Lady Sandite Softball takes second place at Tahlequah Tournament

/

Photo: Scott Emigh

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity softball team (24-7) traveled to Northeastern State University this weekend for the Tahlequah Tournament and came in second place by a single run. After winning their first four games, the Lady Sandites met the Union Redskins (25-10) in the finals. Both teams came in runners-up in their districts this past week and both are looking to put their best foot forward in their upcoming Regional Tournaments.

SEE RELATED: Jacie Taber pitches no-hitter in 1-0 tournament win over Muskogee
SEE RELATED: Elizabeth Luttrell's three-run homer secures 4-0 shutout over Moore
SEE RELATED: Lady Sandite Softball hammers Jay 14-2 in three innings
SEE RELATED: Sydney Pennington pitches no-hitter in 8-1 victory over Muldrow

Union came through the larger of the two pools and had to win five games to get to the finals. The Redskins won 9-1 over Tahlequah (19-12), 9-1 over Fort Gibson (26-9), and 10-1 over Booker T Washington (8-23) in day one. On Saturday they topped Locust Grove (11-19) 16-0 and Berryhill (15-19) 7-2 to earn their way into the championship round. 

The Sandites did themselves in early in the top of the first, giving up three hits, an error, and a pair of passed balls. MacKenzie Addis hit a single to start the game. Sammy Ibison reached on an error and Lexy Dobson singled to load the bases. 

Sophomore pitcher Jacie Taber (9-5) struck out Sammy Dutton swinging, but Britton Clark singled to score Addis and reload the bases. Ibison and Dobson both scored on passed balls before Taber struck out Erika Reed and Toni Weese to bring the inning to a close.

The Sandites failed to get on base in the bottom of the inning and neither team reached in the second. 

The Redskins added their fourth run in the top of the third. Taber struck out Dutton and Clark, but gave up a single to Dobson and walked Ibison and Reed to load the bases. Ibison scored on a wild pitch, but further damage was averted as freshman catcher Sabrina Usher caught a foul ball from Weese to end the inning and strand the runners.

The Sandites had their big inning in the bottom of the third. Cameron Clemons reached on an error, Elizabeth Luttrell singled, and Felicity Horn hit a single to score Clemons. Jessica Collins hit a two run double to bring in Luttrell and Horn, but was left stranded as Taber and Sydney Pennington both sent balls to Dobson in center field.

Both teams got their defense in check in the fourth inning and neither team got on base again till the sixth. Reed was walked in the top of the inning but was left stranded and Pennington was stranded on second after hitting a double. 

Taber got the loss on the mound despite giving up only four hits, two earned runs, and three walks against eight strikeouts. 

The Lady Sandites have only two games left this season before the Regional Tournament. The girls will host Skiatook (11-13) Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. and will wrap up the regular season Thursday at Bartlesville (12-19). 

Sydney Pennington pitches no-hitter in 8-1 victory over Muldrow

/

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity softball team (24-6) finished pool play 4-0 Saturday at the Northeastern State University high school tournament in Tahlequah after topping Muldrow (14-16) 8-1 behind undefeated senior pitcher Sydney Pennington (5-0). The Oklahoma State commit pitched five strikeouts and seven walks with no hits and one run in the three inning game. 

SEE RELATED: Jacie Taber pitches no-hitter in 1-0 tournament win over Muskogee

SEE RELATED: Elizabeth Luttrell's three-run homer secures 4-0 shutout over Moore

SEE RELATED: Lady Sandite Softball hammers Jay 14-2 in three innings

The Lady Sandites jumped on the Bulldogs early in the top of the first as Felicity Horn drew a walk and Jessica Collins singled. Pennington hit a single and Horn scored on a passed ball to get the girls on the board. Madelyn Blair hit a single to score Collins, Pennington advanced home on a throw, and Sabrina Usher sacrificed to score Blair for the 4-0 lead. 

It took Pennington a few at-bats to find her rhythm, pitching for the first time in over two weeks, and she walked the first three batters to load the bases. Payton Watts grounded out score Ashlynn Flute, but it would be the lone run of the game. Pennington struck out the next batter swinging and the rest of the game went about the same.

In the top of the second Elizabeth Luttrell singled, Horn reached on an error, Collins singled, and Jacie Taber reached on error to score Luttrell and Horn. Taber and Collins were left stranded, however,

Pennington struck out two, walked one on balls, and struck two with the pitch in the bottom of the second, but despite loading the bases, she pulled out the inning with a strikeout.

