Oklahoma state baseball roundup: Yukon stuns Stillwater while Owasso survives in 6A quarterfinals
By Buck Ringgold
Yukon photo by Yukon Millers Baseball Facebook page
An unpredictable postseason for Class 6A continued at Thursday's state quarterfinals.
Yukon broke a 1-all score in the top of the seventh, and then Logan Troxell used clutch pitching down the stretch as the Millers were the latest team to post a stunning upset, defeating Stillwater, the No. 1 ranked team in this week's SBLive Oklahoma poll, 3-1, at Tulsa Union High School.
The Pioneers were coming off a rousing regional win last weekend at Sand Springs, one of the three top-ranked teams that lost in regionals, the others being Tulsa Union and Broken Arrow.
But on Thursday, the Pioneers joined those teams on the sidelines as Yukon went ahead in the top of the seventh on a two-RBI home run from Luke Graham.
The Pioneers loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Troxell struck out the next two batters to get the win. He went the final 2 2/3 innings in relief, allowing no runs on no hits and striking out four.
Down 1-0 entering the top of the sixth, the Millers tied the score on an RBI single by Cale Parr.
Yukon (26-12) will face Enid in the semifinal round at 11 a.m. Friday. The Plainsmen (28-9) got a six-inning 10-0 run-rule win against Westmoore as Jake Kennedy pitched a no-hitter.
Deja vu all over again: Tuttle rallies late to beat Fort Gibson in 4A quarterfinals
Kennedy also struck out 10, and went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Cooper Jarnigan had three RBIs as well.
Owasso nearly became another upset victim in 6A, but the defending champions were able to survive Edmond Deer Creek. The Rams prevailed, 3-1, in eight innings.
Winning pitcher Jackson Farrell led off the top of the eighth by drawing a walk. Courtesy runner Alex Nirider eventually scored on an errant throw after a sacrifice bunt from Cooper Auschwitz, who added an insurance run on Branden Floyd's RBI single.
Farrell then finished off the complete game, allowing six hits and striking out seven. He was also saved by an inning-ending play from center fielder Luke Williams, who threw out a baserunner attempting to score.
Williams added a pair of doubles, including one in the fourth inning as he went on to score on Grady Mercer's RBI hit.
The Rams will play Bixby in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Bixby defeated Edmond North, 6-1, in Thursday's late quarterfinal.
Trailing 1-0, the Spartans struck for five runs in the third behind two big hits. Cooper Moore's two-run double put them on the board, and then with the bases loaded, Nate Murphy cleared them all with a three-run double.
Twice as nice: Bixby (Oklahoma) has unique luxury of having two senior catchers on squad
Owen Bailor added a solo home run in the fifth, while Max Knight ended up allowing three hits in a seven-inning complete-game performance. Knight also struck out 12.
Class 5A
Another contender that saw its season come to an abrupt end Thursday was Piedmont, which lost in last season's 5A title game.
At the 5A quarterfinals Thursday in Jenks, the Wildcats were upended by Grove, 2-0, as James Wise threw a shutout. Piedmont loaded the bases in the seventh, but Wise got a strikeout to end the game.
Grove got both runs in the fifth, courtesy of a two-run double from Caden Gain.
The Ridgerunners (30-7) move on to the semifinals, set for 11 a.m., where they will take on Bishop Kelley. Kelley outlasted Noble, 5-3, by scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Grayson Smith, who went 2-for-3, hit an RBI double to break a 3-all score, then added an insurance run by crossing home plate on a balk.
The other 5A semifinal, at 1:30 p.m. Friday, pits Midwest City Carl Albert against Sapulpa.
Carl Albert downed Collinsville, 4-2, as pitcher Kash Ferris ended the game by getting out of a bases-loaded jam with his 13th and final strikeout. Sapulpa, meanwhile, scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh on a fielder's choice and an error to rally past Elgin, 2-1.
Class 3A
Spiro got a strong pitching performance from Dakota Perdue, as the Bulldogs move on in the 3A tournament after a 4-0 quarterfinal win against Oklahoma Christian School at Seminole State College.
Perdue gave up three hits in just 86 pitches. He struck out two batters.
Spiro (27-9), making its first trip to state since 2014, gave Perdue all the support he needed by scoring all four runs in the third inning. Corbin Miller drove in a pair of runs, and Perdue and Gannon Shackelford also tallied RBIs.
The Bulldogs will play in the semifinals at 11 a.m. Friday against Cascia Hall, a 5-3 winner against Perry.
Defending 3A champion Washington kept its repeat bid alive by fending off Victory Christian, 2-1. Marlon Moore tossed a six-hitter and drove in both runs, hitting a solo homer in the third and a fifth-inning double which brought home Sutton Moore.
Tennessee signee Camden Bates also tripled for the Warriors, who improved to 30-5.
In Thursday's last 3A quarterfinal, Salina broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the top of the seventh to defeat Heritage Hall, 3-0.
Oklahoma's best high school baseball players: Meet the state's top infielders
Jack Wilkins' bases-loaded walk drove in the Wildcats' first run; then Maverick Williamson provided insurance with a two-run single.
Conner Johnson was the beneficiary of Salina's pivotal seventh inning as he went on to record the shutout. He gave up three hits and struck out nine.
Salina will take on Washington at 1:30 p.m. in Friday's semifinals.
It was also announced late Thursday by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association that the 3A championship game has been moved to 11 a.m. on Saturday. The game will still be played at Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, with the 2A title game being shifted to 2 p.m.
Class 2A
Rain forced the suspension of the 2A quarterfinals, which were held Thursday at Edmond Santa Fe.
Dale and Amber-Pocasset will resume its game in the fourth inning starting at 11 a.m. Friday at Seminole State College. The last quarterfinal, between Cashion and Oktaha, will follow at 1:30 p.m. and those two winners face off in a semifinal set for 6:30 p.m.
At 4 p.m. Friday, the other semifinal pits defending champion Silo against Wister.
The Rebels defeated Preston, 11-0, as Oklahoma State signee Kyler Proctor hit two home runs. Wister, meanwhile, got a 3-2 walk-off win in the 10th inning against Calera on a base hit from Landon Thornburg, who also threw six innings of shutout ball, striking out seven.
Latest High School Sports News
