The Path to State: Part 5: Regional Champions

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It was the final game of the Regional Championship, and stakes were high. The Sand Springs Lady Sandites had just fought their way up through the losers’ bracket after being upset in game one by Skiatook. In the last game, Union was dealt their first loss of the tournament in a 3-0 shutout by the Sandites. For the Lady Sandites, it was a triple header.

Goose Salyers (15-1) had pitched the last three wins of the tournament, so Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington (11-6) stepped to the mound for this game. For the Redskins it was Mikael Willard replacing Paige Boyle after the last game.

The first inning was a no-hitter for both teams.

In the top of inning 2, Makenie Addis got on first base for the Redskins with a groundball and up stepped Brylee Dickensen with a groundball to Cody Cheatham at third. Cheatham threw out Dickensen at first and Jessica Schuler tried for a double play back to Cheatham to out Addis, but instead connected with the base runner’s ribs and the game was delayed while Addis decided if she could continue. The Union girl was tough and shrugged it off, but was left stranded on the next play.

It would be a rough game for the Redskins.

Jessica Schuler was first at bat for the Sandites and set loose a centerfield fly for a single and was replaced on base by Caley Thompson. Kali Mallory hit a single and Kimi Presnell was walked, but Jessica Collins and Cameron Clemons were both put out. The pressure was on Madelyn Blair to bring the girls home, and she did not disappoint. Had she put just a little more on it and it would have cleared the fence for a grand slam. Unfortunately, it fell just a tad short, hitting the fence for a 3RBI Triple.

Salyers was next at bat for an RBI double and just like that, Blair had outscored the entire last game.

The Sandite defense also had all pistons firing and didn’t allow a single hit in the third inning either, though Dickensen did draw a walk. With one out and Dickensen on first, Sammi Ibison hit a line drive straight to Salyers in left field who sent it in to Schuler for the double play.

Union was restraining themselves from the errors of the last game, however, and Willard struck out Pennington and Collins to end the inning. The lone Redskin error of the game came in the bottom of the fourth as Cameron Clemons stole second on a catcher’s error.

Finally, in the bottom of the fifth, Sand Springs started swinging for the fence again. Pennington and Collins hit homeruns for the 6-0 lead and Willard was replaced on the mound by Boyle.

It was the top of the sixth and the Redskins needed a big rally to stay alive. Sammi Dutton bunted for a single and Lexi Dobson nailed a double into the centerfield fence. After a brief Sandite timeout, however, the girls were left stranded. Their only chance would be for a major come-back in the top of the seventh.

Unfortunately for them, they would never make it to the seventh.

Clemons and Salyers both hit singles and Stella Millican drew a walk. Sydney Pennington batted in Clemons on a single and the bases were still loaded when Schuler, a Northeastern State University-commit, connected on a grand slam to finish the game 11-0 by run-rule.

After four unimpressive games, the Lady Sandites had found their mojo from earlier in the season and registered three straight shut outs for the Regional Title.

At this moment, the girls (29-8) are in Oklahoma City preparing for the first game of the State Championship tournament against the defending State Champion from Mustang (33-8). The battle will begin at 6:30 PM, and it will be a rematch for the two teams.

Early in the season, the Sandites defeated the Broncos 3-1 at the Broken Arrow tournament, dealing them their second loss of the season. At that point Mustang was 5-2 and Sand Springs was 9-1.

When it comes to mutual opponents, Sand Springs has a 6-2 record and Mustang has a 10-1 record. Sand Springs outscored mutual opponents by an average of 7.62 to 2.625, while Mustang outscored them an average of 5.81 to 3.27.

Sand Springs has pitched eight shutouts and won nine games by run-rule. Mustang has pitched ten shut outs and won seven games by run rule.

On paper, Sand Springs is the better team, but unlike Football and other Oklahoma sports, Softball is a lot less top-heavy and has a lot more talent across the state. All eight teams at this tournament have a legitimate shot at winning, and anything can happen in a playoff game.

The Sandite spirits are high across the town and everyone is rooting for our girls to bring home their first state title. The team left town at 11:00 this morning and were given a large send-off at the Sandite Sporting Complex and a police/fire escort from town.

