Sandites come from behind in extra innings to top Union 7-6 for 6th straight victory

View fullsize

OU-commit Jake Terry is undefeated this season and got the save after pitching two innings against Union.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It looked like the Charles Page High School baseball team (10-2) was about to end their win-streak as the Union Redskins (8-2) rode a 6-4 lead into the seventh, but Sandite-of-the-Week Hunter Greathouse smacked a single to right field to score Treyce Tolbert and kept the team's dreams alive. Josh Taber followed it up with a single of his own and Malachi Walton crossed home to force extra innings.

Josh Cordell (1-0) got the start on the mound for the Sandites, but University of Oklahoma-commit Jake Terry (4-0) got the win and the save after taking the mound in the seventh and striking out three over two innings with no runs.

The Sandites had a hard time getting on base to start the game as Treyce Tolbert, Rhett Rutledge, and Jake Ward grounded out in the first. Union's Landen Wood reached on an error and Braden Merrill and Devin Layton both singled to load the bases. Rutledge scooped up a groundball from Grady Davenport and pitched it to Tyler Tolbert at second to out Layton, then Tolbert sent it to Ward at first for a double play, but Wood made it home to draw first blood for the Redskins. Merrill scored next on a Greathouse fielding error as Ryan Farrell reached first, but the inning came to a close as Hector Carrillo lined out to Ty Fain in right field. 

Greathouse got the first hit of the game for the Sandites and survived three pick-off attempts but was ultimately stranded on second as Union came in to bat once more. 

Zach Ponio hit a home run over the left field fence to start the bottom of the second and Evan Jones hit a double into left field. Jones advanced to third on a passed ball, then was batted in by Cade Brown who in turn came in on a sacrifice by Merrill. The Sandites found themselves in a 5-0 hole and finally turned their bats on in the top of the third.

Fain was walked, Tyler McCallie singled on a hard grounder to left field, Fain survived four different pick-off attempts, and Treyce Tolbert hit a home run to left field to close the gap to 5-3. Rutledge, Ward, and Greathouse all flied out, but the boys were back in action. Cordell walked two in the bottom of the inning, but put out Jones on a popup and catcher Joey Montgomery caught Davenport stealing to hold the Redskins scoreless.

Trevor Tolbert singled in the top of the fourth and survived two pick-off attempts to come home on a throw. Fain hit a double but was left stranded as McCallie struck out. The Redskins stranded one in the bottom of the inning.

Both teams put two on base in the fifth and scored none. Montgomery singled in the sixth but courtesy runner Mack Thompson was caught stealing second to end the inning with McCallie at bat. The Redskins pushed their lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth as Brown singled and stole his way around the bases before coming home on a passed ball. 

Sand Springs tied it up in the top of the seventh, however, as McCallie and Tolbert singled. McCallie was put out trying to take second, and Rutledge flew out, but that's when the magic happened. Ward hit a single and was replaced by Walton. Greathouse singled to score Treyce Tolbert, Taber singled to score Walton, and Terry relieved Cordell on the mound. Union flew out the first two batters of the seventh. Ponio singled with a hard grounder to left field and Bradyn Hall was walked, but Brown struck out looking and the Sandites were headed to extra innings for the first time this season.

In the eighth inning Montgomery singled and was replaced on base by Thompson who advanced to second on a Fain sacrifice and third on a McCallie single. Treyce Tolbert flied out to left field and McCallie was put out on second in a double-play, but not before Thompson made it home for the 7-6 lead. Terry gave up two singles to start and intentionally walked Davenport to load the bases, but struck out Layton and Farrell before Carrillo flew out to short and the save was secure. 

The Sandites will next take on the Bixby Spartans (8-1) Friday at 6:30.