Lady Sandite Volleyball heads to Coweta Tournament this weekend

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Photo:\\MORGAN MILLER

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (2-3) will compete in their first tournament this weekend. The Lady Sandites will travel to Coweta High School Friday morning for an eight team competition beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The Sandites started the season with back-to-back wins over opponents who dominated them in years past. The Muskogee Roughers (1-2) fell 3-1 to the Sandites in the season opener and next to go down were the Catoosa Indians (1-2). The Lady Indians were Regional Champions last year, but fell in straight sets to Sand Springs.

The ladies gave the defending 5A State Champions from Bishop Kelley a run for their money before falling 3-2 Monday night. Tuesday they were defeated 3-0 by the 6A State Runners-Up from Jenks (7-2) and Thursday they fell in sets of 22-25, 16-25, and 21-25 to Ponca City (5-4).

The girls will look to get back in the win column Friday when they take on yet another State Finalist in 5A Heritage Hall (0-4). At 11:00 a.m. Catoosa will get a rematch, at 1:00 p.m. the Sandites will play Coweta (1-1), and at 3:00 p.m. they will take on the Edison Eagles (2-3). 

On Saturday the Sandites will return to action with a 10:00 a.m. match against East Central (4-3) followed immediately by an 11:00 a.m. match against Tahlequah (0-0) and a 1:00 p.m. match against Claremore (2-2).

After pool play concludes, all eight teams will compete in the bracket competition. There will be two brackets, each beginning at 3:00 p.m. The second round will be played at 4:00 p.m. and the championship match will be played at 5:00 p.m. Each match will be decided by the best two out of three sets with the first two sets capped at 30 points and the third set played to 15 points with no cap. 

Sandites take second at Wooden Bat Tournament

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity baseball team (19-7) made their way to the finals of the Sand Springs/Broken Arrow Wooden Bat Tournament with wins over Sapulpa and Muskogee, and drew first blood against Broken Arrow, but the Tigers (19-8) racked up a 6-1 lead by the bottom of the fourth and held on for the win. 

Josh Cordell (2-2) picked up the loss on the mound, giving up six hits and two walks for six runs and two earned runs. Conner Dennis (1-0) and Brock Youngblood (3-0) each took turns on the mound for one inning each and didn't give up any hits or runs, but were unable to sway the tide of the game in the Sandites' favor. 

Keaton Stamp pitched a no-hitter in the first inning for the Tigers. Brady Bean singled and survived four pickoff attempts before finally being caught stealing by Joey Montgomery to end the inning.

Malachi Walton scored on a Hunter Greathouse sacrifice in the top of the second, but Treyce and Trevor Tolbert both flied out to center field to end the inning with Tyler McCallie stranded on third after a double. 

The bottom of the second is what did the Sandites in. Devon Johnson singled and the bases were loaded as Cordell walked Mack Chambers and Drew Lowe. Kade Goines reached third on an error by McCallie, allowing all three runners to score. Austin Hulet sacrificed to score Goines and the Tigers took a 4-1 lead.

Josh Taber reached on an error in the top of the third but was caught stealing. Bean scored for Broken Arrow in the bottom on a steal of home. The Tigers pitched a no hitter in the top of the fourth, then added to their lead on a Goines sacrifice that scored Chambers. 

Neither team managed a hit in the fifth, through Broken Arrow did strand a walker. Finally, the Sandites began to rally in the top of the sixth with singles from Taber and Rhett Rutledge. Jake Ward was hit by pitch to load the bases and Montgomery scored two on a double. Treyce Tolbert batted in Ward on a fielder's choice that outed Montgomery at third, and McCallie was outed at first on a dropped third strike to end the inning 6-4.

Youngblood pitched a no-hitter in the bottom of the sixth, but Jon Gilton retaliated with a no-hitter in the top of the seventh to secure the victory and the tournament championship. 

Sand Springs will return to action Monday at 6:00 pm at Union (11-9), whom they've already defeated once this season in a close 7-6 thriller at the Bixby Tournament. 

Muskogee can't get away from Sand Springs, dropping three straight by a combined 43-1

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Muskogee Roughers (2-18) are probably wishing they were in a different district by this point. The Charles Page High School varsity baseball team (18-5) warmed up Monday night at home with a 3-0 shutout of Muskogee, completely annihilated them 32-1 Tuesday night in Muskogee, then finished off the series with an 8-0 shutout Thursday afternoon at the Sand Springs/Broken Arrow Wooden Bat Tournament.

Sophomore Conner Dennis (1-0) made his first trip to the mound this season and made an excellent debut, throwing 67% strikes and giving up just a single hit, one walk, and four strikeouts. Josh Taber led the offense for the Sandites, scoring three runs on four plate appearances.

The lone hit of the night for Muskogee came on the second pitch of the game. Muskogee pitcher Ke'shawn Ballard, who got the loss on the mound, connected for a single into left field, but was ultimately stranded on second.