Game Stats, Click to Enlarge

Stats for both games against Union, Click to Enlarge

Overall Sandite stats at Regionals, Click to Enlarge

To purchase any of these photos without the watermark, please email Scottemigh2013@gmail.com. Digital copies are available for only $5 apiece. 

The Path to State, Part 4: Sandites upset Union 3-0 at Regionals

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Lady Sandite pitcher Kennedy “Goose” Salyers stepped up to the mound. It was two o’clock on a Wednesday, and the Southeastern Oklahoma State University-committed senior had just pitched a 6-0 shutout against Claremore in round three of the Regional championship.

With only thirty minutes between games, the Charles Page High School varsity fast pitch softball team was tired, and they were only a third of the way through a triple-header uphill battle. The Union Redskins were far and above the better team over Claremore, and this would not be an easy game. Especially since Union had already beaten Sand Springs 5-2 in the second game of the season.

Sammi Ibison was the first batter up. With a full count, she connected for a fly ball into left field and was caught out by Caley Thompson. Next were Erika Reed and Sammi Dutton, both put out on infield flies by second-baseman Kimi Presnell, and just like that the Sandites were off to a good start.

Now it was Salyers turn at bat, and Paige Boyle was pitching for the Lady Redskins.

The first day of Regionals was marred by errors as the Sandites lost 2-1 to Claremore and barely scrapped by Ponca City 4-3, whom they had scored 21-0 against over two games earlier in the season. The 6-0 shutout in game one of day two was a step in the right direction, but if the Sandites were going to stand a chance against Union, they would need to come out hard and fast to make a statement early on in the game.

Salyers connected on an infield hit for a single and the home team was the first on base. Cameron Clemons replaced Salyers as a curtesy-runner, and Stella Millican bunted for a single-by-error thanks to Boyle.

Sydney Pennington swung hard for a fly ball to left field. Dutton scooped it up and sent it to third to force out Clemons, but third-baseman Clara Bewaley tried for a double play to out Pennington at first and instead threw the ball clear over Britton Clark’s head, resulting in a double-by-error for Pennington.

Up to the plate walked Jessica Schuler, a Northeastern State University-commit, first-baseman, and frequent home-runner. She never crossed home plate on her own this game, but she did connect for a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Millican and drew first blood.

The Sandites had brought their “A-game.”

The second inning played much like the first. No Redskins landed base hits, and Brylee Dickensen was struck out.

Jessica Collins was first at bat for Sand Springs and found second base on an error by Lexi Dobson. Caley Thompson bunted for a single, and Rachel Blair brought Collins home on a bunt single due to an error by Bewaley. Both teams had guns blazing, but the Sandites were shooting holes in the Redskins’ defense, and the Redskins were shooting themselves in the foot.

Finally, Union pulled their defense together. Over the next two innings, Boyle allowed only base hit, and struck out three Sandites. Salyers was right there with her, though, allowing only two base hits, no runs, and two strikeouts.

By inning five, the Sandites were tired of being sent to the dugout. Pennington hit a groundball into left field for a single, and Schuler drew a walk. Then, Kali Mallory, the catcher, entered the game and brought Pennington home with an RBI single and a 3-0 lead.

The Redskins had gotten their act together and stopped allowing errors, but the Sandites were equally disciplined, and the mistakes Union had made in the beginning were too costly to overcome.

Ibison, Reed, and Dutton all came out swinging, but each was put out before reaching base in the sixth.

Boyle registered her fourth and final strikeout of the evening, and didn’t allow another base hit for the duration of the game, but neither did Salyers, who struck out the final two batters of the game and brought in the win.

Both pitchers had excellent records, but Salyers stole the show, throwing 55.2% strikes, allowing only three hits, for a .428 WHIP and 0.00 ERA.

Boyle’s record was outstanding as well, but there was no stopping Sand Springs. She threw 45.7% strikes for a 1.66 WHIP and 2.33 ERA.

Sand Springs had a solid .375 batting average, with Pennington leading the pack with a perfect 1.00 with three hits on three at bats for four bases, a 1.333 slugging average, and one run.

Union was held to a meager .125, with Tonie Weese leading with one base hit on one at bat for a single. Britton Clark hit a double and Sammi Dutton hit a single for a team total of only three base hits and zero walks.

