WICHITA — After Bishop Carroll senior pitcher Allison Orth struck out two in the third inning of the Class 5A title game on Saturday, assistant coach Kelsey Unruh told coach Steve Harshberger that Orth was finished. 

Orth, who has struggled with shoulder pain since her freshman season, had also pitched the final two innings of the weather-delayed semifinal earlier Saturday morning. 

Harshberger knew he had to get her off the mound against St. Thomas Aquinas at Wichita State’s Wilkins Softball Complex. 

“She’s gutted it out all year,” Harshberger said. “She gets a lot of treatment on her shoulder. The rainout (on Friday) kind of messed us up because we had to throw her the last two innings. If we had gotten through (Friday), who knows how long she could have gone.” 

With Carroll leading 3-1 heading into the seventh, Orth returned to the mound.  

She faced three batters, striking out two, as she led Carroll to the 3-1 victory over Aquinas for the Eagles’ second title in three years. Carroll (28-3) has won 16 softball championships. 

“I thrive under pressure,” Orth said. “I was going in thinking, ‘I need three outs. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get these outs for my team.’ The adrenaline motivated me.” 

 

Not that she needed much motivation. Because of her shoulder issues, she won’t play softball again, which is why she arrived early Saturday morning.  

“Even though we had to be here at 7:30, I was here in the parking lot by 7:15, ready to go because I love these girls so much,” Orth said. “After four years, you grow really close. We’re all like sisters. It was really fun to play my last game with them.” 

Orth, a setter, will play volleyball at West Point.  

While Orth had six strikeouts through three innings, Aquinas had a 1-0 lead after first baseman  

Addison Sabers’ solo home run in the second inning. 

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With Carroll trailing and the offense struggling, Orth needed help. 

“My shoulder was bothering me … and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do the whole thing,” Orth said. “Softball is not an individual sport. I was thankful to have my girls to be able to come in.” 

Junior pitcher Keira Stripling came on in relief. She struck out two and didn’t give up a hit in two innings. 

“Keira did a good job, and then (sophomore Emerson Hiebert) has been coming in for her,” Harshberger said. “She did a good job. They complement each other well.” 

While Carroll’s pitching was strong, the offense couldn’t get going against Aquinas pitcher Alayna Vaeth, who was the closer in the Saints’ 2025 championship run. 

“Through three innings, we weren’t doing anything,” Harshberger said. “(Vaeth) did a great job. She got us to move in the box, shift our weight. We couldn’t hit her.” 

 

Vaeth gave up one hit through the first three innings, facing three more batters than the minimum. 

“We kind of got down a little bit,” Orth said. “We’re a team that likes to jump (out) early. We got back to the dugout – ‘hey, we need to put some runs on the board. We know how to.’” 

In the fourth, Carroll found its offense.  

Senior catcher Kiersten Jones hit a shot to deep left field for a leadoff double. Sophomore shortstop Paige Stroot followed with a first-pitch home run to left for the 2-1 lead. 

“I was just thinking about my seniors, that I’m not letting them go out with a loss. I’m letting them go out with a state championship,” said Stroot about her thoughts in that at-bat. “That ball was pretty fat, right down the middle, so I was like, ‘if there’s any time to do it, it’s now.’” 

Carroll took a 3-1 lead in the fifth on Orth’s sacrifice fly to right field that scored second baseman Natalie Thimmesch, who led off the inning with a double. 

 

Aquinas got within 3-2 in the sixth when center fielder Gabby Bachkora walked to open the inning, reached second on an error and then scored on Sabers’ single to right. But the Saints couldn’t capitalize on the multi-hit inning. 

“The game (Saturday) was a great game,” said Aquinas coach Keith Hughes, whose team finished 25-4. “Two great teams playing for a championship. Both teams competed, and in the end, we fell short.  

“As a coach, I’m privileged to have been a part of such a competitive game. The result was not how we wanted, but both teams played very well, and in the end, we just came up short. As I told my players, I’m not upset that we lost a great game. I’m upset that I don’t get to coach this group again.” 

For Carroll’s Jones, winning the championship was emotional. 

“(Softball) is one of the things that kept me going through school,” Jones said. “Softball is a big part of my life. I’m crying because we’re done.” 

It was a different type of emotion for Stroot. She’s still got two years left at Carroll, but this was her first title.  

As the assistant coaches pointed out after the medals were handed out and the trophy raised, these players were now a part of the group. 

The group that has won 16 titles. 

“There’s this huge dynasty, and now we’re part of it,” Stroot said. “There’s no better dynasty, legacy to be a part of than Carroll.”