Connecting on swift grounders, Tonganoxie runners advanced with key hard choppers and prevailed, 6-1.

“The hard infield helped us,” THS coach Merri Samuels said.

THS opened the game with five of its first six batters striking out. But Tonganoxie scored first with two runs in the fourth before BLHS scored what would be its only run in the bottom of the inning. THS (3-1 overall and 1-0) then scored two runs each in the sixth and seventh innings for the victory.

Laura Jeannin led the team in hits with three, while Addie Heim and Amie Riddle each had two hits. Heim also recorded the only extra-base hit for the Chieftains with a double in the seventh. Heim and Riddle each had two RBI as Sarah Holliday and Mollie McCaffrey contributed an RBI apiece.

Samuels said strong pitching and good, aggressive baserunning sealed the victory.

On defense, Holliday, threw out a runner trying to steal in the first. With runners on at first and second with one out in the fifth, she then started a 2-3-6 double play when she picked off the runner at first. Heim then threw to Laura Jeannin at third who tagged out the runner who was trying to advance from second and ended the inning.

“That was a nice rally stopper since the score was 2-1 at that point,” Samuels said.

In game 2 with Katie and Laura Jeannin out of the lineup so they could compete in the Bobcat Relays and Amie Riddle also unavailable, the Chieftains had a tougher road against the Bobcats.

Basehor-Linwood led, 1-0, after one before a six-run second inning put the game out of reach for Tonganoxie. Basehor eventually won, 11-1.

“BLHS just hit much better in the second game,” Samuels said.

Heather Ramirez, who pitched the second game, registered Tonganoxie’s only hit.

Tonganoxie next will play at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Shawnee against Mill Valley. The team also played Piper on Tuesday at home. The Pirates finished second at state last year.