Defensively, Kali Mallory led the Sandites with six putouts. Lexi Dobson led Union with five putouts in right field.

Ultimately the game boiled down to errors, as Union committed four and the Sandites were flawless.

It was an incredibly impressive game, but Sand Springs was now twice as tired as Union, having played two games back-to-back with one more game to go.

The next game would start in only thirty minutes.

Game Stats, Click to Enlarge

To purchase any of these photos without the watermark, please email Scottemigh2013@gmail.com. Digital copies are available for only $5 apiece. 

The Path to State, Part 3: Revenge against Claremore

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It all came down to noon, last Thursday. The Sand Springs Lady Sandite softball team had won 26 games, eight by mercy-rule, five by shutout. They had a 13-1 district record, and by all accounts should have had a clear and easy walk to the Regional title.

Instead, they found themselves 1-1 in a double-elimination tournament on their own home field. After a stunning 2-1 upset by Claremore, the girls barely held on with a 4-3 win over Ponca City. They were still alive in the tournament, but they would have to win a triple header to claim their ticket to state.

To add insult to injury, because it was a playoff game, the “home team” was decided by coin toss. Claremore was the “Sandites” on the scoreboard, and the true Sandites were the visitors on their own diamond.

Kennedy “Goose” Salyers stepped up to the plate. With a resounding crack, the Sandite pitcher nailed a lead-off single into right field. A sacrifice bunt from Stella Millican advanced Salyers to second, and a sacrifice hit by Sydney Pennington brought her to third. Up came Jessica Schuler with the goal of bringing Salyers home and drawing first blood.

Schuler leads the team in homeruns and grand slams this season, but that action would not be seen this inning. A groundball to the Zebra pitcher, Kiley Lawson, was sent to first-baseman Kaylea Carpenter and the Lady Sandites would have to settle for being the first on base.

Next it was Claremore’s turn to try for home plate. With one out on the board, Abbey Mayfield hit a groundball to Pennington at short stop, but instead of being put out on first, she capitalized on a throwing error for the double. Next up was McKenzie Thomas with a single and it was clear that the Zebras had no intention of splitting with the home team.  Both runners, however, would be left stranded.

Both teams had brought their offense to this game, but it was the defense that came out on top for the first two innings. The Sandites left Kali Mallory stranded on second in the top of the second inning, and the Zebras left Kassidee Flowers on second in the bottom of the inning. Salyers got the first of her three strikeouts against short-stop Holland Rader.

Finally, in the top of the third, Salyers connected with the center field fence for a double and was soon joined by Stella Millican who drew a walk. Pennington brought home Salyers on a fence-hitting double of her own, but Millican was put out at third on a pass from McKenzie Thomas to Loren Shockley. Schuler was the next batter-up and brought home Pennington with an RBI single into right field. Schuler would be left stranded on first base, but the home team had taken a 2-0 lead, and wouldn’t slow down from there.

Claremore threatened, putting runners on first and second, but Julie Warren was struck out and the Sandites were back at it again.

Jessica Collins found first base on an error by Rader, then Caley Thompson hit a single of her own and once again Collins was the beneficiary of another Zebra error, this time by Thomas.

Kimi Presnell was put out on first after a sacrifice bunt that advanced both runners, then Madelyn Blair stepped up with the biggest hit of the tournament, thus far. Connecting with the left field fence for a 2RBI double, she ended up on second after scoring Collins and Thompson and forcing Claremore to change pitchers.

Lawson ended her time in the game with an 8.408 ERA, a 2.702 WHIP, and a .282 strike percentage.

In her place was Kaleigh Schumacher. Salyers got back on base after bringing Blair home on an RBI single thanks to an error by Brooke Dicus, but she and Millican would both end up stranded.

Schumacher began to demonstrate her skills at the mound, striking out Collins and Blair, and only allowed one more base-hit till the seventh inning. Then she slipped up, and the tide turned back in the Sandites favor.

Schuler was hit by the first pitch of the inning, and curtesy runner Carsidy Perdue took her spot on first base. Then came Kali Mallory, swinging for the fence. Her first swing was a foul ball that completely cleared the neighboring athletic building. The second swing was on point. The ball just barely stayed in the diamond, hitting the fence as Mallory reached second base.

