The Junction City Lady Jay softball team had a tough time against Shawnee Heights at Cleary Field on Friday, losing both games of a doubleheader to the Thunderbirds by the scores of 18-0 and 20-0. Both games were called due to a run rule after three innings.

Lady Jay coach Jeremy Harmison said Shawnee Heights played well in all aspects of the game. “They pitched well, they hit well, and they just didn’t make mistakes.”

Shawnee Heights improved to 6-2 while the Lady Jays fell to 2-6 on the season.

The Junction City Lady Jay softball team split a doubleheader with Topeka High in the capitol city on Friday.

Junction City ( 2-4 ) led 3-1 going to the seventh inning in game one and then scored four in their at-bat. Topeka scored three runs in the bottom half of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough as Junction City won that game 7-4. Topeka High won game two 12-2.

Rylee Zimmerman was the winning pitcher for Junction City in game one.

Junction City will host Shawnee Heights next Friday.

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In baseball the Blue Jays swept Topeka High 7-5 and 8-1 at Rathert Field.

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In track and field Junction City finished second and the girls third in the team competitions at an invitational in Maize.

 

The Junction City Blue Jays ( 5-1 ) rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning with four runs and went on to defeat the Topeka High Trojans 7-5 in game one of a doubleheader at Rathert Field on Friday. Junction City then won the nightcap 8-1.

In the first game Topeka High jumped up 5-3 in the top of the sixth before the Blue Jays battled back in the bottom half of the inning with five hits including a triple by Charlie Peyla. Three Blue Jays were also hit by a pitch in that inning, which helped keep the rally alive.

Junction City Coach Drew Biery said the Trojans did all the little things right, and kept themselves in the ballgame. “Made our guys really work. We came out a little flat and then we got going again.” He noted it was good to see the Blue Jays respond immediately when the Trojans put runs on the board.

Junction City goes to Shawnee Heights next Friday.

The Junction City High School tennis team traveled to Topeka on Monday night to play in a varsity quad vs Topeka High, Highland Park and Topeka West.

The Blue Jays enjoyed success in singles play, winning 5 of the 6 singles matches.   Kaiser Kim and Mason Richards went 3-0  to lead the Blue Jays.

Against Topeka High, Kim and Richards teamed up to for the doubles win.  In the second round, Kim played singles against Highland Park winning 8-3 and then topped his Topeka West opponent 8-5 to finish off a perfect day.    Richards followed up his first doubles win, by teaming up with Ken Trammell to win a doubles match against Highland Park and then finished off the day defeating an opponent from Topeka West in singles.

Overall, the Blue Jays went 4-0 vs. Highland Park and 2-2 vs. both Topeka West and Topeka High.  The Blue Jays next travel to Abilene for a varsity dual on Thursday at 4:00 pm.

The Junction City Lady Jay softball team rallied from a 17-5 deficit in the fifth inning to defeat Emporia 21-20 at Cleary Field Friday night.

Junction City ( 1-3 ) trailed 20-15 going into their final at bat in the bottom of the seventh, but the Lady Jays produced six runs in that last at bat, culminating with one final hit when Emmaya Liaina hit a deep shot to center field, scoring Kylecia Taylor from second base.

Liaina said she had to bring Taylor home. “We had to win.”

It was a team effort with a number of hits and good plays in the field.  Kylecia Taylor said she knew she had to sprint to home plate. “Because I had to bring in a run and a win for our team. ”

For Jeremy Harmison it was his first win as Lady Jay head coach. It was special. “Yeah pretty much, especially like that. ” He noted to come from 12 behind in the fifth winning and get the win was exciting.

Emporia ( 1-1 ) won the first game of the doubleheader 13-4.

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Junction City won both of the junior varsity contests over Emporia.

 

 

The Junction City Blue Jay and Lady Jay track teams both finished first in the Junction City Varsity Invitational at the Al Simpler Stadium on Friday.

In the boys team scoring Junction City finished with 125 points, followed by Shawnee Heights with 113.33, Hays 90, Salina South 83, Great Bend 73.50, Tonganoxie 64, Salina Central 42.66, and Kansas City Turner 15 points.

In the individual competition first place finishes for Junction City included Tracy Freeman in the pole vault at 113’6, Tamarche Mason in the 100 meter dash in 10.46 and in the 200 meter dash in 22.13, the 4 x 100 meter relay team of Charles Winchester, Jase Taliaferro, Deshan Brooks, and Tamarche Mason, and Juwan Bush in the 400 meter run in 51.46

In the girls team scoring Junction City had 151 points, followed by Salina Central with 106.50, Great Bend 103.33, Hays 66.66, Salina South 63, Shawnee Heights 57, Tonganoxie 51, and Kansas City Turner 5 points.

In the individual competition first place finishes for the Lady Jays included Lyric Holman in the triple jump at 34’2 and in the 100 meter dash in 12.56, Kienna Newman in the 100 meter hurdles in 15.33, the 4 x 100 relay team of Shamya Banks, Raynell Wilson, Ayi-lissa Dotson, and Jacqui Moran in 51.55, Alana Kramer 300 meter hurdles 49.78,  Myrissa Humphreys 800 meter run 2:30.31, Ayi-lissa Dotson 200 meter dash in 26.51, and the 4 x 400 meter relay team of Amaya Booker, Deisjambra Bisio, Myrissa Humphreys, and Shamya Banks in 4:19.35.

The Junction City Blue Jay baseball team improved to 3-1 on the season with a doubleheader sweep at Emporia Friday night.

Junction City won the first game 10-8 and took the nightcap 4-2.

Blue Jay coach Drew Biery said Junction City scored 5 runs in the first inning and then five more over the course of the second and third innings of the first game. Thane McDaniel pitched 6 and 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays to get the win.

In the nightcap Kris Quidachay got the pitching win. Biery said, “He had a no-hitter actually going into the sixth inning, gave it up with one out, so he threw a lot of strikes, he got ahead of a lot of hitters and we made some really good defensive plays behind him.”

This was the first road trip of the season for the Blue Jays.

 

The Junction City Lady Jay varsity softball team lost two games at Clay Center on Thursday.

Clay Center won the opener 22-9 and the second game 15-0 in three innings.

The Lady Jays host Emporia in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. Friday.

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The Lady Jay soccer team battled to a 0-0 tie at Wichita West on Thursday.

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The Blue Jay baseball team plays a doubleheader at Emporia on Friday.

 

The Al Simpler Stadium will be the site for the Junction City Varsity Invitational Track Meet on Friday.

Field events begin at 3:30 p.m. and the track finals at 4:30 p.m.

Eight schools will enter athletes in the meeting. They include Great Bend, Hays, Junction City, Kansas City Turner, Salina Central, Salina South, Shawnee Heights, and Tonganoxie.

Thane McDaniel pitched six strong innings and Charley Peyla came on in relief in the seventh as the Junction City Blue Jays picked up a 3-2 win over Garden City in game one of the season opening doubleheader at Rathert Field on Friday.

Garden City won the nightcap 8-6, with the Blue Jays bringing the potential tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh.

Bobby Khoury had a big day at the plate for Junction City with a single, double and triple in the doubleheader, while Christien Ozores went 4-4 in game two with three singles and a double.

Drew Biery, Blue Jay head coach, commented on McDaniel’s pitching performance in game one. “Thane did a great job. He came out and competed, and that’s all we can ask for our guys come out and giving us the best you’ve got.”   Biery noted the Blue Jays were a little flat early in the game. “By him pumping strikes and and keeping us in the ballgame it was only a one-run game and we’re were able to come back and take the lead.”

The Blue Jays begin the season 1-1.