Kelsi Hilton Makes All-State Softball Team

Kelsi Hilton take third base in a game against Moore.

Senior pitcher and infielder Kelsi Hilton has been named to the Oklahoma Fast Pitch Coaches Association (OFPCA) All-State team, marking the sixth consecutive year a Sandite has received the honor. She is the 50th all-time selection from Sand Springs.

Hilton batted .430 this season with a .550 slugging average and .468 on-base percentage, hitting six doubles and two home runs to score 30 runs and 19 RBI.

Morgan Rector catches a fly ball in a game against Moore.

She committed only three errors on the season while playing shortstop and third base in addition to her time in the circle where she went 5-4 with a 5.4 ERA, striking out nearly 20% of the batters she faced. She also pitched a perfect game on Senior Night against Booker T. Washington.

Hilton is committed to playing at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, an NCAA Division II program competing in the Great American Conference.

Hilton was also named to the All-District 6A-2 and All-Region 14-East teams.

Senior outfielder Morgan Rector also was named to the All-Region team and junior pitcher Addison Hughes was named to the All-District team.

Addison Hughes pitches in a game against Moore.

Lakelyn Harger, Bella Wilson, Kenzie King, Rector, and Kaylei Rake all received All-District Honorable Mentions.

The Sandites went 19-15 overall this season, falling in the Regional finals at Edmond Memorial.

Sandites Go 1-1 at Regional Tournament, Will Rematch Edmond Memorial on Friday

Late-game heroics boosted the Charles Page High School softball team (19-14) to a 6-2 win over Stillwater (18-14) in the first round of the Regional Championship Thursday afternoon in Edmond.

After trailing 2-0 through four innings, the Sandites got hot and scored runs in each of the remaining innings to extend their season.

Calle Cox hit an RBI single in the third inning to put the Pioneers on the board and Jaelynn Wilhelm padded the lead with a double in the fourth, but those would be the only runs the Sandites surrendered.

Kenzie King walked in the top of the fifth and scored on a sacrifice hit from Kaylei Rake, then Bella Wilson brought in Ashlyn Clark with a two-out single to tie it up.

Kelsi Hilton led off the sixth with a double, took third on a sacrifice fly from Lakelyn Harger, and gave her team the lead on a single from Morgan Rector.

Wilson hit a one-out single in the seventh, took third on a double from Bailey Copeland, and scored on a single from Hilton. Harger added another RBI single to score Copeland and Hilton scored the final run of the game on a sacrifice hit from Rector.

Wilhelm drew a lead-off walk to give the Pioneers hope but was left stranded at third on Addison Hughes’s sixth strikeout of the night.

Hughes (12-7) went the distance in the circle, surrendering eight hits and two walks to go with her six strikeouts.

In the second game, however, the girls fell 11-3 to host Edmond Memorial (25-9), the defending State Champions.

Sand Springs led 2-0 through two innings after Rector’s two-run double in the bottom of the first, but the Bulldogs took the lead once and for all in the top of the third with four singles, a walk, and a double.

The Sandites loaded the bases with three singles and a walk in the bottom of the inning but only Hilton found her way home, on a single from Kenzie King.

Memorial exploded in the top of the fourth, scoring seven runs on seven hits, including a two-run homer by Keegan Baker.

Hilton (5-4) got the start and the loss in the circle, surrendering 14 hits and one walk. Kylie King closed out the game and allowed only two hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Baker, a heavily recruited Division I prospect, allowed only five hits and four walks to the Sandites while striking out eight.

Sand Springs and Edmond Memorial will play again Friday at 11:00 a.m. If Sand Springs wins it’ll force an if-necessary game for the Regional title.

Sandite Softball Goes 1-1 at Bixby Festival, Ends Regular Season 18-13

LAkelyn Harger was 3-for-3 at the plate in the win over Pryor.

The Charles Page High School softball team (18-13) wrapped up yet another winning regular season Friday morning at the Bixby Festival, going 1-1 against a pair of 5A district champions.

Addison Hughes (11-7) pitched a gem against Pryor (14-19), striking out nine while allowing only two hits and two walks in the 2-0 win.

Sand Springs struggled to bring runners home, stranding two in the first and three in the second before a two-run triple from Ashlyn Clark put the Sandites on the board in the third inning.

They stranded two more to close the third and three in the fifth. The game ended on a time limit in the top of the sixth.