Finally, Collins came to bat for the final score of the game, bunting to bring home Perdue for a 6-0 lead and a sixth Sandite shutout.

Salyers got the win on the mound, allowing no runs, eight hits, and one walk with a 1.285 WHIP and a .406 strike percentage. Schumacher got the loss for Claremore with a 1.912 ERA, a 1.912 WHIP, and a .420 strike percentage.

Sand Springs dominated at the plate with 13 base hits, including four doubles, and a .481 team batting average. Claremore managed only eight hits for nine bases and a .285 batting average. Salyers and Mallory both batted .750 and Millican batted a perfect 1.00.

They had won the battle, but the war was far from over. The celebration was hearty, but it wasn’t long, as the Lady Sandites had only thirty minutes to prepare for the Union Redskins (27-13) who had already beaten them 5-2 in the second game of the season.

Sandites vs Claremore: Game 2 Stats. (Click to enlarge)

Sandites vs Claremore: Regional Stats (Both Games). (Click to enlarge)

 


Grand Slam Schuler seals Sandites' ticket to State

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It was a hell of a day for the Sand Springs Lady Sandite softball team.

After a 25-7 regular season and a 13-1 district record, it came down to Regionals for Charles Page High School and they got to host their own tournament at the Sandite Sporting Complex in Prattville. By all expectations, the only team that should have given the Sandites any trouble was Union, who had beaten them 5-2 early in the season.

It was a complete surprise when they found themselves with a 2-1 loss in the opening game to a team with a losing record. Claremore moved forward, while the top-seeded Sandites fell to the loser’s bracket. It would be an uphill climb from there. They narrowly fended off Ponca City 4-3, whom they had shut-out run-ruled twice earlier in the season. The Sandites had lost their swag.

It would take either a miracle, or more perseverance than most students will ever muster to overcome the odds stacked against them. The Lady Sandites threw the odds out the window.

After Union dealt Claremore a 6-2 loss the day before, the Lady Sandites had to replay the Lady Zebras to move forward. It was a slow start, but the Sandites found their feet in the top of the third.

Goose Salyers, the pitcher, hit a line drive double into the fence and was soon joined by Stella Millican who drew a walk. Sydney Pennington followed Salyers’s lead with a left field double to score Salyers, but Millican was put out on third by Loren Shockley. With two outs, Jessica Schuler stepped up to the plate and sent Pennington home on a single into right field for a 2-0 lead.

The next inning was even more impressive. Jessica Collins and Caley Thompson both hit singles and Kimi Presnell sacrificed herself to advance them to second and third. Then, Madelyn Blair stepped up with a 2RBI double and was eventually brought home on a single by Salyers.

In the final inning Schuler was hit by a pitch and was replaced on first base by courtesy-runner Carsidy Perdue. Kalli Mallory hit a double to advance Perdue to third, and she was eventually scored on a bunt single by Collins for a final score of 6-0.

The Lady Sandites got the win, but they still had a long road ahead of them. Union was undefeated in a double-elimination tournament, and the Sandites would have to beat them twice in a double-header to win the Regional.

Senior Stella Millican started off the scoring for the Sandites, bunting for a single, and was brought home on a sacrifice fly by Schuler. Next up was Collins with a left field double, batted in by Rachel Blair with a bunt single.

In the fifth inning Salyers and Millican were both put out and it came down to Pennington to get Sand Springs back on track. A left field single put her on base and Schuler followed her with a walk. Catcher Kalli Mallory brought home Pennington with a single and the Sandites won 3-0.

Salyers got the win on the mound against Union. 

It was do-or-die in game three. Jessica Shuler and Madelyn Blair elected to “do.”

Schuler and Mallory hit singles and Mallory was replaced by Thompson as a curtesy-runner. Presnell drew a walk to load the bases. With two outs and one strike, Madelyn Blair brought home everyone but herself on a 3RBI Triple into the centerfield fence. Salyers was next up with a double to score Blair and just like that, the Sandites had scored more runs in one inning than they did in the entire first game.

The score remained unchanged until the bottom of the fifth when Pennington hit the first home run of the night over the left field fence. Collins was not far behind her with her own homerun to take things to 6-0.

