By TYLER HENRY
Little Apple Post contributor
In 2021, the Wamego softball team was on top of the world after winning their first 4A state championship in program history.
A season ago, the Lady Raiders looked primed to defend their crown but were dethroned in a tight semifinal at the hands of Bishop-Miege.
Coming into 2023, Wamego had a clear vision and carried out their plan with ruthless efficiency shutting down team after team en route to their second-ever 4A state title.
“There was absolutely an expectation to win this week,” Wamego head coach Luke Meyer said. “We set a lot of goals throughout the year but this was the big one. We let one slip away in the semifinals last year and they were very focused to get back here again.”
To punch their ticket to the big dance, the Lady Raiders would first have to advance through their regional, and after manhandling Baldwin 15-0, Wamego exacted their revenge on the very team that eliminated them the year prior, sending Bishop-Miege packing with a 4-2 victory.
Those two runs would be the last the Wamego would surrender all season, and in the opening round of the 4A bracket, the Lady Raiders cruised to a 4-0 win over Rock Creek on a day that saw Maya Gallagher and Peyton Hardenburger combine for 7-innings of 2-hit ball.
As it had been all season long, Wamego’s tandem of aces in the circle were more than happy to cooperate with one another to get the job done.
“Unselfish play and especially unselfish pitching is why we won the title this year,” Meyer said. “It’s always been all about the team for these girls and both of those pitchers will tell you that they want the ball but more than that they want the team to be in the best position to succeed.”
On championship Saturday it was Hardenburger’s turn to start against the reigning 4A champs, and the sophomore sensation dazzled, pitching a no-hitter in which 18 batters were retired via the strikeout.
It was an excellent day on the other side for Eudora’s Samantha Claire, as the sophomore allowed just one hit all day, but that was all it would take as the Lady Raiders escaped with a 1-0 victory.
“To see two sophomores throw a one-hitter and a no-hitter like that was some of the best pitching I’ve seen in my short time here,” he said.
Now just one win away from a return to the summit, Wamego had a decision to make and elected to ride out the right arm of Hardenburger that had gotten them through to a final with McPherson.
Even after pitching a complete game less than three hours prior, the Lady Raider sophomore stepped back into the circle, and followed up her legendary performance with something so unexpected few in attendance could put it into words.
Once again Wamego scored just one run, and once again it proved to be enough as Hardenburger went the distance in yet another no-hitter, this time striking out 11 en route to securing the 4A title.
“I don’t think it gets any better than this from a pitching standpoint,” Meyer said. “Maya was excellent on Friday and what Peyton did on Saturday, I don’t know that you can find a performance like that anywhere else in the state. They were great but when the ball was in play the defense behind them was excellent as well.”
Hardenburger threw a total of 14 innings on Saturday, recording a staggering 29 strikeouts while also failing to allow so much as a single hit against the second and third-best teams in Class 4A.
While the bats of Wamego quieted some against elite pitching on the other side, the Lady Raiders came through when it mattered most, ensuring that they would be the ones to hoist the trophy for a second time.
“I was most impressed with our resilience,” he said. “We didn’t have our best games and we didn’t hit the ball well but we had girls step up in big moments and take their opportunity to make a big play through three tough games.”
All of this was to the elation of the Wamego faithful, who turned out en masse to support the Lady Raiders in Salina, and returned to line the streets in a parade for the queens of 4A that evening.
“It was so humbling to have that many people there supporting our girls and this community has supported Wamego so much in every sport,” Meyer said. “I’m so proud to see these girls and these seniors go out on top. They set a goal and to see them achieve it and pile on in the circle, those are memories that will last a lifetime for me.”
The Lady Raider season officially comes to an end at 20-1, with another 4A trophy to add to an increasingly large cabinet in Wamego.