Silver Lake baseball advances to its first state championship game in 13 years

MANHATTAN — Silver Lake remained calm in the face of adversity in the Class 3A state semifinals. Because of their calmness, No. No. 8 Silver Lake (17-11) dropped No. 4 Russell/Victoria 2-1 in eight innings.

This will be Silver Lake’s first tournament since 2013.

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“The biggest job we have as coaches is to stay calm in situations so the guys can see that,” Silver Lake coach Tyler Seele said. “We have been fighting dogs all year. In the past month, the conditions have been good.”

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See top photos from Silver Lake baseball’s Class 3A State Semifinals win

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Silver Lake baseball advances to its first state championship game in 13 years

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Silver Lake baseball advances to its first state championship game in 13 years

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See top photos from Silver Lake baseball’s Class 3A State Semifinals win

Dayne Johnson was the main man for the Eagles. The Broncos couldn’t touch him all game. Russell had only two runners in the entire game.

Johnson pitched all eight innings, allowing one hit, one run, and one walk. He struck out six batters in the game.

“I don’t throw a lot, I don’t have a lot of bad stuff, so I have to put myself in position,” Johnson said. “It was a really good game.”

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Johnson’s accuracy on the mound was the difference. Russell’s hitters were left watching many times as Johnson painted every corner.

“Dayne is a hero,” Seele said. “He was very good at both pitches. He threw his fastball and it hit the outside corner early. He stayed down in the zone and stopped the contact, let his defense work.”

Silver Lake scored its first run in the top of the fourth inning. Miles Kibbee hit a double, which scored Drew Womack.

Russell would answer in the bottom of the sixth inning. After getting a walk, Russell played a short ball that moved their runner over. A sacrifice fly to left field helped tie the game.

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It was a frustrating half of the game for Silver Lake. They went 2-for-14 with runners on base in the game. The Eagles couldn’t capitalize on their chances.

When extra innings came, the Silver Lake dugout was quiet. It looked like the middle of the game, not a comparison to determine the appearance of the state champions.

Team spirit kept them comfortable and freshman Kipton Kruger delivered. Kruger hit a single down the right field line that hit the corner. Kruger ran around for second and was the easiest of the three.

“I was thinking of just hitting a good, hard ball and I saw it go down the line and I started booking it,” said Kruger. “I saw coach Seele waving at me and he continued to book it.

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Kibbee was the next hitter. He faced six pitches before he drilled the ball into center field. A flyout allowed Kruger to score the game-winner.

“Did you have better swings this year, yes,” Seele said. “But that was the best at-bat he put together this year.”

Silver Lake is just on the heater. They won five consecutive games, outscoring their opponents 20-8 in this playoff game. They are looking for their first championship since 2011, when Seele helped the Eagles win it as a player.

“I don’t even know what that means right now,” Seele said. “I want the worst for boys.”

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The state championship will be played at 4 pm on Friday, May 29 at Kansas State.

When asked if he ever believed Silver Lake would play for a state title, Johnson spoke honestly.

“If you had told me a month ago, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Johnson smiled. “We’re hitting well at the right time and coming together as a team.”

Liam Keating covers high school and Washburn University sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send statistics or information to Lkeating@gannett.com

This article first appeared in the Topeka Capital-Journal: Silver Lake baseball advances to Class 3A State Championship.