Union threatened in the top of the sixth as Sammi Dutton hit a single and Lexi Dobson hit a double. After a brief timeout, the Sandites found their motivation and didn’t allow another base hit.

It was clear who the victor would be, but Schuler wanted to put a good measure on Union just to prove to anyone who might doubt that the Sandites are still not a team to mess with. Cameron Clemons hit a single, Salyers hit a single on a full count, and Millican was walked to load the bases. Pennington brought home Clemons on a single for a 7-0 lead and then it was Schuler’s time to shine with a 4RBI Grand Slam to win the game an inning early by run-rule.

Pennington got the start and win on the mound.

From the brink of elimination to the indisputable regional champions, the Lady Sandites improved to a 29-8 record and earned their ticket to the State Championship. This marks their thirteenth regional championship.

 Detailed write-ups on each game, including stats and photos, will be up this weekend. Thanks for reading and be sure to tell your friends and family about www.SanditePride.com!

 

*This article has been corrected to reflect Salyers as the pitcher in the first game against Union and Pennington as the pitcher in game 2.

**This article has been corrected to include a run by Carsidy Perdue in the 7th inning against Claremore for a final score of 6-0.

The Path to State, Part 2: Lady Sandite Softball beats Ponca City 4-3

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Lady Sandites stayed alive in round two of the Regional playoffs—barely. After a shocking upset by the Claremore Zebras, Sand Springs found themselves on the same tier as a team they had already shut out twice this season. The Ponca City Lady Cats wouldn’t make it a third time. Union had little problem shutting them out 5-0 in round one, but the Wildcats came out swinging in round two and barely gave up the game to Sand Springs 4-3, and it came down to the final inning.

Charles Page has had a lackluster last couple of games, and that streak continued over into this one. After trailing for three innings, they finally came from behind to win it in the bottom of the seventh.

It should never have been that close. In the fourth game of the season, Sand Springs shut out Ponca 10-0 at home. Last month, the Lady Sandites brought an even tougher game to the Wildcats’ home and brought back an 11-0 win. 21-0 over two games, and they won this one by one blessed run.

Goose Salyers got the win on the mound for Sand Springs, allowing only one earned run and twelve hits against five strikeouts and a .468 strike percentage. Ashlynn Mercer got the loss for Ponca, also allowing twelve hits with two earned runs against only two strike outs and a .325 strike percentage.

Ponca pulled off a better batting average, but one thing was clear. When Sandites swing, they swing for the fence. Ten of Ponca’s hits were singles, whereas nine of Sand Springs’s were doubles. Only two Sandites struck out, two hit sacrifices, and two were walked, so the home team ended up with a much better on-base percentage of .424 against the Wildcats’ .375.

Just like in the first game, it was clear who the better team was. Yet for some reason, the stats weren’t translating well to the field.

It didn’t start out looking as bleak as it ended. The Lady Sandites emerged to an early lead in the first inning as Sydney Pennington brought in Salyers on a double that hit the fence. Schuler was right behind her with a double of her own, but their momentum was broken up as Schuler’s ball collided with left fielder Kylie Hopkins’s face. After several minutes of lying on the ground, she left the field on her own feet, but was replaced for the duration of the game by Bailee Johnson.

It was an unfortunate incident for both teams, as it was enough to break up the Sandite momentum and leave both Pennington and Schuler stranded.

The game entered a dry spell and the score didn’t change until the bottom of the third when Kenzie Lyons hit a right field single and Camenda Osborne scored on it due to an error by catcher Kali Mallory.

Then, the cats took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning on a run from the same player. Osborne hit a leadoff double and advanced to third on a single by Karly Kothe before being batted in once again by Lyons.

By the seventh inning, things were dire and the Sandite offense was under serious pressure. Not only did they trail by two, but they were playing as the guests so they had to score enough runs to keep the Wildcats from winning it in the bottom of the inning.

Pennington came out swinging, hitting a leadoff double into the fence. Kali Mallory hit a groundball double and scored Pennington on an error by catcher Samantha Murry. Mallory was replaced by curtesy runner Cameron Clemons, and it was a great call. Caley Thompson entered the game for the first time that night and hit a single. With Stella Millican at bat, Clemons was quick on her feet, stealing home plate on a catcher’s error. All Millican had to do was hit a sacrifice groundball to score Thompson, who had just stolen second, and just like that the Sandites had the lead once again.

