By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

After beating Claremore (12-23) twice in two days to stay alive in the Regional Tournament, the Charles Page High School varsity softball team (29-8) got a rematch with Stillwater (25-13) and prevailed 9-5. With both teams holding one loss to the other, they will play the deciding game of the Regional Championship at 5:00 p.m.

The Sandites took the initial lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from freshman Sabrina Usher to score Sydney Pennington.

The Lady Pioneers were quick to tie it up in the top of the second as Hunter White reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a throwing error from Felicity Horn to Elizabeth Luttrell.

Stillwater took the lead in the top of the third thanks to a series of errors and walks. Julia Cottrill reached on an error by Jessica Collins and Alexis Hoang hit what should have been a bunt sacrifice but reached on an error by Luttrell. Taylor Tuck singled to load the bases and Laikyn Anderson was walked to score courtesy runner Landry Leming. White was hit by pitch on the next play to walk in Hoang for the 3-1 advantage. Luttrell averted further runs, catching a foul zone fly out and the Sandites came in to reclaim the lead.

Pennington, an Oklahoma State commit, started off the bottom of the third with a fence hitting, ball-beating slide for a double and was joined on base by Jacie Taber who reached on error. Luttrell was next up with a fence hitting double to right field, scoring Pennington, then Usher hit a 2RBI double to bring both runners in and take the lead 4-3.

Stillwater wasn't going down without a fight, and Hoang sent a Homerun over the centerfield fence to score Leming for the 5-4 advantage.

The bottom of the fourth was plagued by errors for the Pioneers and Sand Springs capitalized. Collins reached on error, Pennington reached on fielder's choice, Taber reached on error, and Luttrell reached on error to score Pennington. Usher reached on a fielder's choice that outted Taber, but Usher and Luttrell both scored on a 2RBI double from Rachel Blair for the 7-5 advantage.

Sand Springs switched pitchers from Madelyn Blair (12-2) to Taber (10-6) in the top of the fifth and gave up a pair of singles before finding their rhythm.

Coming in to bat the bottom of the fifth, Horn singled and was joined on base Pennington with a walk. Both runners scored on a double from Taber for a 9-5 lead. Taber was stranded along with Luttrell.

Neither team fielded a hit in the sixth inning and it was on Stillwater to make some big plays in the seventh. Morgan Rohwer was hit by pitch to start things off, but her courtesy runner was put out on the pitch in a double play from Pennington to Luttrell. Taber wrapped things up with a strikeout of Anderson to secure the game.

Blair got the win on the mound with five hits, three walks, and five runs. Taber finished with one strikeout, two hits, and one walk.