Four Lady Sandites hit homers in 14-3 run-rule victory over Barnsdall

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Left to right: Mackenzie Bechtold, Kimi Presnell, Jacie Taber, and Jensen Arnold all hit home runs in a 14-3 victory over Barnsdall. (Photos: Scott Emigh).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The undefeated Charles Page High School Slow Pitch Softball team (3-0) hosted the Barnsdall Lady Panthers (8-3) in their home debut Thursday evening and rolled to a quick and easy 14-3 victory in only five innings. 

The Lady Sandites left little doubt as to the direction the game was going, taking a devastating lead in the very first inning. The Panthers landed a single hit in the top of the inning, but Sand Springs managed six hits for eight runs.

Jacie Taber hit the first home run of the night to score Kimi Presnell. Madelyn Blair singled to score Jensen Arnold, then Sabrina Usher singled and Makenna Skaggs reached on error to load the bases. Rachel Jones walked to score Blair, then Usher and Skaggs both scored on an error. Elizabeth Luttrell singled to score Jones and Cameron Clemons for an 8-0 lead.

Barnsdall loaded the bases with a trio of singles in the second inning, but all three were left stranded and the Sandites came in to make it a double-digit deficit. Presnell singled and scored on an error that landed Arnold on base. Arnold came home on the next play on a double from Blair.

All three of Barnsdall's runs came in the third inning, and all three came on a single hit as Jasmine Shores sent one over the fence to score Mariah Hatfield and Alli Price. Mackenzie Bechtold scored her first home run of the season in the bottom of the inning to score Skaggs for a 12-3 lead.

Presnell and Arnold both hit home runs in the bottom of the fourth for the final scores of the game. 

Arnold (3-0) got the win on the mound, giving up only eight hits and three earned runs with no walks and one strikeout.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Tuesday with a home game against undefeated Kellyville (9-0).

Lady Sandites win double-header at Sapulpa; Jensen Arnold hits grand slam

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.

CPHS Boys' Soccer falls 3-1 to Ponca City, Cody Gurley scores lone goal

CPHS Senior Cody Gurley scored his first goal of the season in a 3-1 loss to Ponca City. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Boys' Soccer team (2-2) took on the Ponca City Wildcats (2-1) in the first round of the Stillwater Cup Friday afternoon at Pioneer Stadium and were defeated 3-1.

SEE RELATED: Lady Sandite Soccer notches first win 3-0 over Enid at Stillwater Cup

Mitchel Wilson scored on the first shot of the game for the Wildcats, just a minute and a half into the match. 

Sand Springs went on a run from there getting off the next five shots over eight minutes. Two were deflected, two were saved by Dereck Jernigan, but the fifth sailed true. Senior forward Cody Gurley connected on the game-tying shot in the ninth minute. 

Ponca didn't take long to retaliate, however, as Zach Martin bounced a corner kick off Wilson's chest and into the goal just two minutes later.

Both teams took a trio of shots apiece over the duration of the half, but the Wildcats held on to the 2-1 lead at halftime.

Gabe Jeffus took a phenomenal 35-yard shot early in the second half that headed perfectly for the top corner, but Jernigan was sharp on his feet and hauled in the save. Instead, it was the Wildcats who found the net, once again off a corner kick for a 3-1 lead.

The Sandite offense never slowed down, taking eleven shots in the final thirty minutes, but only a few were on target. The strong Sandite backfield kept Ponca from getting off more than a single shot in that time period, but the Wildcats held up defensively as well and prevailed 3-1.

Edgar Soberano got the start at goalie and pulled in one save before being relieved at halftime by sophomore Ethan Tippit. Tippit also recorded one save.

The Sandites return to action Saturday at 12:20 against Choctaw (1-3). The Yellowjackets fell 7-0 to Stillwater in their quarterfinal. The game will be held at Oklahoma State University's Colvin Recreational Soccer Fields. The winner of that game will play for fifth place at 5:20 p.m. in Pioneer Stadium, while the loser will play for seventh place at 5:20 p.m. in Colvin Fields.

The Girls' team will be playing in the semifinals at 10:40 a.m. against undefeated Coweta (3-0) who rolled over previously undefeated Ponca City (3-1) 5-1 in their quarterfinal. The winner of that game will play for first place at Pioneer Stadium, while the loser will play for third at Colvin Fields. Both games will be at 7:00 p.m.

Lady Sandite Soccer notches first win 3-0 over Enid at Stillwater Cup

CPHS Senior Kyndal Zicker led her team with two goals in the 3-0 victory. (Photo: Emigh).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Girls' Soccer team (1-3) notched their first win of the season in the first round of the Stillwater Cup against the Enid Pacers (0-3). Junior goalie Abigail Banks recorded her first clean-sheet of the season with eight saves over the course of the match.

