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.

Hughes & Hilton Pitch Perfect Games on Senior Night - Sandites Shut Out Hornets

There’s no telling how many hundreds of players Shelli Brown has coached in her 27 years at Charles Page High School, but she still got teary-eyed when she reflected on her current class Thursday evening on Senior Night.

“Senior Night is a tough one,” said Brown, after her team won two perfect games in a double-header against Booker T. Washington (1-14, 0-11).

“They’re all special, all bring back memories. We had some former players come back tonight and that’s always special to me when I get to see my kids that have graduated come back.”

Sand Springs (15-8, 6-4) celebrated four seniors between games: Kelsi Hilton, Morgan Rector, Gracey Massey, and Natalia Delgado.

Before the ceremony, Addison Hughes (9-4) pitched her second perfect game of the season, tossing nine strikeouts in the 16-0 five-inning run-rule win.

After the ceremony, Hilton (4-2) threw 11 strikeouts in a 15-0 five-inning perfect game.

Morgan Rector was the hot hand at the plate, going 4-for-4 in the first game with one run and five RBIs. Kenzie King was 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI.

In the second game Hilton was 2-for-2 with a run and two RBIs while Massey was 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs.

As a team, the Sandites went 19-of-31 at the plate in game one and 7-of-15 with 18 walks in the nightcap.

Of Washington’s 30 at-bats on the night: 20 were retired at the plate, nine were put out in the infield, and the outfield only had to make one play on the whole night.

“We’ve been working with this group because we’re so young,” said Brown. “We’ve been doing a lot of teaching. This group - I feel like they’re kind of like sponges. Everything we tell them and talk to them about, they really absorb it, take it in, and try to do it out here.”

“Seeing a lot of positive things, and for them to come out here and stay focused, sometimes that’s hard to do.”

The games pushed the Sandites’ win streak to six as they enter the final two weeks of the regular season. The winning momentum is a nice change of pace after a tough 1-6 run in the middle of the season.

“What I tried to do is get a good mix of teams that we can compete with, and play a lot of the good teams,” said Brown.

“Whether we win or lose, they’re going to make you better down the road. And I think this group realizes that.”

The Sandites have been battled tested against the likes of Edmond Deer Creek (18-4), Southmoore (16-9), Owasso (23-0), Edmond Memorial (17-8), Moore (24-3), and Broken Arrow (23-3) - all of which are likely to be in the State Tournament this October.

Through many of their toughest games they were without Hilton in the circle due to a throwing arm injury that appears to be mostly behind her.

“It feels good to get Kelsi back,” laughed Brown. “She’s been a great player for us all four years she’s been a varsity player. She carries that well and she’s a great leader for the team.”

The girls will wrap up district action with another home double-header on Monday at 4:30 p.m. when they host Yukon for Youth Night. Students who come in their softball jerseys or summer camp shirts will get free admission to that game and will get to join the team on the field during the national anthem.

“Yukon is going to be tough,” said Brown. “They have a great program. So Monday, even though it’s a double-header, we just take it one game at a time.”

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.

Sandites Wrap Up Bixby Tournament With Wins Over Muskogee, Coweta

Addison Hughes improved to 7-4 on the season with a 5-strikeout performance against Muskogee.

After going 1-1 on the first day of the Bixby Tournament, the Sandite softball team (11-8) wrapped things up with a pair of 5-3 wins over Muskogee and Coweta on Saturday.

Lakelyn Harger went 3-for-3 at the plate to spark the Sandites to their 13th consecutive victory over the Roughers (11-12), a streak dating back to 2015.

Bailey Copeland got the party started in the top of the second, reaching on an error before scoring on a ground out from Addison Hughes. Kylie King hit a single and scored on another error to make it 2-0 and the Sandites would never trail.

Harger hit her second single of the game in the top of the third and scored on another Rougher error to go up 3-0.

Jaliyah Simmons walked in the bottom of the third and Jaye Barnoski reached on a dropped third strike to set up Jamiah Maxwell for a two-run single to avert the shutout, but the Sandites got right back to scoring in the fourth.

Harger hit an RBI double to bring in Bella Wilson before scoring on an error to make it 5-2, but Muskogee would score one more run in before the game was over - an RBI single from Lariah Stewart to plate Simmons, who tripled.

Hughes (7-4) got the start and the win in the circle, tossing four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts in four innings. Harger threw the final inning, surrendering two hits with one strikeout.

Kelsi Hilton (2-2) got the win in game two, tossing four hits, no walks, and two strikeouts in four innings against Coweta (7-15), taking over in the second inning for Kylie King (2-2), who surrendered four hits.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead against the Sandites on four hits in the bottom of the first, but Harger tied it up in the third with a two-run single to score Wilson and Morgan Rector.

Sierra Soto scored on a single from Zaidyn Denton in the fourth to put Coweta back on top, but Kaylei Rake repaid the favor with a two-run single in the fifth to bring in Wilson and Hilton. Rake added an insurance run on a hit from Copeland for the final 5-3 score.

Hilton and Rake both went 2-for-3 at the plate in that game. Hilton had a team-high two runs, while Harger and Rake had two RBIs apiece.

The Sandites are poised for a busy week in district play as they prepare for a trio of double-headers.

