Union wins two of three in Regional Series against Sand Springs

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 14 ranked Charles Page High School slow pitch softball team (12-7) scored a pair of upsets at 9-2 and 9-3 over No. 10 Elk City (23-15) and No. 4 Union (24-6) respectively, before falling 1-0 in their second game against the Redskins. The Thursday afternoon Regional playoff was a double-elimination bracket, and Union rebounded from their first loss to the Sandites with a low-scoring game that saw only five total hits from the two teams. 

Game two against Union was far different from the first game which had twenty hits between the two teams. Senior Northeastern State University-signee Jessica Schuler (8-4) got the loss on the mound, despite giving up zero earned runs, and only two hits and two walks. 

The lone run of the game came on a sacrifice fly from Mackenzie Addis to score Jackie Self, who reached on an error in left field. The Lady Sandites stranded a total of four runners over the course of the game in their only shutout loss of the season. 

With each team holding a 2-1 tournament record, the Redskins avenged their earlier loss with a 16-2 payback for the Regional Title and a ticket to State. 

The host team took a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first as Sammy Ibison and Lexy Dobson each singled, then scored on an error in left field that allowed Addis to reach second. Another error on the same play, this time at third base, allowed Addis to reach third. She soon after came home on a throw. Toni Weese doubled to bring in Paige Boyle, who also doubled.

Sydney Pennington hit her second homer of the day to get the Sandites on the board, but it would be the last run the girls scored till the bottom of the fourth.

Union added two more in the top of the fifth as Britton Clark doubled in Dobson and Brylee Dickinson sacrificed to bring in Addis. 

The top of the fourth is where the Redskins effectively put the win out of reach for the Sandites, racking up another six runs with four coming on errors. Kimi Presnell drew a walk for the Sandites and came in on a double by Madelyn Blair, but Union caked on three more runs in the top of the fifth. The Lady Sandites failed to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth and Union won it by mercy rule to end the season for the Sandites. 

Schuler got the loss on the mound in game two, with Stella Millican (4-3) pitching the final inning.

Photo galleries from Regionals and the rest of the season can be found at https://sanditepride.smugmug.com/2016-Slow-Pitch-Softball

Sydney Pennington scores 2 runs, 6 RBI, and a homer in 9-3 playoff victory over Union

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 14 ranked Charles Page High School slow pitch softball team (12-5) traveled to Union Intermediate High School Thursday for the Regional Championship and won their first game 9-2 over No. 10 Elk City (23-14), then dominated the host team 9-3. Senior Northeastern State University signee Jessica Schuler (7-3) pitched both wins, giving up seven hits and five walks in the win over Union.

The No. 4 Redskins (22-6) started off with a 2-0 advantage in the first inning. Sammy Ibison reached base on an error at short stop to start the game, but Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington made up for it on the next play, outing the runner at second in a double play to clear the bases. Mackenzie Addis reached base on balls and was batted in on a double by Aaliyah Villalobos, who in turn scored on a single by Paige Boyle.

Sand Springs evened things up in the bottom of the inning as Kennedy "Goose" Salyers singled and came in on a home run by Pennington, her tenth this season. Union reclaimed the lead in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly by Jackie Self to score Toni Weese, and held it till the bottom of the fifth when the Sandites put the game in the bag.

Freshman Jacie Taber reached on an error, Salyers and Kimi Presnell singled to load the bases, and Pennington brought the lot home with a three-run go-ahead single. Madelyn Blair scored Pennington on a double to make it 6-3.

The Lady Sandites iced the cake in the bottom of the sixth as Rachel Blair doubled in Kellie Johnson and scored on a sacrifice by Taber. Salyers hit a single and scored on yet another single from Pennington for the 9-3 lead.

The Sand Springs vs Union photo gallery can be found at https://sanditepride.smugmug.com/2016-Slow-Pitch-Softball/42816-Sand-Springs-vs-Union/

Lady Sandite Softball advances in playoffs with 9-2 victory over Elk City

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 14 ranked Charles Page High School slow pitch softball team (11-5) breezed through its first opponent at the Regional playoff Thursday morning, handily defeating No. 10 Elk City (23-14) behind the steady arm of senior pitcher Jessica Schuler (7-2), who also hit the go-ahead first inning home run.

Schuler, who is signed to play for Northeastern State University in the fall, only gave up two runs and a handful of hits in the dominating performance that was all wrapped up in the first inning.

The Elkettes scored two runs in the top of the first inning, but from there it was the Sandites’ game. Schuler’s homer, her fourteenth of the season, scored Kennedy “Goose” Salyers and Sydney Pennington for the 3-2 lead and the girls only continued to rack up the runs from there.

In the bottom of the fourth Schuler singled and courtesy runner Kellie Johnson scored a run on an error. Jessica Collins doubled and came home on a fielder’s choice. The biggest offensive output came in the bottom of the fifth as Collins singled in Jacie Taber and Kimi Presnell. Madelyn Blair singled in Johnson and Stella Millican singled in Collins for the final run of the game. 

The Lady Sandites will get a brief break while Elk City battles the No. 4 Union Redskins (21-5), then Sand Springs will play take on the host team. 

The photo gallery from the first game can be found at https://sanditepride.smugmug.com/2016-Slow-Pitch-Softball/42816-Sand-Springs-vs-Elk-City