For the seventh consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. Then they voted for their top 3 male and female athletes and I tabulated the results and determined the winner. The winner will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the three finalists for the Female Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name.

IZZY MORELAND — SENIOR — VOLLEYBALL, SOFTBALL

Izzy was a starting member of the Louisburg volleyball team that finished fourth at the Class 4A state tournament. Moreland was a middle blocker for the Wildcats. She finished the season with 105 kills and led the team with 48 blocks.

On the softball diamond, Moreland was the Wildcats’ No. 1 pitcher this past season as she helped Louisburg to 11 wins on the year. She was a second team All-Frontier League selection at pitcher. 

Moreland led the Wildcats as she threw 94 innings and struck out 90 batters. She also had a 3.92 ERA. At the plate, Moreland finished with a .306 average, 26 hits, two doubles, two triples and a home run. She also added 19 RBIs on the season.

MEGAN QUINN — SENIOR — VOLLEYBALL, SOFTBALL

On the volleyball court, Megan has been the setter for the Wildcats the last two seasons and helped Louisburg to the state tournament the last two years, including a fourth place finish this season. She led the team with 540 assists in a split-setter role and also had a team-high 43 aces.

Quinn also thrived on the softball field as she was an all-league honorable mention selection on the infield and was also one of the Wildcats’ starting pitchers. She was the Wildcats’ biggest bat in the lineup with four home runs this season and has nine the last two years.

The Louisburg senior batted clean-up for most of the season. She was third on the team with a .342 average to go along with 27 hits and eight doubles to go along with her four home runs and a team-high 38 RBIs.

HAILEY SWORD — SENIOR — VOLLEYBALL, SOCCER

Hailey was a 3-year letter winner for the volleyball team and played all six rotations the past two seasons. Sword tallied a team-high 308 kills and finished second on the team with 42 aces. Defensively, Sword was also strong in the back row as she was second on the team with 295 digs.

She was selected to the KVA All-State Tournament team after she helped Louisburg to a fourth place finish at state. She also earned honorable mention All-Frontier League honors.

Hailey was also a captain of the Wildcat soccer team this past spring as he helped lead Louisburg to a regional championship. She is a four-year letter winner and she was a part of a school record setting defense that allowed the fewest goals in a season. Sword was also named to the All-Frontier League first team.

The Louisburg softball team took a big step forward this season, especially when it came to the win column.

Louisburg racked up 11 wins on the season, which is most the program has seen in more than a decade. Some of the Frontier League coaches also took notice of the Wildcats’ success.

Five Wildcats were selected to the All-Frontier League team that was released last week. Senior Ashley Moreau (infield) was a first team selection and senior Izzy Moreland (pitcher) was named to the second team.

Seniors Rylee Hickey (catcher), Megan Quinn (infield) and Jenna Cauthon (infield) were all named as honorable mentions.

“I thought our team was very well represented,” Louisburg coach Nick Chapman said. “I was so glad our 5 seniors earned honors. That just goes to show how great of a group they were. We play in a tough league with a lot of great softball players and these girls were recognized as some of the best softball players in our league.”

Moreau, the team’s starting shortstop, was a first team infield selection. More honors came her way Tuesday as she was also an honorable mention all-state selection by the Kansas Softball Coaches.

She led Louisburg with a .462 average as the team’s leadoff hitter. Moreau led the Wildcats with 36 hits on the season, including three doubles and a triple. She also scored 33 runs.

“Ashley was an incredible shortstop,” Chapman said. “She never stopped working to hone her craft. She was also a great leadoff hitter for us. She could do a lot of things really well at the plate and on the bases. She was recognized as one of the top infielders in our league and that’s saying a lot with the league we play in. She earned this recognition and I’m so proud of her. She is going to be dearly missed on our infield.”

Moreland was the Wildcats’ top pitcher on the season as she threw 94 innings and struck out 90 batters. She also finished with a 3.92 ERA.

At the plate, Moreland finished with a .306 average, 26 hits, two doubles, two triples and a home run. She also added 19 RBIs on the season.

