By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
The No.17 ranked Charles Page High School slow pitch softball team (3-4) dropped a tough one to the No.3 Muskogee Lady Roughers (18-2) in the final game of the Jenks Festival Tuesday evening. The Sandites outhit their opponent 16 to 12, but lost it on the mound, giving up 16 walks.
Sand Springs dug themselves into a deep hole from the very beginning as Muskogee scored 11 in the top of the first. Jessica Schuler (2-1) got her first loss on the mound this season, walking two right off the bat. Aubrey Johnson singled on loaded bases to score Carlee Gann and Elexis Watson. Hattie Matthews singled in Dee Emarthle and Johnson.
Phynix Coleman walked to load the bases and Amber Purdin went to bat with no outs. Finally the Sandites began to make plays, forcing out Bre Virgin at home. Brookelyn Gilmore walked in Dymin Purdin, but Kennedy Glass popped a fly to Sydney Pennington at shortstop. The Sandites had two outs now, but Muskogee wasn't done with their offensive yet and doubled down to add five more runs.
Gann singled Coleman and Watson tripled to score Amber Purdin, Gilmore, and Gann. Emarthle singled in Cassie Leinberger, Johnson reached on a Pennington error, and Matthews walked to reload the bases. Dymin Purdin walked in Emarthle for the 11th and final run before Coleman flied out to Kimi Presnell to bring the melee to an end.
Pennington tripled to score Kennedy Salyers and Presnell, and scored herself after tagging up on a fly by Schuler. Madelyn Blair and Stella Millican each singled, but were left stranded as Jessica Collins and Rachel Blair were put out.
Muskogee undid the gain Sand Springs had just made by scoring Gilmore, Gann, and Leinberger in the top of the second for a 14-3 advantage. The Sandites didn't let the double-digit lead dishearten them, however, and closed the gap to six runs by the end of the inning.
Salyers singled in Jacie Taber then came in on a Schuler triple that also scored Presnell and Pennington. Collins brought home Schuler to make it 14-8, but Madelyn Blair and Millican each flied out to end the inning.
Schuler walked two in the top of the third, but the field played well putting out two at first and catching a line to prevent any scoring.
It didn't look good for Sand Springs to start the bottom as Rachel Blair and Cameron Clemons each grounded out to short, but finally Taber hit a single to get the ball rolling. She was joined on base by Salyers with a single, then brought home by a single from Presnall. Pennington reached on an error that scored Salyers to cut the deficit to 14-10.
Sand Springs was in good shape, or so it appeared, right up till they gave the double digit lead right back to the Roughers with seven walks to start the fourth. Millican (1-3) took over on the mound and only gave up one hit, no walks, and no runs, but the damage was done.
Trailing 22-10, Sand Springs returned to the plate for a last-ditch effort. Rachel Blair, Clemons, and Taber all scored on an error and Presnell doubled to score Salyers but Pennington grounded out to bring the inning to a close at 22-14. The game had surpassed the 70-minute festival time-limit and Muskogee got the win.
Sand Springs returns to action Thursday at No.8 Jenks (14-6) in a double header beginning at 4:30. The Lady Trojans previously edged out the Sandites 26-22 in a shootout at Berryhill earlier this season.