Freshman Sabrina Usher doubled in the top of the third and advanced to home on a throw. Kimi Presnell singled and scored on a single from Luttrell to make it 8-1, and Pennington struck out two batters in the bottom of the inning to win the game 8-1. 

Lady Sandite Volleyball goes undefeated in day one of Coweta Tournament

/

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO GALLERY

The Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (6-3) won four straight matches Friday at the Coweta Tournament. Heritage Hall (1-9) fell 2-0 with sets of 25-20 and 25-19. Catoosa (1-4) fell 2-1 with sets of 25-19, 23-25, and 15-9. 

SEE RELATED: Sandite Volleyball tacks on two exciting wins at Coweta Tournament

The Sandites took on the home team in their third match of the day and defeated the Coweta Tigers 2-1 in an edge-of-your-seat thriller. The first game was hotly contested in the beginning, but the tide steadily turned in the Sandites' favor. 

Lee Leslie drew first blood with an assist from Madison Burris, then MaKenzie Ward set up kills for Leslie and Gloria Mutiri to make it 4-2. Coweta scored a pair of kills and profited from a Sandite error to take the lead back at 5-4, but Mutiri got in on four straight kills to put the Sandites on top once and for all. Sand Springs went on a run at the end of the game, winning six straight rallies for a 25-13 victory. 

The second game's outcome was nearly just as lopsided in Coweta's favor. The back-and-forth battle for the lead continued till Ward set up kills for Mutiri and Devree Youngblood to tie things up at 14-14. From there Coweta ran away with a long list of faults on the Sandites. Five straight errors and a handful of kills gave the Tigers the 25-16 win. 

In the final set the Sandites regained their footing and left Coweta behind after Mutiri nailed a pair of back-to-back kills for the 5-3 advantage. The Tigers grabbed one point on an error, but Mutiri and Holly Kersgieter added another pair of kills before giving up a point on a service error. Coweta handed up a fault of their own and Youngblood got back in on the action with a shot off Ward, then combined on a block with Kersgieter to double down 10-5. Leslie got back in the fray and Ward scored a solo shot. Youngblood and Leslie blocked a shot to make it 14-6 and the Sandites had plenty of wiggle room. Coweta won the next four rallies somewhat due to defensive indifference on the part of the Sandites, who already had the win in the bag, but ultimately Youngblood smacked a kill off Ward for the 15-10 win. 

Sand Springs breezed through their final match of the day in a 2-0 victory over Edison (2-6). 

Kersgieter scored back-to-back aces to start the match. Kylie Taylor scored a kill off a Mutiri assist, Youngblood took a solo shot, and an Eagle fault gave Sand Springs the 5-0 advantage. Edison picked up their first point on an error from Taylor, but the next seven rallies went to the Sandites. Sand Springs continued to pile on the points until Mutiri wrapped things up with an ace for the 25-6 win. 

In the second game it was Edison who started things off with an ace, but it didn't take the Sandites long to get back in the lead once and for all with an ace from Youngblood. Madison Ward got in the game and served up a pair of back-to-back aces and MaKenzie Ward scored three-straight aces soon-after. 

The Sandites gave up five errors from there before tightening back up. Youngblood made it 22-11 on an assist from MaKenzie Ward. Kersgieter served, dug the return and scored on the dig, then followed it up with an ace. She gave up one point with an error, but followed it up with a kill for the 25-12 win.

The Lady Sandites will return to action bright and early Saturday morning with a 10:00 a.m. match against East Central (5-6). The Cardinals went 1-3 on day one of the tournament with losses to Tahlequah, Claremore, and Catoosa, and a win over Edison. Immediately following that match the Sandites will take on Tahlequah (2-2). Tahlequah started their season Friday with wins over Edison and East Central, but lost to Claremore and Heritage Hall.

At 1:00 p.m. the Sandites will take on Claremore (5-3) in the final round of pool play. Claremore went 3-1 in day one of the tournament, defeating Edison, Tahlequah, and East Central, but lost to Coweta. 

All eight teams will compete in bracket competition. The Sandites have already earned their way into the gold bracket and if they can finish undefeated they'll play at 3:00 p.m. against the number four seed. The second and third-seeded teams will meet at 4:00 p.m. and the Championship match will be at 5:00 p.m.