“Izzy was a dominant force on the mound over these last 4 years,” Chapman said. “She ended her career with 216 strikeouts, 90 this season alone. She continued to get better and better as the season went on. Her bat was just as good. She did a lot of things at the plate, behind Megan in our lineup, to keep our lineup going. I’m very proud of her and what she did for our program.”

Hickey, one of the team’s starting catchers, had a successful season behind the plate with just six errors as she split time in the outfield. She recorded 19 hits on the season, including six doubles and 16 RBIs as she batted toward the top of the lineup.

“Rylee had a great season behind the plate,” Chapman said. “She was tough and going to do everything she could to control the bases. She had some very clutch moments for us at the plate as well. It was awesome to see the player she grew into over the last 4 years.”

Quinn, who was the team’s starting third baseman when she wasn’t pitching, had a big season in the middle of the Wildcat lineup. 

The Louisburg senior led the Wildcats with four home runs on the season to go along with a .342 average. She had a team-high 38 RBIs to go along with 27 hits and eight doubles.

“Megan had an incredible season at the plate,” Chapman said. “She had a ton of RBIs and some very big time at bats for us. She made a great third baseman and she accepted that role and worked her butt off to be good at it. I’m very proud of her for taking that on, even if it’s not where she wanted to be, and giving it her all to help her team be successful.”

Cauthon provided several big hits throughout the year as the Wildcats’ starting second baseman. 

She was second on the team with a .393 average and had 33 hits, eight doubles and a triple. She also had 18 RBIs on the year and a team-high 11 stolen bases.

“Jenna had a very solid season at the plate,” Chapman said. “She was a very consistent bat in our lineup. It was a rare night if she wasn’t on the bases in some sort of way. Once she was on the bases, she did everything she could to make things happen, including how she perfected the delayed steal from 2nd to 3rd. It was a thing of beauty. I’m so proud of her commitment to our program and the season she had.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE SOFTBALL

FIRST TEAM

CATCHER — Reese Pattinson, Eudora, junior

PITCHER — Jaleigh White, Spring Hill, junior; Sam Claire, Eudora, junior

INFIELD — Jaiden Burris, Eudora, junior; Mya January, Spring Hill, junior; Ashley Moreau, Louisburg, senior; Kaylin Wiehe, Tonganoxie, freshman

OUTFIELD — Lexi Born, Eudora, junior; Abby Clarkson, Tonganoxie, senior; Ellie Ruffin, Spring Hill, junior

UTILITY — Addison White, Ottawa, junior

SECOND TEAM 

CATCHER — Kaitlin Base, Baldwin, junior

PITCHER — Sage Issacs, Tonganoxie, senior; Izzy Moreland, Louisburg, senior

INFIELD — Elli Smail, Paola, sophomore; Laiken Buell, Bonner Springs, senior; Kamden Evans, Ottawa, senior; Katie Courter, Eudora, junior

OUTFIELD — Autumn Ashford, Bonner Springs, senior; Blair Sommer, Spring Hill, senior; Krislyn Hadlock, Paola, junior

UTILITY — Nora Burrel, Spring Hill, junior

HONORABLE MENTION

CATCHER — Rylee Hickey, Louisburg, senior; Lily Jevne, Paola, senior; Emma Lara, Bonner Springs, junior

PITCHER — Olivia O’Toole, Eudora, sophomore

INFIELD — Abbi Minton, Bonner Springs, senior; Kenzie Yoder, Eudora, senior; Emma Reeves, Spring Hill, junior; Olivia Fraley, Spring Hill, sophomore; Anna Kane, Paola, senior; Chevy Seaton, Ottawa, senior; Jenna Cauthon, Louisburg, senior; Jordyn Vorbeck, Tonganoxie, freshman; Megan Quinn, Louisburg, senior

UTILITY — Addison Hasset, Bonner Springs, senior; Lily Rife, Eudora, senior

EUDORA — The Louisburg softball team was hoping for a big run through the postseason.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats saw that run end a little prematurely.

Louisburg, the No. 10 seed, traveled to Eudora for the Class 4A regional tournament on May 14 and squared off with No. 7 Tonganoxie. Despite getting out to an early lead, Louisburg’s season came to a close with a 5-1 loss to the Chieftains.