Lakelyn Harger was 3-for-3 at the plate with one run and Kenzie King was 1-of-2 with a run.

In the next game the girls fell 5-1 to Piedmont (30-3), the sixteenth consecutive win for the back-to-back defending State Champions.

Bella Wilson was the only Sandite to manage a hit against the Wildcats, going 2-for-3 at the plate and scoring the lone run on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth.

Kelsi Hilton (5-3) was credited with the loss, throwing six hits no walks, and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Kylie King also spent time in the circle, tossing five hits, one walk, and two strikeouts in 1.2 innings.

Sand Springs will return to action at Edmond Memorial for the Regional Championship next week.

Sandites Go 1-1 at Tahlequah Festival - Teacher Night Scheduled for Tuesday

The Charles Page High School softball team (16-11) split games at the Tahlequah festival on Saturday, falling 3-0 to the host team before winning 6-5 against Coweta.

Addison Hughes (9-6) suffered the loss in a pitching dual with sophomore star Riley Dotson. The Sandite junior allowed seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts in the five-inning affair.

Dotson surrendered only three hits with no walks and three strikeouts as Tahlequah (17-10) dealt Sand Springs a rare shutout loss - only its third of the season.

In game two the Sandites only needed four hits to overcome Coweta (10-17) for the third time this season.

Kelsi Hilton (5-2) got the start and the win, striking out two, walking four, and surrendering three hits in two innings. Kylie King pitched two innings of relief and also threw three hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Lakelyn Harger hit a two-run double in the bottom of the first to give the Sandites their first lead, then scored on a single from Morgan Rector.

Hilton walked three to load the bases in the second but collected a pair of ground balls to leave the runners stranded. She added an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to bring home Bailey Copeland.

The Tigers completely undid the Sandites’ lead in the third, however, with five hits, a walk, and two errors to tie it up. They threatened to take the lead in the fourth with a single and an error, but Kenzie King collected a fly ball in left field to preserve the tie.

Finally, in the bottom of the fourth, Bella Wilson and Kaylei Rake were walked, Wilson took third base on a sacrifice bunt from Copeland, and scored on a wild pitch with Hilton at bat for the walkoff.

In addition to collecting the win in the circle, Hilton led the offense, going 2-for-2 at the plate with a run and two RBIs. Harger was 1-of-2 with a run and two RBIs and Copeland had two runs.

The Sandites were also scheduled to play Coweta on Monday but that game was cancelled. Next up will be a Tuesday battle with Bartlesville (10-18) for Teacher Night. Teachers will get in free with their school ID.

Sandite Softball Drops Key District Double-Header With Yukon

Kylie King went 3-for-3 in game two of the double-header against Yukon.

Twice on Monday the Sandite softball team found itself down close to Yukon with momentum late in the game, but each time the girls were unable to close the gap.

Charles Page High School (15-10, 6-6) fell 11-8 and 3-2 to Yukon (13-13, 6-5) on Youth Night to drop to fifth place in the district standings.

In the first game the Sandites took a 5-3 lead into the fourth inning with a home run from Lakelyn Harger before surrendering six runs to the Millers.

Rayann Moore led off the fourth inning with a single and Chasidy Conner drew a walk before the Sandites switched from Addison Hughes to Kelsi Hilton in the circle.

The change didn’t slow the Yukon tide, however, as the next three Millers singled. Adleigh Martinez walked to load the bases and two runners scored on an error. Maddie Ogle brought in another run with a sacrifice hit to make it 9-5.

The home team clawed their way back into it in the sixth inning with a walk, two errors, and a two-run single from Morgan Rector to make it 9-8, but Yukon got back to scoring in the seventh with a two-run homer from Victoria Hughes.

Bella Wilson reached on an error in the bottom of the seventh but was left stranded to end the game.

Addison Hughes (9-5) took the loss, throwing nine hits, two walks, and four strikeouts with five earned runs in 5.2 innings. She reentered the game midway through the fifth to close out.

Hilton (4-2) threw 1.1 innings with three hits, one walk, one strikeout, and one earned run.

Rector had a team-best batting performance, going 3-of-4 with four RBIs in the game, while Harger was 2-of-4 with two runs and two RBIs.

Aubrey Busby got the win for Yukon, surrendering nine hits, five walks, and one strikeout in six innings.

