Kearney Softball Smashes Home Opener Over Staley

Once again Kearney Varsity Softball bats were on fire on Tuesday, September 10, when the Bulldogs hosted the Staley Falcons. The first home game of the season saw fireworks with an impressive display of hitting and pitching as Kearney took the win 10-1.

Kate Landewee closed out the game and pitched 4 and two-thirds innings and had six strikeouts.

The Bulldogs followed one of Coach Birchfield’s keys to the game: score early and often. In the first inning, Brooke Paalhar singled and scored one run. In the bottom of the second inning Alyssa Quick homered to center field, and Macy Morrow doubled, each scoring one run to add to the Bulldog lead.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third inning, Kate Landewee hit a grand slam to left field, driving in four more runs.

Alyssa Quick pitched two and one-third innings. She gave up two hits and zero runs, struck out four and walked one. Kate Landewee closed out the game and pitched 4 and two-thirds innings and had six strikeouts.

Here are more highlights from the game:

- Macy Morrow went 2-4 with 1 RBI.

- Kennedi Casey went 1-3.

- Brooke Paalhar went 3-4 with 1 RBI.

- Jocelyn Lincoln went 1-4 with 1 RBI.

- Morgan Pennington went 1-3 1 RBI.

- Alyssa Quick went 1-1 with her first home run of the season. She had 1 RBI.

- Kate Landewee went 2-3 with her first home run of the season. It was a grand slam. She had 4 RBIs.

- Caroline Jury went 1-2.

The Varsity's record is now 6-2. Next game is Thursday at Park Hill South at 4:00pm.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Roll Grandview 45-8

Kearney Bulldog senior running back Tristan Williams ran for 88 yards and 4 touchdowns as the defense held Grandview scoreless 45-0 by halftime. In stark contrast to last week’s defensive battle with Ft. Osage, the outcome of this game was never in doubt.

“I thought our kids did a great job of leveraging Grandview’s speed and kept it contained,” said Head Coach Logan Minnick. “They executed the game plan almost to perfection. We got some turnovers, special teams played well, and the offense was clicking.”

After the successful hook and ladder from Doll to Dostal to Williams! Tristan scores the rushing TD behind tremendous blocking by the O-Line. Photo by Kelly Gentry.

Junior Quarterback Brad Doll connected with Corbin Emmons on a 50-yard touchdown pass early in the first quarter. Williams quickly added two rushing scores, and it was 22-0 before the start of the second quarter. Kicker Jacob Dillon added his dependable point after kicks on the first and third touchdowns, and a Brad Doll to Theo Grace pass completed the 2-point conversion on the second score.

Early in the second quarter, Doll ran 20 yards on a quarterback keeper for a touchdown. Jacob Dillon’s point after kick gave Kearney a 29-0 lead.

Grandview – pinned deep against their own goal line – gave up a safety under heavy pressure from the Kearney defense adding another two points.

Before halftime, Tristan Williams would score on two 4-yard touchdowns followed by Jacob Dillon’s point after kicks. With a 45-0 lead, Kearney’s first-team offense and defense were finished for the night.

“I think that Grandview team is a little better than what the score indicated,” said Minnick. “You know when games get to that kind of situation, I thought our kids handled it really well. Get in, get that running clock going, get the young kids in and get ready for week three.”

Kearney’s second unit offense took over at the start of the third quarter. The second- and third-unit defense would give up the only Grandview score on a fourth quarter touchdown pass from Grandview quarterback Mehkl Fields to wide receiver Mikelis Johnson followed by a two-point conversion.

“You know when we talked during the off-season, I told you, we would build this team around our defense,” Minnick added. “We take so much pride in the weight room and the things we do here we think we can always play well (on defense) regardless of what the offense is doing. It was just a good overall team win, the kind of win we needed to have today.”

The Bulldogs play on the road against conference rival Smithville Friday, September 13. KPGZ 102.7 will broadcast the game beginning with the pregame show at 6:40. Kickoff is at 7:00.

Mike Davis contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Shine in GKC Softball Tournament

The Kearney Bulldogs softball team traveled to Adair Field in Independence, MO, to play in the Greater Kansas City Suburban Softball Invitational on Friday and Saturday, August 30 and 31. The players’ bats were hungry as the Bulldogs took four of five games in the tournament.

Game one was against the Grain Valley Eagles and was the Bulldogs’ only loss of the tournament. Alyssa Quick pitched at the start of the game, giving up two runs on two hits. Kate Landewee relieved Quick in the third inning and gave up an additional run but struck out five and walked one. Ryleigh Van Emmerik and Kennedi Casey each collected one hit for Kearney, but the Eagles shut out the Bulldogs, 3-0.

Photo by Vanessa Lincoln

Game two was played against the Odessa Bulldogs. Kearney started strong in the first inning after Kennedi Casey singled, scoring one run. They added to their early lead in the top of the third inning with Jocelyn Lincoln scoring a run. Odessa took the lead, 4-3, in the bottom of the third, but Ryleigh Van Emmerik singled, which helped Kearney Varsity Bulldogs tie the game in the fourth, and Casey singled, and Brooke Paalhar doubled, each scoring one run. Reghan Lueken earned the 6-4 win for Kearney.

Van Emmerik, Macy Morrow, and Casey each racked up two hits for Kearney Varsity Bulldogs. Casey went 2-for-2 at the plate and led the team with two runs batted in.

The Bulldogs came away victorious in Game 3 against the Pleasant Hill Chicks 8-4. Brooke Paalhar singled, scoring one run, Kate Stumpenhaus singled, scoring one run, Jocelyn Lincoln homered to right field, scoring three runs, and Reese Narron grounded out, scoring one run, all in the first inning. In the second inning Brooke homered to center field, scoring two runs.

The Bulldogs accumulated 11 hits in the game. Ryleigh Van Emmerik, Lincoln, Paalhar, and Kennedi Casey each collected two hits for Kearney Varsity Bulldogs. Lincoln and Paalhar each drove in three runs.

Photo by Vanessa Lincoln

Kearney earns a walk-off victory over the Platte County Pirates in Game 4 by a score of 7-5. The Bulldogs were down 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jocelyn Lincoln homered to center field, scoring three runs. Lincoln drove in six runners in the win.

Kearney piled up 10 hits in the game. Lincoln and Paalhar each collected three hits for Kearney and Landewee collected two hits in two at bats.

The Bulldogs came away with another walk off win in Game 5 against the Lee’s Summit West Titans, 5-4. Kearney tied the game at three in the bottom of the fifth when Brooke Paalhar doubled. A walk in the top of the seventh gave the Titans the lead but Kennedi Casey singled, and Stumpenhaus hit into a fielder's choice, each scoring one run in the bottom of the seventh to win the game.

Kearney will travel to Blue Springs for their next game on Wednesday.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.