“Going into any regional, you have to expect you are going to get the best version of any team,” Louisburg coach Nick Chapman said. “That’s what we got from Tongie. They hit the ball really well. We would make an adjustment and they did something else to find a way to keep their offense rolling. 

“We played top notch defense. We turned three double plays. We made all of our fundamental defensive plays. Izzy and Megan pitched really well. It came down to they hit the ball and we didn’t.”

The Wildcats got off to a good start in the first inning. Rylee Hickey led off with a walk, while Jenna Cauthon and Megan Quinn followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases.

Hickey went on to score on a wild pitch and Louisburg took a 1-0 lead.

Tonganoxie answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the first inning. The game remained tied till the bottom of the fourth inning when the Chieftains scored three to take a 4-1 lead. 

The Chieftains added another run in the sixth and the Wildcats were unable to get much offense after that first inning.

Louisburg senior Izzy Moreland got the start for Louisburrg and pitched four innings and gave up four runs and struck out four. Quinn came in for the final two innings of relief.

The Wildcats ended their season with an 11-15 record, which was the most wins in a decade, and they had to say goodbye to a 5-member senior class in Moreland, Quinn, Cauthon, Hickey and Ashley Moreau — who all have been varsity starters since their freshmen season.

“I’m so proud of this team and the season we had,” Chapman said. “We had our banquet to celebrate our season and I realized we beat all but 2 teams in our league this year. That’s pretty sweet. We lost by 1 to a 6A state tournament team in Blue Valley West. We could have beat Lansing, a pretty solid 5A team that gave Spring Hill fits. We beat the teams we should have beaten and we won a lot of close games that could have gone either way. Eleven wins is nothing to be upset about. 

“These seniors have been put in a lot of work to help us get to this point and they are handing it off to the underclassmen to continue that work and I believe we are only going to get better from here.”

BALDWIN CITY — Nothing like going into the postseason with a winning streak and that is exactly what the Louisburg softball team is doing.

The Wildcats won their third consecutive game Thursday as they shutout Baldwin, 10-0, in their regular season finale. 

Louisburg did it with timely hitting and a strong performance on the mound from starter Izzy Moreland. The Wildcat senior earned the complete game victory with 11 strikeouts and gave up just four hits.

“Izzy threw really well again,” Louisburg coach Nick Chapman said. “Her defense had her back with only one small error that didn’t affect anything. I’m proud of how our defense is playing right now.”

The Wildcats jumped on Baldwin early as they scored five runs in the first two innings, which was more than enough for Moreland.

Louisburg got production from up and down its lineup as eight of its 14 hits on the night were doubles.

Senior Jenna Cauthon had a big night at the plate with four hits, including two doubles, and scored four runs. Moreland and junior Addy Stohs each recorded two hits.

Seniors Megan Quinn and Rylee Hickey each tallied 3 RBIs, while Moreland, sophomore Shyloh Waite and junior Brynley Bauer each had an RBI of their own.

Stohs, Bauer, Quinn, Hickey, Waite and Emily Brotherton each had a double for Louisburg on the night.

“Every girl hit the ball really really well again,” Chapman said. “It was a great night at the plate for us. We used the whole field to move and score baserunners. It was a good night to end our regular season and give us a lot of confidence going into this week.”

Louisburg finished its season with an 11-14 record as the Wildcats head into regional tournament action this Tuesday. The Wildcats are the No. 10 seed and will face off with No. 7 Tonganoxie at 3 p.m. at Eudora High School.

If the Wildcats advance, they will play the winner of Eudora/Paola for the regional championship later on in the evening. 

PAOLA — The Louisburg softball team was in the midst of an 8-game losing skid going into Tuesday’s doubleheader against Paola.

Nothing a like a little rivalry game to cure whatever ails you.

The Wildcats saw their streak to come to an end as Louisburg cruised to a 9-2 and 12-3 victory over the Panthers in Paola. 

Two wins over a rival and starting a new winning streak was a cause for celebration for a Louisburg softball team that needed something positive to go its way heading into the postseason.

“We were clicking on all cylinders,” Louisburg coach Nick Chapman said. “Every one of our nine girls contributed to the success of our team and our dominating wins. We played to our ability finally and we saw what happens when we do that.