Taber connected for a lead off single in the bottom of the first and scored on a passed ball along with Rhett Rutledge. Treyce Tolbert sacrificed to score Jake Ward and Malachi Walton scored on an error for a 4-0 lead.

Dennis struck out Corey Landrum in the second, Landrum and Karrington Ashley in the fifth, and Mathis Givens in the sixth. The lone walk was Riley Foster who was hit by pitch in the sixth.

Malachi Walton ran courtesy for Joey Montgomery in the bottom of the third, advanced to third on an error, and scored on a balk. Mack Thompson singled in the fourth, advanced to second on a passed ball, moved to third on a sacrifice by Rhett Rutledge, and scored on a passed ball with Ward at bat. Ward reached on an error to score Taber, who walked. 

Finally, in the bottom of the sixth, Taber walked yet again. He stole second, took third on a passed ball, and scored on a hit by Ward for the game-wining run-rule. This marked the fourth straight win for Sand Springs.

Lady Sandite Softball falls 22-14 in shootout with No.3 Muskogee

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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.

Sandite Baseball hammers Muskogee 32-1; Terry, Rutledge, and McCallie hit homers

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School baseball team (17-5) hammered the Muskogee Roughers (2-16) 32-1 in the highest-scoring game in years for the Sandites. Josh Cordell (2-1) got the win on the mound, striking out twelve, walking none, and allowing only one unearned run over five innings. 

Sand Springs scored 18 runs in the first inning alone, putting the game in the bag before a Rougher had even stepped on plate. The run-rule doesn't kick in till the fifth inning so there was nothing Muskogee could do to end the slaughter. 

Leading the scoring onslaught was Rhett Rutledge with 4 runs, 4RBI, and 3 hits.

Josh Taber and Rutledge scored first, each on passed balls. Jake Ward doubled and scored on a Treyce Tolbert single. Malachi Walton came home on a throw, Tyler McCallie singled in Hunter Greathouse, Jake Terry walked in Tolbert for a 6-0 lead and the Sandites rounded out the batting order before the Roughers managed their first out. 

Rutledge sacrificed to score McCallie, Ward singled in Tolbert, Terry score on a passed ball, Tolbert singled in Ward and Walton, and Greathouse scored on a passed ball. McCallie homered in Treyce Tolbert, Terry homered in Trevor Tolbert, and Rutledge homered in Taber for the 18-0 lead before the inning finally came to a close.

Cordell struck out the side in the bottom of the first, and the Sandites were at it again, scoring three in the top of the second. McCallie singled in Greathouse, Terry doubled in Treyce Tolbert, and Taber sacrificed to score McCallie to make it 21-0.

The lone Rougher run of the game came in the bottom of the second. Cordell struck out Mathis Givens and Riley Foster, but gave up singles to Cale Hutchens and Corey Landrum. Karrington Ashley reached on an error to score Hutchens, but was put out at second on a fielders' choice on the next hit.

Ty Fain hit a sacrifice fly in the third to score Ward and Cordell struck out the side. Brock Youngblood batted in Riley Rutledge on a single in the fourth and Treyce Tolbert singled in Rhett Rutledge to make it 24-0. Cordell gave up two singles in the bottom of the fourth, but struck out two to strand the runners. 

The fifth inning was a well placed exclamation mark on an already incredible game. Youngblood singled in Mack Thompson, Montgomery walked in Kameron Adcock, Walton singled in Rhett Rutledge, Treyce Tolbert singled in Youngblood, Fain singled in Montgomery, Thompson walked in Walton, and Riley Rutledge rounded out the batting order and walked in Treyce Tolbert. Rhett Rutledge walked in Fain for the final run of the game to make it 32-1 and Cordell struck out two to bring the game to a close after five unbelievable innings. 

Sand Springs returns to the field Thursday at the Sand Springs Wooden Bat Tournament with two more games against the Roughers at 12:00 and 2:30, followed by Sapulpa at 5:00.

OU-commit Jake Terry pitches shutout win over Muskogee

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School baseball team (16-5) has more than its fair share of talented pitchers. University of Oklahoma-commit Jake Terry (5-1) is one of the best in the state. The junior has pitched 31 innings against 148 batters this season and has only given up 29 hits and 10 earned runs. That record improved Monday night when he gave up only two hits in a shutout win over Muskogee where he struck out nine over six innings. He currently leads the team in strikeouts and strikeouts per inning.

Offensively it was a low scoring game as the Sandites only scored three runs, all of which came in the bottom of the second. Joey Montgomery and Tyler McCallie were hit by pitch and Josh Taber reached base on balls. Courtesy runner Malachi Walton scored on a wild pitch and Terry batted in Taber and McCallie on a 2RBI single for the 3-0 advantage.

Sand Springs only put twelve on base over the course of the game and only managed five base hits, but Terry's pitching coupled with talented fielding that gave up zero errors was enough to fend off the Roughers (2-16) for the duration.