The Sandites struggled with a heavy 20 mph headwind throughout the first half and were limited to four shots on goal. Two missed outright, one was deflected by the Enid keeper, and one sailed true but was nullified as kicker Kyndal Zicker was ruled offside. Enid took advantage of their strong tailwind and kept the Sandites on their end of the field for the majority of the half, racking up 11 shots. Most were well off target, but Banks did pick up four saves.

The two teams entered the second half scoreless, but the Sandites were no longer at odds with the weather and played a far more aggressive offense. 

Enid still made plenty of plays and got off eight shots, but couldn't press nearly as hard as they did in the first half. Sand Springs finally got on the scoreboard in the 49th minute with a goal from Slovakian foreign exchange student Eliska Dodokova. 

Kyndal Zicker added another goal just three minutes later, then made it a brace in the 62nd minute. The Lady Sandites eased up from there, taking only two more shots over the remainder of the match. Banks picked up four saves in the second half as well and the Sandites secured their first win of the season, 3-0.

Sand Springs will return to action Saturday at 10:40 a.m. against the winner of Ponca City (3-0) vs Coweta (2-0). That match will be played at Oklahoma State University's Colvin Recreation Fields on the southeast field. The winner of that match will play in the finals at 7:00 p.m. in Pioneer Stadium, while the loser will play for third place at 7:00 p.m. at Colvin Fields.

Sandite Baseball wins two-straight at Bruin Wood Bat Classic

CPHS senior Hunter Greathouse pitched ten strikeouts in a shutout win over Parkhill Christian Academy. (Photo: Emigh).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Varsity Baseball team (7-6) notched their second and third straight wins in the first day of the Bruin Wood Bat Classic Thursday to get back to a winning record for the season. Braden Askew (1-2) got his first win on the mound in a 4-1 morning victory over Rogers, Arkansas (2-4), while Hunter Greathouse (3-2) pitched a 4-0 victory over Parkhill Christian Academy (3-5) later that night. 

The Sandites jumped out to an early lead against Rogers as Treyce Tolbert and Greathouse both reached on errors and Askew singled to score Tolbert. Greathouse came in on a single from Cale Savage, but the team stranded loaded bases as Ty Steelman struck out swinging.

Rogers got on the board in the bottom of the first with a home run from Grayson Lee, but it would be their only run of the game. 

Sand Springs had another hot inning in the fourth with a double from Cal Watkins and a single from Steelman, but Watkins was outed on a fielder's choice and Steelman was left stranded. They found their feet in the fifth, however, as Mack Thompson doubled and scored on a Greathouse single, then Greathouse scored on a hit from Savage.

Tolbert had the biggest hit among the Sandites with a triple in the seventh, but was caught stealing home. Rogers stranded one in the bottom of the seventh and the Sandites secured the win.

Askew pitched all seven innings for the Sandites, giving up only four hits and two walks against five strikeouts.

Greathouse pitched his first shutout of the season against the Pueblo, Colorado private school, going the distance on the mound with ten strikeouts against three walks and two hits. He also recorded a team-high three hits and one RBI in the win.

Two of Greathouse's walks came in the first inning as he was still getting warmed up, but he also struck out three batters in the inning to strand the two runners. 

Both teams stranded players throughout the first four innings, but the Sandites didn't hit paydirt till the top of the fifth. Steelman reached on an error, stole second and third, then outran a fielder's choice to score on a bunt from Kylar Copeland. 

The Sandites put distance on their foes in the top of the seventh as Tolbert singled to score Josh Taber, Greathouse singled to score Thompson, and Tolbert scored on a passed ball.

Greathouse walked one and struck one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Thompson sent a ground ball to Watkins at second, who then passed to Savage at first for a double play to end the game.

Logan Jeffus leads Sandites to 1-0 victory over Muskogee

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Boys' Soccer team (2-1) picked up their second win of the season in a home thriller against the Muskogee Roughers (1-3) Thursday night at Memorial Stadium. Logan Jeffus kicked the lone goal for the Sandites and it was enough for a 1-0 victory thanks to some salty defense and excellent goalkeeping by Edgar Soberano. 

Jeffus's goal came early in the match in the 11th minute and he got off several other solid shots throughout the game. The Sandites were the aggressors for the majority of the match, spending plenty of time in Muskogee's box, but Phillip Duncan was a superhero for the Roughers, picking up half a dozen impressive saves over the course of the game. 

The game was a homecoming for Muskogee Head Coach Tyler McIntosh, a Charles Page Class of 2012 graduate, and former four-year starting goalie at Mid-America Christian University.

Both teams will return to action Friday at the Stillwater Cup. Sand Springs will take on Ponca City (1-1) at 5:00 p.m. while Muskogee will play Edmond Memorial (0-3) at 3:20. Both games will be played in Pioneer Stadium.