Salyers allowed only one hit in the bottom of the inning and the Sandites won 4-3.

The girls are going to need to find their mojo quickly if they’re going to pull off some Sandite magic tomorrow. It will be a long hard uphill road. The Union Redskins beat Claremore 6-2, meaning Sand Springs will have a rematch at noon.

If Sand Springs proves the first game against Claremore to be a fluke, they’ll still have to beat Union not just once, but twice. The tournament is double elimination, so for Sand Springs to win it’ll be a triple header with no time to rest between rounds. If Sand Springs wins, the first game against Union will be at 2 PM, and the second would be at 4 PM. Not to mention that the last time Sand Springs played Union was coincidentally at the Claremore Festival and was a 5-2 loss.

It’ll be a rough road to State, but these girls are 26-8 for a reason. They’ve outscored their opponents 239 to 92 this season and went 13-1 in district. If anybody can pull it off, the Sand Springs Lady Sandites can.

Click to Enlarge

 

Lady Sandites defeat Skiatook 4-3 to end regular season 25-7

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Click here to view the photo gallery from this event.

The Charles Page high school varsity softball team ended the regular season with a 4-3 extra-inning win over Skiatook Thursday evening at the Sandite Sporting Complex.

Senior Goose Salyers got the win on the mound for the Lady Sandites. Taylor Rogers started for the Lady Bulldogs but was replaced by Linzie Hopkins in the bottom of the third.

Skiatook took the lead early in the second inning. Mikayla Shulanberger and Maci Willingham each hit singles, then stole bases on a catching error by Kali Mallory. Sara Griffin brought home Shulanberger on a sacrifice bunt and Chloe Cooper scored Willingham on a bunt single.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Sand Springs scored a pair of runs of their own in the bottom of the third.

Salyers was walked and Jessica Collins hit a single, then the both of them stole bases on an error by Skiatook catcher Morgan Worley. Jessica Schuler was walked to load the bases then Mallory brought home Salyers on a sacrifice fly.

Rachel Blair was next up to the box and hit her second of three doubles for the night to score Collins. Stella Millican was walked next and the bases were loaded once again. That’s when Hopkins was brought in and the inning came to a close with a line drive from Cheatham to Willingham.

Worley, Shulanberger, and Willingham loaded the bases for Skiatook in the fifth inning, but short-stop Kimi Presnell put a stop to the Bulldogs, scooping up a groundball from Guardiola and tagging second base to bring the Sandites in to bat.

Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington hit a homerun over the left field fence to give the Sandites the 3-2 lead.

The sixth inning went scoreless and it looked like the Sandites would get the win as Worley and Tayler Andersen both got put out on flyballs in the top of the seventh. Then, Shulanberger was walked and stole second while Willingham was at bat. Willingham hit an RBI Triple into the fence and the home team failed to get on base. The game was forced into extra innings.

Salyers struck out Griffin, but Cooper was walked. Mikael Bunn tried to bunt but was put out at first on a pass from Salyers to Schuler. Next up was Taylor Anglen with a line drive into left field. Cooper got caught in a rundown between third base and home plate and was finally tagged out by Pennington.

Finally, in the bottom of the eight, the Sandites found their batting game. Rachel Blair hit a leadoff double into the fence, then Jacie Taber entered the game as a pinch-hitter to hit a double into centerfield. Cameron Clemons was caught out, but Madelyn Blair pinch-hit a double to score her sister and end the game.

Four Sandites had perfect on-base percentages and three had perfect batting averages. Rachel Blair had a game-high seven total bases. Defensively, Schuler led the Sandites with 10 of their 24 putouts and Willingham led the Bulldogs with 6 of their 19 putouts. Both teams allowed a total of 11 base hits.

Skiatook (11-22) still has two games left in the regular season against Bartlesville and Sapulpa. Sand Springs (25-7, 13-1) will be sitting out the Bixby Festival they had originally planned to participate in and will next take on Claremore (13-15) in the first round of Regionals at home on October 8th at noon. They will also host Union and Ponca City.