Sandite Baseball hammers Sapulpa rivals 11-3
/By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
The Charles Page High School varsity baseball team improved to 14-4 on the season with an 11-3 run-rule victory over Highway 97 rival, the Sapulpa Chieftains (1-10) Friday evening. Junior Josh Cordell (1-1) got his first win on the mound this season with three strike outs and five hits.
Cordell pitched a no-hitter in the first inning and the Sandites ran up a 3-0 lead. Treyce Tolbert and Rhett Rutledge walked and Josh Taber brought Tolbert home on a single to short. Joey Montgomery was hit by pitch to load the bases, Rutledge stole home on a wild pitch, and Taber came home on an error before Chieftain pitcher Garrett Estes struck out his third batter of the inning to end the scoring onslaught.
Sapulpa tied things up in the top of the second as Cale Collins singled in Wyatt Sellers, and Alan Shibley doubled to score Collins and Ethan Williams. Sand Springs reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning, however, and wouldn't give it up for the duration.
Jake Ward and Hunter Greathouse singled and Taber was hit by pitch to load the bases. Montgomery walked in Ward, Tyler McCallie singled in Greathouse, Jake Terry walked in Taber, and Mack Thompson walked in courtesy runner Malachi Walton for a 7-3 lead.
Cordell struck out two in the third for a no hitter, but the Sandites failed to capitalize on it as they landed only one hit and stranded Greathouse. The Chieftains walked one in the fourth but left him stranded and the Sandites came in for two hits, two walks, and Walton scored on an error at home plate.
Roberto Lino relieved Estes on the mound in the bottom of the fifth, but that didn't deter the Sandites from scoring two more. Cody Motes scored on a passed ball, Taber scored on a wild pitch, and the host team stranded loaded bases with a 10-3 lead.
Rutledge walked in the bottom of the sixth and scored on a Greathouse single to secure the game by run-rule, which is eight runs after six innings.
The Sandites return to action Saturday at 5:30 in a double-header at Enid.