“Beating Paola is always nice and the way we did it was even better. We were on quite a skid over these last couple of weeks, and after this weekend, the girls knew we needed to start making adjustments to get better. They did just that and I think you saw it in our bats. We had been struggling with slower pitching, but we finally made an adjustment and our bats exploded like they did in the beginning of the season.”

Two of those bats came up big for the Wildcats and it started with Megan Quinn. The Louisburg senior clubbed two home runs in the opener, including a grand slam, that helped the Wildcats to their game one win.

In the nightcap, it was Brynley Bauer’s turn. The Louisburg junior hit a grand slam of her own, and also finished with three hits in the game, including a double.

“Megan’s bat was a little cold over that 8-game skid,” Chapman said. “She needed a night like she had in the first game. To come up twice and put 2 over the fence was huge. Then in the second game when it was close, Brynley came up clutch. She has been in and out of the lineup throughout this season, but she has never stopped working hard and it payed off big time. I’m so proud of her.”

To go along with the timely offense, the Wildcats also thrived in the field. Louisburg didn’t commit an error in either contest and prevented the Panthers from getting any free runs. 

“When I told them that on the bus, they went wild,” Chapman said. “They normally don’t like practice after we have a night of errors, but they didn’t have to worry about that yesterday. That is a great accomplishment for this team. Again, we played to our ability and the result speaks for itself.”

Senior Izzy Moreland and Quinn took care of business on the mound as they each picked up a win.

Moreland got the complete game victory in the opener as she pitched seven innings and gave up just two runs on six hits. Moreland also tallied nine strikeouts.

Quinn got the start in the second game and went six innings. She gave up three runs on six hits and struck out five. Moreland came in for the final inning and struck out three.

“Our pitching and catching staff do such a great job,” Chapman said. “Izzy’s fastball always has a little bit more pop on it this time of the year, and it’s Paola when it starts doing that, and I’m glad she continued that. I wanted her to keep throwing it, but her and Brynley did a great job of mixing it up and kept their lineup guessing and off balance.

“Megan did a fantastic job of mixing up her pitches and keeping them off balanced. Her and Rylee (Hickey) are very smart and methodical calling pitches. She got a lot of pop ups and roll overs that our defense did some great things with. I love our pitching staff and how hard they work.”

Quinn got things going for Louisburg in the opener with a solo home run in the second inning and followed that up with a grand slam in the third to make it 5-0.

Seniors Ashley Moreau and Jenna Cauthon added two hits to help lead the Louisburg offense. Senior Rylee Hickey added an RBI.

In the nightcap, the game was tied at 4-all in the top of the fifth inning, when Bauer connected on a grand slam to help in the Wildcats in what turned out to be a 5-run inning.

Moreau, Cauthon, Quinn, sophomore Shyloh Waite and junior Addy Stohs each had two hits on the night, while Cauthon, Quinn and Waite each had 2 RBIs. Stohs also finished with a double.

Louisburg will try to make it three straight wins to end the regular season tonight as the Wildcats travel to Baldwin for a single game. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

The result wasn’t what the Louisburg softball team was hoping for last Tuesday against Eudora at Lewis-Young Park.

Still, that didn’t stop the Wildcats from honoring what was a special senior class on Senior Night. Following the contest, seniors Jenna Cauthon, Rylee Hickey, Ashley Moreau, Izzy Moreland and Megan Quinn were honored with their parents following the contest.

The five seniors have all played vital roles on the Wildcats since their freshman season, and as their final campaign winds to a close, Louisburg coach Nick Chapman is sad to see this group go.

“I’m so glad we got to recognize those five seniors,” Chapman said. “They have made up the majority of our varsity squad since they were freshmen and they have been a giant part of this program for the last four years. They have grown so much and I am so proud of them. 

“They have also pushed me to grow and continue to grow over these last four years. Those five will always hold a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to see what they are going to accomplish after high school.”

As for the game, the Wildcats couldn’t keep up with one of the top teams in the Frontier League as Eudora handed Louisburg a 14-2 loss.

Eudora scored eight unanswered runs through the first four innings and the Wildcats were unable to rally. Only five of the 14 Eudora runs were earned as the Wildcats had to deal with some mistakes on defense.

