CPHS Softball: Mackenzie Bechtold hits grand slam in 12-1 win over Claremore

Charles Page High School senior Mackenzie Bechtold didn’t have a single hit under her belt coming into the Sandites’ Thursday morning matchup with Claremore (7-4). She had an impressive slow-pitch season this spring, but in varsity fast-pitch she was 0-for-13 at the plate in her career. She blew that mark wide open.

Sand Springs (6-6) run-ruled the Zebras 12-1 in the first game of the Rogers State University Festival at the Diamond Sports Complex, and Bechtold scored two runs and five RBI in the melee, going three-for-three at the plate with a single, a double, and a grand slam.

Sabrina Usher hit the first home run of the day, scoring Aliyah Taff for a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Usher, a senior, is committed to playing for Rogers State next season. Jadyn Muns scored the Zebras’ lone run in the bottom of the first, reaching on a double, and scoring on a ground ball from Emily Rogers.

The Sandites did the rest of their damage in the second inning. Bechtold hit an RBI single to score Drew Hawkins, then the Zebras got into a bases loaded situation and began hemorrhaging runs. Makenna Skaggs and Avery Tanner hit RBI singles, Bechtold scored on a passed ball, and Taff and Skaggs scored were walked in.

With an 8-1 lead, Bechtold scored the final runs of the game with a home run over the left field fence to bring in Felicity Horn, Tanner, and Hawkins.

The rest of the game was fairly uneventful. Claremore stranded singles from Paiten Reavis and Muns in the third, and from Terran Schomick and Abbey Hagen in the fourth. The game ended after fourth innings due to mercy rule.

Taff (3-3, 7-9) got the win on the mound, throwing five hits, two strikeouts, and zero walks. Alyssa Poorboy got the loss for Claremore with ten hits, three walks, and no strikeouts.

In the second game of the festival the Sandites fell 9-3 to Coweta (7-6), giving up all nine runs in the first two innings. Freshman Nataley Crawford (2-2) got the loss on the mound, throwing eight hits, two strikeouts, and one walk before being relieved.

Bechtold (1-1, 5-1) took over midway through the second with an 8-0 deficit and loaded bases. She gave up an RBI single for the final Tiger run of the game before the Skaggs and Rachel Jones caught fly balls to end the inning.

Sand Springs got four walks in the first inning, but stranded loaded bases and didn’t pick up their first hit till the third. Three walks and a single once again put the Sandites in excellent scoring position, but they were held to a single run on an RBI single from Horn.

A double from Hawkins and singles from Bechtold and Madison Lee loaded the bases for a third time in the fourth inning. Hawkins scored on a fly out from Taff, but Lauren Hammock was caught running to end the inning in a double play.

Horn scored Usher on a single in the fifth, but the game came to a close soon after.

Bechtold ended the game with three hits, three strikeouts and one walk. Tarun Robinson got the win with seven hits, four strikeouts, and eight walks.

Sand Springs will return to action Monday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. in a district battle against Jenks (6-3, 1-0) on the Trojans’ home turf.

District 6A-3 Standings
3-0 Owasso (9-4)
2-0 Sand Springs (6-6)
1-0 Jenks (6-3)
2-1 Muskogee (2-3)
1-1 Shawnee (5-8)
1-3 Sapulpa (4-7)
0-5 Ponca City (3-9)