CPHS Softball: Moore comes from behind for 8-7 win at State Tournament

Rogers State University-committed senior Sabrina Usher went 4-for-4 at the plate to score four RBI and one run.

Shawnee, OK - For four inning it looked like the Class 6A No. 6 ranked Charles Page High School fast pitch softball team (23-13) would pull off a major upset against No. 3 Moore (26-10) Thursday afternoon at the State Tournament. But their 7-2 advantage evaporated with a mistake-ridden fifth inning and the Lions got the 8-7 win.

Sand Springs outhit their foes 12 to 4 in a lopsided offensive performance, but gave up six hits and committed three errors to give the win away.

The Sandites came out swinging early in the game with singles from Rachael Jones and Sabrina Usher, but Jones was outed on a fielder’s choice and Usher and Aliyah Taff were left stranded. Gracie St. Hilaire led off the Lions with a single in the bottom of the inning but never made it past second base.

Avery Tanner and Drew Hawkins hit singles in the second inning, but Tanner was outed in a doubled play. Reagan Rector walked and Madison Lee hit an RBI single to put the Sandites on the board. Jones and Usher continued their hot streak with back-to-back doubles. Jones brought in Rector and Lee, and Usher scored Jones for the 4-0 lead.

Sand Springs stranded one in the third and the Lions came in to score two runs. Moore put two on base with a walk and a fielder’s choice, and Ashtyn Barrett hit a 2RBI single to score Rylie O’Steen and St. Hilaire.

Rector hit a single in the fourth, Lee reached on error, and Usher hit her fourteenth home run of the season for the 7-2 advantage. Then thing began to fall apart.

Moore made a big comeback in the fifth inning with two hits, three walks, a wild pitch, and a pair of errors. Kennedy Sherer, Kourtney Griffith, Zeta Brown, Taylor McKittrick, Kristen Whitehouse, and Emiaj Self all scored runs for the come-from-behind 8-7 lead.

Tanner caught a line drive in the sixth to strand loaded bases, but the Sandites failed to capitalize on it. Usher and Felicity Horn hit singles in the top of the seventh, but Jaden Jordan grounded into a double play, with Whitehouse putting out courtesy runner Brooklyn Harper at third and making the throw to second to out Horn and clinch the win.

Usher ended her high school career with a perfect four-for-four batting performance, scoring four RBI and one run. Taff (13-8, 17-14) got the loss in the pitcher’s circle with four hits and six walks.

Ashlynn Haley got the start for Moore, throwing ten hits, three strikeouts, and one walk in 3.1 innings. Kaylee Lovekamp picked up the win with two hits and one strikeout in 3.2 inning.

Moore will play No. 7 Edmond Memorial (26-8) Friday at 11:00 a.m. on Field 3. The Bulldogs upset No. 2 Deer Creek (26-10) 9-3 in Friday’s 11:00 a.m. game. Memorial is riding an eight-game win streak, including three-straight upsets. Moore swept Memorial this season with wins of 5-1 and 5-0.