“I thought we played alright,” Chapman said. “Eudora is a really good team and we knew that going into it. We gave ourselves a chance in the first few innings and kept it close. We faced a pretty solid pitcher and got her figured out, but we hurt ourselves in the field. 

“The positive on the night is we did not get run-ruled by them, which we have been run-ruled by Eudora every year for the last 5 years. We are doing some really good things, but we just need to start doing them more consistently and give ourselves a chance down this last stretch of the season.”

Moreau led the Wildcat offense with a pair of hits, including a double. Hickey had the team’s lone RBI, while sophomore Katelyn Smart and junior Brynley Bauer also had hits.

The Wildcats will try and get back on the winning track this Tuesday when they travel to Paola for a doubleheader.

Fort Scott takes two from Louisburg

On April 23, Louisburg hosted another talented team in Fort Scott, and the Tigers handed Louisburg a pair of 12-0 and 14-9 setbacks.

After a quiet first game, the Wildcat bats heated up in the nightcap as they scored seven runs in the final three innings, but couldn’t overtake Fort Scott.

Jenna Cauthon led the Louisburg bats with three hits and a double in the game to go along with 3 RBIs. Izzy Moreland also had three hits, to go along with a double and 2 RBIs.

Junior Brynley Bauer and Ashley Moreau each had a pair of hits, while Addy Stohs and Rylee Hickey both recorded a double. Senior Megan Quinn also had 2 RBIs.

OVERLAND PARK — Louisburg put together its best defensive performance of the season Thursday at Blue Valley West.

The Wildcats just didn’t have quite enough offense to leave with a win over the Class 6A opponent. Blue Valley West scored two runs in the third inning, which proved to be the difference in a 2-1 loss Thursday for the Wildcats.

“I thought Blue Valley West was our best defensive game,” Louisburg coach Nick Chapman said. “We play really well in the field. We made our fundamental plays, even through the windy conditions. They had a couple little dink hits that the wind got a hold of and put the ball out of our reach that they scored two runs off of. We played as clean as we possibly could. We just didn’t capitalize on a couple opportunities at the plate.”

Louisburg senior Izzy Moreland started the game for the Wildcats as she pitched a complete game. Moreland worked around six hits and gave up the two runs and struck out two.

The Wildcats (8-7) took a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the third. Senior Jenna Cauthon singled home Katelyn Smart to give their team an early advantage.

Blue Valley West answered right back with two in the bottom of the third inning on a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt. 

Ashley Moreau, Megan Quinn and Brynley Bauer also had hits for the Wildcats.

Despite the loss, the Wildcats have already eclipsed their win total from last season and are looking to make another run as the postseason approaches.

“We are getting better every game and slowly starting to play our best softball,” Chapman said. “When we can put both offense and defense together in the same game, we are going to be very dangerous going into regionals.”

Louisburg is back in action this Tuesday when the Wildcats host Fort Scott in a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Wildcats earn split at McPherson quad

Louisburg made the long jaunt to McPherson for a pair of games in the 4-team tournament last Tuesday and left with a 1-1 record.

The Wildcats fell to McPherson, one of the top teams in Class 4A , 21-5, but rebounded with a 5-2 victory over Emporia.

“I thought we responded well against Emporia,” Chapman said. “The top of our lineup is consistently finding ways on base and hitting the ball hard.”

In the victory over Emporia, Louisburg jumped out to a 3-1 lead early and that would be all the run support Megan Quinn would need. The Louisburg senior pitched a complete game, allowed two runs and struck out six.

Seniors Rylee Hickey and Jenna Cauthon led the way with a pair of hits, while Hickey had a double and an RBI. Izzy Moreland added an RBI double, while Ashley Moreau tripled and scored two runs. Quinn also recorded an RBI single to help her cause.

Against McPherson, the Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Bullpups in the top of the first. McPherson responded with nine runs in the bottom of the first to get out to a big lead.

Moreau led the Wildcat bats with two hits, while Moreland had a 2-run single. Quinn added an RBI single as well.

