Crusaders win home invitational, go 16-0

Grand Island Central Catholic went a perfect 16-0 top win its Crusaders Invitational Thursday.

All four entries finished 4-0 on the day to win their divisions.

Ashlyn Kucera was the champion at No. 1 singles to improve to 9-0 for the season. She only dropped one out of 33 games during the invite.

Ayonya Birthi is now 10-0 after winning her four matches by a combined 32-4 at No. 2 singles.

At No. 1 doubles, Mia Golka and Brooklyn Kolbet improved to 8-2 with their closest match an 8-4 victory over Kearney Catholic.

Haily Asche and Carolyn Maser teams up for the second time at No. 2 doubles and are now 5-0 after winning their matches by at least an 8-4 margin.

Crusaders Invite

Team Scoring

GICC 24, Hastings St. Cecilia 10, Crete 9, Holdrege 9, Kearney Catholic 8.

Standings

No. 1 singles—1, Ashleyn Kucera, GICC; 2, Mackenzie Demuth, Hastings St. Cecilia.

No. 2 singles—1, Ayonya Birthi, GICC; 2, Olivia Kvols, Hastings St. Cecilia.

No. 1 doubles—1, Mia Golka/Brooklyn Kolbet, GICC; 2, Janessa Landin/Avery Michalski, Holdrege.

No. 2 doubles—1, Haily Asche/Carolyn Maser, GICC. 2, Crete, Holdrege and Kearney Catholic finished 2-2.

BASEBALL

Leiting’s homer gives Islanders walk-off win

Carson Leiting hit a three-run home run to give Grand Island Senior High a 10-9 victory over Norfolk in 11 innings Thursday.

That was in the first game of a triangular at Ryder Park.

The Islanders jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings, but Norfolk tied things up at 6 with three runs in the top of the seventh.

Both teams scored a run in the eighth, and the Panthers put up two in the top of the 11th before Leiting’s heroics ended the game.

Eli Arends and Braden Robinson each had three hits for Grand Island.

Ryan Williams picked up the win in relief, allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks over 4 2/3 innings.

In the late final game, Kearney won a pitcher’s duel 2-0.

Cal Higgins had a complete-game two-hitter with 16 strikeouts and two walks for the Bearcats.

Tycen Nelson allowed one earned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in a complete-game effort for the Islanders

Norfolk 002 100 310 02—9 13 4

Grand Island 222 000 010 03—10 16 2

WP—Williams. LP—Colligan. 2B—N, Lammers, Borgmann 2, Colligan, Price; GI, Myers, Robinson. HR—N, Papstein; GI, Leiting.

Kearney 001 000 01—2 4 0

Grand Island 000 000 0—0 2 1

WP—Williams. LP—Colligan. 2B—N, Lammers, Borgmann 2, Colligan, Price; GI, Myers, Robinson. HR—N, Papstein; GI, Leiting.

BOYS GOLF

GICC wins Indianhead Cup triangular

Grand Island Central Catholic defeated Doniphan-Trumbull 338-366 for the Indianhead Cup Thursday at Indianhead Golf Club.

Heartland Lutheran also participated but didn’t field a full varsity team.

Doniphan-Trumbull’s Ethan Smith fired the best score of the day with a 77.

Will Goering led the Crusaders with a 78.

Indianhead Cup

GICC (338)—Will Goering 78, Jackson Henry 81, Bowdie Fox 87, Jonathan Schardt 92, Jared Palik 96.

DONIPHAN-TRUMBULL (366)—Ethan Smith 77, Andrew Stock 87, Camdyn Beirow 96, Hayden Dzingle 100, Koen Johnson 106.

HEARTLAND LUTHERAN—Nate Jones 117.

Junior Varsity

GICC (227)—Joey Koralewski 49, Cole Kleint 57, Andrew Arens 60, Creighton Mehring 61.

DONIPHAN-TRUMBULL (243)—Ethan Adams 56, Collin Jepson 57, Michael Bonesteel 62, Bryson Rader 62, Preston Larson 63, Johann Reiners 72, Everett Schuler 72, Luke Nelson 72.

HEARTLAND LUTHERAN (259)—Kelsey Essex 51, Carly Niemoth 63, Brynn Saddler 71, Kathleen Spiehs 74, Micah Rhoades 81, Tyrees Bader 85, Zach Rathman 85.