Yukon out-hit the Sandites 12 to 9 in the first game, but the Sandites actually had an 11 to 10 advantage in game two.

Despite seeing zero drop-off at the plate in game two, both teams struggled to bring runners home.

Sand Springs stranded two singles in the first inning and Yukon took the lead with an RBI single from Ogle.

Wilson hit a triple in the fifth and tied it up on a ground out from Bailey Copeland, and the Sandites briefly took the lead in the sixth on an RBI double from Kylie King.

Yukon had a response, however, with two hits to lead off the bottom of the inning. Ariah Mitchell singled and tied it up on a ground out by Moore, then Conner hit an RBI single to bring in Ogle for the lead.

Sand Springs got out of a jam with a throw home from King to stop a run and Harger got a strikeout to strand loaded bases, but Hilton was the lone base runner in the seventh for Sand Springs, left stranded after a double.

King (2-3) got the start and the loss, throwing nine hits, no walks, and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Harger closed out the game, tossing one hit, one walk, and one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.

King went 3-for-3 at the plate with one RBI while Hilton was 3-of-4.

The Sandites were scheduled to host Muskogee (13-14) Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. for Teacher Night but the game was cancelled due to wet fields.

Sand Springs has won 13 in a row against the Roughers in a streak dating back to 2015. They already beat Muskogee once this year, 5-3 at the Bixby tournament.

Sandites Sweep District Double-Header Against Putnam North

Sandwiched between two storms, the Charles Page High School softball team (13-8, 4-4) managed to win a key district double-header against Putnam City North (6-13, 2-7) on Monday afternoon.

The games were originally scheduled to be played Tuesday, September 5th at Putnam City, but after the long drive to Warr Acres, the Lady Sandites had to turn around and come back after just one inning due to lightning.

The games moved to the Sandites’ home field instead and play resumed right where it left off, with the home team trailing 1-0.

The Panthers held that narrow margin till the top of the fifth, despite loading the bases in the second.

Sand Springs stranded two singles in the third but wouldn’t get on the scoreboard till Kelsi Hilton came home on an error in the fifth. They stranded two more in that inning and Putnam threatened to get back on top with a pair of singles in the sixth.

But, Hilton caught a line drive at short to come in for a final at-bat and hit a full-count double to rally the troops. Lakelyn Harger and Kaylei Rake walked to load the bases.

Hilton scored the go-ahead on a passed ball and Kylie King plated an insurance run with a sacrifice fly before the Panthers found out number three.

Hilton, Bailey Copeland, and Rake collected ground balls to strand one runner in the bottom of the seventh to wrap up game one.

Addison Hughes (8-4) got the win in the pitcher’s circle with three strikeouts against six hits and two walks in six innings. Hilton (3-2) closed the game out with no hits and no walks in the seventh.

Hilton resumed pitching in the second game of the day, tossing eight strikeouts, four hits, and one walk in a 9-3 victory.

The Panthers once again took a first-inning lead on two singles, though this time the Sandites tied it up immediately on an RBI double from Harger after Bella Wilson reached on an error.

The Sandites stranded two in the third and Putnam North reclaimed the lead with an RBI double of their own in the fourth - but once again the Sandites had an answer.

This time it was Rake with the tying run on Kylie King’s ground ball fielder’s choice to second. Wilson hit an RBI single on loaded bases to bring in Kenzie King for the lead, Kylie King scored on an error, Harger hit a two-run single, and Morgan Rector scored on another error to make it 7-2 before the inning came to a close.

Monica Coats added one more run for the Panthers in the top of the sixth but Wilson responded with a triple and scored on a ground out by Rector - then Hilton hit a solo blast to left field for the final run of the game.

Just in time - the games ended not long before torrential downpours arrived in Sand Springs to threaten the rest of the week’s plans.

Sand Springs also has home double-headers scheduled against Yukon (11-11, 3-3) on Tuesday and Booker T. Washington (1-11, 0-9) on Thursday. Whether the fields will be dry enough to play remains to be seen.

Tuesday will be a Youth Night event at 4:30 p.m. Youth softball players can wear their team jersey or softball camp shirt to get free entry into the game and will also be allowed on the field to join the high school team for the anthem.

Thursday will be Senior Night, weather permitting.

Monday’s wins restored the Sandites to fourth place in the district standings, though they are in line to finish third if they can win out this week.