“I thought it was a good night for us,” Chapman said. “It was a long bus ride for us. The girls showed up ready to play and we jumped out to a quick lead in the first inning. We were locked in at the plate for most of the game, still swinging pretty well. McPherson is a solid team. They responded with a big first inning and we stayed locked in at the plate and tried to chip away at their lead. 

“We just didn’t play clean in the field and against a good team like that we have to play as clean as possible and we didn’t. Hats off to them. They are a good team.”

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week four of the spring sports season, sponsored by IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

IZZY MORELAND, SENIOR, SOFTBALL

Louisburg senior Izzy Moreland was a big part in what was a successful week for the Wildcat softball team. Moreland helped Louisburg to a 4-1 week and did it with the bat and on the mound. At the plate, Moreland finished the week with 10 hits and eight RBIs and also added her first home run of the season.

On the mound, Moreland picked up two big wins for the Wildcats against Bonner Springs and Baldwin. She finished the week with 22 strikeouts, including a 10 strikeout performance against Baldwin on Friday. She earned a win in the first game against Bonner Springs as a starter, then came in for relief in the second game to help get the sweep over the Braves.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous Winners:

Week 1: Jack Anderson

Week 2: Nathaniel Lamm

Week 3: Derek Frederick

It has been a long, but successful week for the Louisburg softball team and the Wildcats ended it Friday with a bang.

The Wildcats hosted Baldwin for a single game and rolled the Bulldogs for a 13-2 victory. Louisburg has now won six of its last seven games and are now 7-5 on the season.

“Last week was definitely a long, crazy week,” Louisburg coach Nick Chapman said. “I thought the girls responded really well, stayed locked in all week and won 4 out of 5 games. You can’t be mad about that.”

It all started with the bats for Louisburg as the Wildcats scored 10 runs in the first three innings and seniors Megan Quinn and Izzy Moreland were a big reason for that. 

In the first inning, Quinn and Moreland hit back-to-back home runs to set the tone. Quinn hit a 3-run shot and Moreland followed with a solo home run to give the Wildcats an early 4-run lead.

The two players combined for 10 RBIs on the game and Quinn led the way with six runs batted in. 

“Everything was clicking at the plate for us,” Chapman said. “A lot of girls were hitting the ball hard and making things happen. Megan and Izzy have been a giant part of our offense that is scoring a lot of runs. It was awesome to see both of them have a huge game, and even better that, they go back-to -back to start the game. They have put a lot of work into honing their craft and it’s really showing this season.”

Moreland also thrived on the mound as she recorded the complete game victory. She gave up three hits and the two runs were unearned. Moreland also finished with 10 strikeouts.

Senior Ashley Moreau also had a strong night offensively with a pair of hits, as did junior Addy Stohs, who added a double. Moreau also scored three runs.

Freshman McKinley Harmon recorded her first two varsity hits, while senior Jenna Cauthon added an RBI double. Sophomore Katelyn Smart also had a hit and a run scored.

Louisburg will try and keep its winning ways going today as the Wildcats travel McPherson for a quad. Louisburg will face McPherson at 4 p.m. and will play either Derby or Emporia in the second game. 

Louisburg splits doubleheader at Tonganoxie

Louisburg made the trip to Tonganoxie in what it thought was going to be just a single game.

After some confusion, the Wildcats played a doubleheader with the Chieftains and left with a split. Louisburg lost the first game 5-3, before rallying for a 9-4 win in the nightcap.

“Tongie was a weird night because of schedule confusion,” Chapman said. “We showed up expecting to play 1 game, sat around while our JV got warmed up, and then all of sudden we were having to get ready quickly to play a doubleheader. Still, the girls responded well.”

The Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first game, but mistakes on defense led to three runs for Tonganoxie in the fourth and two more in the fifth.

Megan Quinn had two hits, a double and 3 RBIs to lead the offense, while Izzy Moreland, Ashley Moreau and Jenna Cauthon also had two hits.

In the nightcap, the Wildcats got a complete game performance from Quinn on the mound. The Louisburg senior went seven innings, gave up one earned run and struck out four.

Senior Rylee Hickey provided the fireworks with the bat as she tallied three hits, a double and a team-high 3 RBIs.

