Lady Sandites win double-header at Sapulpa; Jensen Arnold hits grand slam
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Rachel Jones led the Lady Sandites with three runs in their season opener. (Photo: Scott Emigh).
By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
The Charles Page High School Slow-Pitch Softball team (2-0) started the season with a pair of wins in a double-header against their Highway 97 rivals from Sapulpa (0-7) Tuesday evening.
Ten Lady Sandites made it in the scorebook in the first game, led by Jensen Arnold (2-0) on the mound.
Arnold landed the first hit of the game with a line drive double to left field, scoring Kimi Presnell who drew a walk. They added two more runs in the second inning as Sabrina Usher scored on a hit by Felicity Horn and Presnell singled to score Rachel Jones. Jones scored again in the fourth inning on a ground ball from Mackenzie Bechtold for a 4-0 lead.
Sapulpa finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a double from Blakely Alden to score Taylor Acree. Jessica Hobbs doubled in the next inning to score Ally Zanca and Justise Wade and cut the deficit to 4-3, but Sand Springs tacked on four more runs in the sixth.
Makenna Skaggs scored on an error, then Elizabeth Luttrell and Cameron Clemons scored on a single from Bechtold. Jones added her third run of the game on a error.
Jacie Taber scored on a fly ball from Luttrell for the final score of 9-3 and the Chieftains stranded loaded bases in the bottom of the seventh. Arnold pitched all seven innings and gave up ten hits, two walks, and two earned runs.
Arnold was the star of the show in the second game, once again getting the win on the mound, and hitting the first grand slam of the season.
Horn was first to score, reaching on a single and coming home on a single from Madelyn Blair. Presnell and Taber also singled to load the bases and Arnold brought the lot of them home with the first home run of the season to take a 5-0 lead in the first inning.
Bechtold (0-0) got the start on the mound and pitched the first two innings, giving up eight hits, two walks, and five earned runs. Hobbs doubled to score Zanca, Kali Husman doubled to score Wade and Hobbs, and Azelea Foggleman singled to score Husman to cut it to 5-4.
Clemons singled, Horn walked, and both scored on a double from Presnell in the top of the second. Presnell made it 8-4 on an error. Once again, Sapulpa cut it right back down to a one-run game in the bottom of the inning. Trinity Mosquito singled and scored on a double from Zanda, then Zanca and Acree both scored on a double from Wade to make it 8-7.
Arnold went back to action in the third with a double and scored on a ground ball from Skaggs, who reached on error. Skaggs scored on a home run from Sabrina Usher to make it 11-7.
Arnold took over on the mound in the top of the third and the Sandites held Sapulpa to their first scoreless inning. Sand Springs continued to rack up the offense in the top of the fourth as Skaggs doubled to score Bechtold and Blair, and Usher doubled to score Arnold and Skaggs.
Hobbs hit a home run for Sapulpa in the bottom of the fourth, but was the only one to score. Clemons scored on a catcher's error in the top of the fifth to double the Chieftains 16-8.
Sapulpa went to work in the bottom of the fifth.
Acree singled to score Alden, Hobbs singled to score Mosquito and Acree, and Husman sacrificed to score Zanca and cut the deficit to 16-12. Sand Springs added one run in the sixth as Arnold scored on a hit by Jones.
The Sandites held Sapulpa to a runless sixth inning, and gave themselves a massive lead in the top of the seventh. Horn, Presnell, and Taber all walked to load the bases with no outs. Bechtold doubled to score all three, then came home on a single from Skaggs. Skaggs scored soon after on a single from Jones for a ten-run margin.
The Chieftains gave it their best shot and Husman hit a homer to score Acree and Hobbs, but those would be the only runs they could find and they suffered a 22-15 defeat.
Arnold pitched five innings and gave up twelve hits, six earned runs, and three walks.