On Monday they will travel to Putnam City North (6-11, 2-5) at noon for a pair of makeup games that were originally scheduled for last Tuesday. Sand Springs trailed 1-0 in the top of the second when inclement weather postponed it.

Sand Springs will host Yukon (11-11, 3-3) at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Booker T. Washington (1-11, 0-9) at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Shelli Brown Earns 650th Career Win as Sandites Defeat Glenpool 4-1

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The Charles Page High School softball team (9-8) snapped a five-game losing streak with a milestone win Friday morning at the Bixby Tournament, dealing Glenpool (10-10) a 4-1 loss for head coach Shelli Brown’s 650th win with the Sandites.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, freshman Lakelyn Harger hit a two-run go-ahead double to center field before scoring on a single from Kaylei Rake.

Kenzie King added an insurance run in the fourth to get the Sandites back in the win column for the first time in three weeks.

Addison Hughes (6-4) got the win in the circle, tossing nine strikeouts with only four hits and no walks.

In the second game of the tournament the girls were upset 3-1 by Haskell (16-7) in a five-inning battle.

Both teams left two stranded in the first inning but Haskell got hot in the third to take a 3-0 lead on a walk, two singles, and a double.

Sand Springs stranded two more on a pair of walks in the bottom of the third and both teams stranded a single in the fourth.

The Haymakers hit two doubles in the fifth but were unable to pad their lead. Bella Wilson hit a one-out solo homer to try and spark a Sandite rally but after a single from Morgan Rector the Haymakers put the game away on a pair of fielder’s choices.

Kelsi Hilton (1-2) got the loss, pitching five hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in three innings. Kylie King (2-2) tossed three hits, no walks, and two strikeouts in relief.

Sand Springs will return to tournament play Saturday at 11:40 a.m. against Muskogee (10-11) and will play Coweta (11-9) at 1:20 p.m. at Bentley Park.

On Thursday evening the Sandites fell 9-1 to Broken Arrow (19-2) in a key district battle.

Hughes recorded the loss in that game, surrendering only two hits, no earned runs, and three walks with five strikeouts in 2.2 innings as the starter and the closer.

Hilton returned to the pitcher’s circle in the third inning for the first time in three weeks after nursing an arm injury. She tossed seven hits, three walks, and one strikeout in three innings.

Kylie King tossed two hits in the seventh inning before Hughes returned to the circle to close out the game.

Rake was 2-of-3 as the lead hitter for the Sandites while Rector scored the lone run on a single from Hilton in the fourth inning to avert the shutout.

Sand Springs kicked off the week with a brief trip to Putnam City North (6-11, 2-5) on Tuesday that was supposed to be a double-header.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead before the game was postponed in the top of the second due to inclement weather. Those games will be made up on Monday.

Sandites Fall 11-3 to Broken Arrow, Bella Wilson Goes Yard

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Bella Wilson hit the Sandites’ first homer of the season, but Sand Springs fell 11-3 to Broken Arrow.

The Charles Page High School softball season may start to feel like a roller coaster for the Sandite faithful. After starting the year 7-1, the girls are now 1-5 over their last six games, falling 11-3 to Broken Arrow Tuesday night in district play.

Despair not! All five losses during that tough skid came against last year’s State Tournament teams and the schedule’s about to get a little friendlier.

Up next for the Sandites (8-6, 2-3) is a district double-header at Putnam City North (5-8, 2-4) on Tuesday before they’ll get a rematch against Broken Arrow on Thursday.

In the first meeting with the Tigers, the girls were mostly undone by two rough innings that made the score a little more lopsided than the game itself felt.

Broken Arrow only out-hit the home team 11 to 8, but Sand Springs left 12 runners stranded, including loaded bases twice.

The Sandites stranded two in the first inning and one in the second before the visitors took a 4-0 lead in the third on two singles, a walk, and two doubles.

Sand Springs stranded two more in the fourth and Broken Arrow made it 9-0 on two singles, two doubles, and a home run from Josie Henson.

Morgan Rector gave the home team new life with a double to lead off the fifth and Bella Wilson got the Sandites on the board with a homer to center field in the next at-bat. It was the first dinger of the season for Sand Springs.

Broken Arrow scored two more in the sixth but Kylie King caught Jordyn Davis looking to strand loaded bases.

Kenzie and Kylie King both singled in the bottom of the inning and Wilson drew a walk to load the bases, but Cali Lieurance struck out Bailey Copeland to strand the side.

Sand Springs threatened again in the seventh with a walk from Lakelyn Harger and singles from Kaylei Rake and Ashlyn Clark to load the bases with only one out, but Rake was called out for offensive interference on a single form Kenzie King.

Harger scored on a passed ball and Kylie King walked, but Jaden Hendron struck out Rector to end the game.

Addison Hughes (5-3) got the start and the loss, tossing 10 hits, one walk, and five strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Harger pitched a third of an inning and tossed one hit and two walks. Kylie King finished the game with no hits, no walks, and three strikeouts in two innings.

Kenzie King was the hot hand at the plate, going 3-for-3, while Wilson did the most scoring with one run and two RBIs.

The game marked the Tigers tenth-consecutive win against Sand Springs in a streak dating back to 2016.