Cauthon and Quinn each had two hits and 2 RBIs, while Moreau had three hits and scored three runs. Moreland also had two hits and an RBI.

“We came out hot again in the second game and this time we didn’t let up and took care of business,” Chapman said. “We kept adding 1 or 2 runs an inning and then Rylee came up big in the seventh with bases loaded and hit a shot to the outfield to clear the bases. Our offense is really solid right now. If we can find a way to shore up our defense, we are going to be really dangerous as we get closer and closer to regionals.”

BONNER SPRINGS — The road was kind to the Louisburg softball team Tuesday as the Wildcats earned a sweep over Bonner Springs.

However, the Wildcats won each game in vastly different ways.

Louisburg won the opener, 4-1, behind a complete game effort from Izzy Moreland on the mound and got a 2-run home run from Megan Quinn.

The nightcap provided more of a fireworks show as the Wildcats scored eight early runs and held on for a 13-10 victory over the Braves. It marked the fourth straight victory for Louisburg, which is now 5-4 on the season.

“We came out and played our best game of the season in that first game,” Louisburg coach Nick Chapman said. “After that first inning, our bats got going, which gave us confidence in the field and played our best defense. Everyone was making plays. Everyone was hitting. 

“We keep a ‘Quality At-Bat’ chart and at one point, going through our whole lineup, everyone had a quality at bat. I’m so proud of them. This is our first time beating Bonner Springs in my tenure. That’s an awesome feeling, let alone we swept them and it was a league opponent. It was a fun night for us and the credit goes to the girls for coming together and playing great team softball.”

Moreland kept the Braves offense off-balance in the first game as she pitched seven innings and struck out six. She also allowed just the one run on four hits.

Bonner Springs took a 1-0 lead early, but the Wildcats came back to tie it in the second on an RBI bunt single from Shyloh Waite.

Louisburg took the lead in the third as Quinn hit a 2-run home run to put the Wildcats up for good. Senior Ashley Moreau added an insurance run with an RBI single in the fourth.

“As always Megan and Izzy were huge for us,” Chapman sad. “Izzy on the mound, pitching all of game 1 and then closing out game 2, plus had some great hits. Then Megan hit that home run and continued to do good things at the plate. However, it was the things that don’t always get recorded in the stat book. Before Megan hit that home run, Shyloh put a bunt to move her baserunner and sprinted her butt off to get down the line to beat the throw which led us to a run. 

“Then in the same inning as Megan’s home run, Ashley and Rylee (Hickey) both put great bunts down. Rylee’s was a sacrifice bunt. Jenna (Cauthon) moved Ashley to third and then Megan finished the job. It was a great team inning. Sometimes people don’t realize the sacrifices that happen before the big play that makes the big play happen and I hope the girls realize that those little things matter the most. That’s what really got us going.”

The bats came alive for both teams in the second game. Louisburg jumped out to an early 8-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning. Bonner Springs cut the lead to two with a 5-run inning, but the Wildcats scored five times in the next three innings to hold on for the win.

Several Wildcats had big days at the plate. Moreland and junior Brynley Bauer each had a team-high three hits, while Moreland had 3 RBIs and a triple.

Senior Rylee Hickey had one of her better hitting nights of the season with two hits, including a double and also had 3 RBIs. She also just missed a home run.

Senior Jenna Cauthon had two hits, that included a double, and 3 RBIs. Moreau, Hickey, Cauthon and Bauer each scored three times.

“Rylee had a huge game two,” Chapman said. “She has worked her tail off to get better at the plate and it’s starting to pay off. She does a lot of the behind the scenes stuff for us. She’s a solid wall as a catcher and does a great job keeping baserunners honest. She does a great job of moving baserunners by her swing or her bunts. She’s doing some great things.

“Jenna is just constantly hitting the ball hard somewhere. She was frustrated because it was directly to someone every time but she is seeing the ball really well and finding the barrel of the bat consistently.  Brynley got her bat going also and made a couple huge plays in the outfield.”

Quinn started the game for the Wildcats and sophomore Raeya Keagle came in for relief. Moreland then pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and got three strikeouts to close the game out.

Louisburg will try and keep its winning streak going as the Wildcats travel to Tonganoxie for one game. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.