Addison Hughes Strikes Out 9 in Season Opening Win at Bixby
/The Charles Page High School softball team (1-0) opened the season with a 6-4 non-district road trip to Bixby (0-1) Thursday evening after rain storms pushed back the season opener twice.
The girls’ Monday game against Sapulpa was rained out and the the Bixby game was supposed to be played Tuesday at home but was rescheduled and relocated due to field conditions. The Highway 97 Rivalry matchup has yet to be rescheduled.
On Thursday the Sandites fell behind twice early in the game but bounced back each time for their first season-opener win since 2020.
The Spartans took a 1-0 first-inning lead on Brynn Daniel’s solo homer but the Sandites responded with a three-run second inning.
Lakelyn Harger lead off the second with a double, advanced on a single from Kaylei Rake, and scored on Kelsi Hilton’s ground ball single to left field to tie it up.
Kylie King scored Rake with an RBI single and Hilton scored on a sacrifice fly from Ashlyn Clark.
Bixby had its own quick response in the bottom of the inning, however, scoring three runs on three hits and an error to go up 4-3.
Harger evened things up once again with an RBI single to bring in Kenzie King in the fifth, then Hilton hit a sacrifice fly to score Bella Wilson for the lead.
Wilson added an insurance run in the seventh off Hilton’s double to center field and Addison Hughes tossed two strikeouts in the bottom of the inning to secure the win.
Hughes pitched the complete game with 6 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, and 9 strikeouts. Shay Barbee got the loss for Bixby, tossing 12 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts in 7 innings.
Rake went 3-of-4 at the plate while Wilson, Harger, and Hilton all went 2-of-3. Hilton was the team’s leading scorer with 3 RBIs and 1 run.
The Sandites will return to action Friday in Bixby as they look for their first tournament title since 2019.
Pool D of the Broken Arrow Tournament will be played at Bixby High School and will open with a Spartan-Sandite rematch at 10:00 a.m.
The Sandites will also play Edmond Deer Creek (3-1) at 2:30 p.m. and on Saturday will play Jones (0-2) at 3:00 p.m. and Pocola (2-0) at 6:00 p.m.