Sandite Baseball falls 17-8 in shootout with Sunrise Mountain

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity baseball team (3-5) had their best game of the season at the plate against Sunrise Mountain (7-3), but couldn't get it done on the mound and fell 17-8 in the fourth round of the Best of the West Tournament.

The Sandites broke .400 for the first time this year with nine hits, but gave up nineteen hits and went through four pitchers before settling on Braden Millican (0-0) in his varsity debut on the mound.

Senior Josh Taber hit a lead-off single for Sand Springs and was joined on the very next pitch by Mack Thompson. Taber was put out at home on a fielder's choice, but Thompson scored on a single from Braden Askew. Hunter Greathouse stole home soon after, and the Sandites took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the first.

It would be their only lead of the game, however. 

Askew (0-2) got the start and the loss on the mound and gave up a double to Tyler Pruitt, then walked Troy Balko. EJ Sua singled to score Pruitt, Caleb Thomason singled to load the bases, then Jacob Hamrick doubled to score all three runners. Hamrick came home soon after on a single from Alec Myers. The Mustangs took a 5-2 lead and Brock Youngblood (0-2) took over on the mound to finish out the inning.

Sunrise deepened the divide in the second inning with five hits for four runs. Sua doubled and scored on a triple from Thomason. Thomason scored on a triple from Hamrick, Hamrick scored on a double from Caden Albertson, and Albertson scored on a double from Myers for a 9-2 advantage. 

Riley Rutledge (0-0) gave up the run to Albertson before closing out the second. 

Sand Springs made a valiant effort at a comeback in the top of the third and came close to tying it up. Taber singled and scored on single from Greathouse. Treyce Tolbert was hit by pitch and Rutledge singled to load the bases with one out. 

Cale Savage was walked to score Tolbert, Kylar Copeland walked to score Greathouse, and Cal Watkins singled to score courtesy runner Lucas Adcock. Ty Steelman bunted to score courtesy runner Kameron Adcock, but was left stranded on the next play as Taber flied out leaving Sunrise Mountain still in the lead at 9-8.

The Mustangs cushioned their lead in the bottom of the inning as Daniel Partida singled, stole second, then scored on a catcher's error. Connor Dennis (0-0) made his season-debut on the mound after Rutledge walked Pruitt. Pruitt then scored on a double by Sua, who in turn scored on a single by Thomason to make it 12-8.

Millican went to the mound in the bottom of the fourth. Ethan Snodgrass scored on a single from Partida and Sua doubled to score Partida and Austin Sturgeon to make it 15-8. Joey Agate and Roman Carrillo scored on a single from Kody Decker for the final score of 17-8.

Millican spent two full innings on the mound, struck out two batters, walked one, and gave up four hits and only one earned run.

The Sandites will return to action Wednesday in the first round of bracket play.