games, the Grain Valley offense has started to click. The most recent example came in Tuesday’s Suburban White Conference matchup with William Chrisman on the road. Sophomore Radleigh Childers and junior Ally Gilbert both notched a hat trick, while senior Emma Thiessen had a pair of goals in Grain Valley’s 8-0 mercy-rule victory. After the Eagles (4-2) earned a big 3-2 victory over Lee’s Summit on March 25, the offense has been on a roll. During their current three-game winning streak, the team has scored 16 goals. The chemistry has improved on the field, and it has yielded better results. “Once our offense started to click, then everyone’s mood gets better and we all want to play for each other,” Gilbert said. “Our defense stepped up today and we just put the finishing touches with the goals.” The key to the improved offense, according to head coach Brett Lewis, has been getting the ball out wide near the sidelines of the field. “We have emphasized our width a lot more in the last couple of games,” Lewis said. “We want to make the opposing defense defend sideline to sideline. That has opened opportunities in the middle for us.” So has the play of Gilbert, who had emerged as a strong offensive threat for the Eagles. The junior scored 11 goals last season and is stepping up to take an even bigger told this year. One of the Eagles top three goal scorers from last season, senior Annabelle Totta, is out due to her battle with cancer. Gilbert has helped make up for some of the offensive production the Eagles are missing. She has played as a midfielder and a wing and has provided a nice scoring punch for the Eagles as evidenced by her performance on Tuesday. Against Chrisman (2-5), Gilbert scored off a counterattack and errant pass from a Chrisman defender and she booted on in the 23rd minute for her first score. She made another goal in the 37th minute when she received a short pass from junior Mia Cole. Gilbert fired the shot from halfway inside the 18-yard box and the ball snuck under the crossbar. Her final goal ended the game in the 42nd minute when she made a tap in at the goal line off an assist from sophomore Aubrie Henson. “I am really happy to get a hat trick this early in the season,” Gilbert said. I hope I can continue to keep my shots on target and get them in the back of the net and help my team the best I can.” It’s helped Gilbert’s cause that she’s developed a strong chemistry with Thiessen and Childers. “She is really good and making these runs where I can play ball through to her,” Childers said. “We have this good connection where we can play off of each other and we know what type of ball to play to each other.” Lewis noted that Gilbert is taking on even more responsibility than she did last season, and she has thrived. “Ally has always been a fantastic player,” Grain Valley head coach Brett Lewis said. “Without Totta in that spot, Ally operates in the middle. She has stepped up even more this year.” Junior Ally Gilbert, left, and sophomore Radleigh Childers both notched a hat trick in a 8-0 mercy-rule victory over William Chrisman Tuesday on the road. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith Grain Valley baseball coach Brian Driskell said he was hoping to get starting pitcher Aaron Barr through all seven innings. Barr went up against Smithville at home and he had good command of his pitches. However, his pitch count elevated as his defense committed a season-high four errors. Because of that, the junior ended up having to throw more pitches, but he still got through six innings as he only gave up three unearned runs to help his team capture a 4-3 win Wednesday at home. “I wish I could have thrown him out there in the seventh,” Driskell said of Barr, who tossed 93 pitches. We probably could have and been OK. We didn’t do a good enough job defensively. We made him pitch another 25-30 pitches that he shouldn’t have had to.” “Both teams didn’t play great. There’s some things we have to clean up.” Not only did Barr have a quality start, but he also allowed only four hits, walked one and struck out six in a stellar effort. The key for him was keeping his slurve pitch under control and he did just that as he pounded the strike zone with it and got hitters to chase it out of the zone, too. “We all make mistakes, so I am not going to hold that against anyone,” Barr said of the errors. “You just have to go out there and pitch your game and trust the guys behind you." “The slurve along with the changeup was on today. I was able to mess up their timing with those two pitches while mixing in the fastball.” Added Driskell: “The depth on his breaking pitchers were great. Where he started them and where they ended up is where the difference was.” The right hander’s first unearned run came in the top of the first. An error in the infield on a ground ball from third baseman Brady Speer allowed Ben Murawski to score from second base to put the Warriors up 1-0. The Eagles immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning. First baseman Logan Bennett crushed a fastball over the right-field fence with junior Brek Sloan on first base for his first varsity home run, giving his team a 2-1 edge. “I was looking to get a pitch that I could hit well,” Bennett said. “I got a hold of it.” Errors plagued the Eagles once again during the third as Smithville’s Max McKenzie and Muraawski reached base both reached base on infield errors by Grain Valley (5-5). McKenzie scored on Speer’s line drive double to center field, but Muraski was thrown out at home, which helped keep the game tied at 2 as Barr struck out Drake Odneal to end the inning. A dropped pop fly by the Eagles in the fourth set the table for another Smithville run in the fourth. That error allowed Mason Jones to reach first and two batters later, he scored on a two out single from Roman Roske to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead. Grain Valley (5-5) battled back in the bottom half of the inning and got an assist from Smithville starting pitcher Jake Kruse. The Smithville right hander lost his command and allowed the Eagles to score two runs without them getting a single hit. After getting two outs, he walked Max Snyder and John Malicoat and hit Ian Kamstra to load the bases. Kruse was pulled from the game after he hit Luke Arndorfer with a pitch, which knotted the game at 3. Warriors’ right hander Kade Thurston came in to relieve Kruse but had the task of getting out of a bases loaded jam. However, he hit Carter Harmsen with a pitch. That allowed Kamstra to score what ended up being the winning run. Barr only allowed one base runner in his final two innings and Malicoat came in get the save as he worked around a leadoff walk. Sloan, the catcher, ended the game after throwing a dart to Bennett, who tagged out Roske on the pick off. Grain Valley junior pitcher Aaron Barr allowed three unearned runs on four hits, walked one and struck out six to help Grain Valley pick up a 4-3 win over Smithville Wednesday at home. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley senior Ian Kamstra takes a pitch high and out of the strike zone. Photo credit: Michael Smith
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