Nick Hamilton, Silver Lake softball reach state championship mountain top

There’s been one singular goal for Silver Lake softball this season: Win it all.

>The Eagles accomplished their biggest goal with a 4-0 win over Southeast of Saline in the Class 3A State Championship in Lawrence.

>“Feels good, feels good to finish,” head coach Nick Hamilton said.

>Hamilton has guided the Eagles to the state title game four previous times since 2019. They all resulted in runner-up finishes, until Saturday, May 30.

>Hamilton and Silver Lake reached the mountain top hoisting the coveted title. It's the school's 14th state championship, and first since 2018.

>Leading Silver Lake was starting pitcher Riley Mohler. She simply pitched a gem.

>“That was really big for me,” Mohler said. “Once regionals and state hit, I was really on it. I knew I had a job to do and my team knew as well. I think we really performed out there.”

>Silver Lake scored its opening run in the top of the third inning. Kailyn Hanni, Saylor Liggatt and Taylor Swygert loaded the bases via a walk. On a six pitch at-bat, Paige Heiman was walked allowing a run to score.

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>The Eagles rode their 1-0 advantage into the sixth inning before adding some insurance.

>Audrey Kirk nailed an RBI single scoring Mohler giving Silver Lake a 2-0 lead. The Eagles would score on back-to-back wild pitches to double the lead a few batters later.

>“The biggest thing for them was just trusting the process after being here twice. They just had to trust that at some point, they were going to find that ball at the right time and find the luck.”

>Mohler retired the final eight batters as Silver Lake's defense was on the mark throughout the title game.

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>“They are one of a kind,” Mohler said. “I have been on very few teams that have a great defense like us. We work really great as a team and it really shows on the field that we are a family.”

>One of the biggest reasons for Silver Lake's success has been their trust. Hamilton explained that no player grew frustrated after many close title calls. The players trusted the staff and they reaped the benefits, finally lifting the state title trophy.

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

>This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Silver Lake softball wins first state championship under Nick Hamilton