Washington, Silo repeat as state baseball champions in 3A and 2A, respectively
By Cody Thorn
Photo of Washington's Dax McCaskill
OKLAHOMA CITY - A quick start by Washington was nearly undone in the bottom of the third inning by Cascia Hall.
The Warriors scored four unanswered runs over the next two innings and that paved the way for a 10-7 win and a repeat Class 3A championship on Saturday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Last year, the Warriors rolled to a 3A title by defeating Kingston, 13-2, but the private school from Tulsa provided a challenge this year. Washington went up 6-1 after the top of the second, but the Commandos (31-9) took advantage of two-out hitting.
Senior Hunter Stockton had a two-run double in the bottom of the second, and freshman Barrett Mullen’s two-run double in the third trimmed Cascia Hall's deficit to 6-5 - both coming with two outs on the board.
Winners of eight in a row, Washington (32-5) answered with a single run in the fourth and then three more in the fifth.
“They had momentum,” Washington coach Jeff Kulbeth said of Cascia Hall. “We tell our guys we had to win an inning, just win an inning. They had won that inning, but we scratched a run to keep them at distance.”
A walk, a single and hit by pitch gave the Warriors a bases-loaded situation. Senior Kane Springer, a Murray State College signee, hit a grounder that turned into a double play, but a run scored.
With a 7-5 lead in tow, Washington put the game away with three runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Jake Wells and Nate Roberts were both hit by a pitch and moved into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt. Up stepped No. 9-hitter Mayson Thomas.
On an 0-1 count, Thomas hit a high fastball to center field to bring in both runners - Roberts and Aldo Reyes, who was running for Wells.
“It was one of the biggest at-bats I had all year,” Thomas said. “(After the hit) I felt it (the game) was over.”
Thomas stole second base and scored on Marlon Moore’s single. Moore, a junior who committed to Tulane, hit a line drive to left field to account for the final run for the Warriors.
Cascia Hall pulled within three, 10-7, in the sixth on an error and Kulbeth went to the bullpen, bringing in starting shortstop Camden Bates. The right-handed senior and Tennessee signee was dominant in his time on the mound.
He got strikeouts on four of the six batters he retired, including striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
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Bates escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth with one out by getting a strikeout and fly ball.
“I trusted him,” Kulbeth said. “I knew when I looked in his eyes, I knew he wanted the baseball and we gave him the baseball and let him go do his thing.”
Bates and Moore both had two hits, while Wells and Thomas drove in two runs each for the Warriors.
Stockton was 4-for-4 with two RBIs for Cascia Hall. Center fielder Cooper Lai was 2-for-3 with two runs scored in his final game. The senior is an Oklahoma State football signee.
Josh Trout of Silo hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to give the Rebels a 6-5 win against Amber-Pocasset.
Class 2A State Baseball Championship
Silo 6, Amber-Pocasset 5
Josh Trout’s final hit for the Rebels was a big one.
The senior delivered a game-winning, championship-clinching hit in the bottom of the seventh to help Silo win a sixth straight Class 2A title.
His hit capped what was a frenzied seventh inning that saw the No. 1-ranked team in Class 2A blow a three-run lead with only three outs to go. The right-handed hitting catcher was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
Conner Cordell, a Redlands Community College signee, opened the final inning with a double off the wall in left field. Easton Ford then drew an intentional walk and Carter Parker reached on an error to load the bases.
With the infield drawn in for a play at the plate, Trout laced a single to left field on a 1-1 count that was the game-winner.
“I played with these guys since I was little, I had to get the job done not for me but for them,” Trout said. “There is not a better feeling; it doesn’t get any better than this.”
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No. 6-ranked Amber-Pocasset (31-10) trailed, 5-2, going into the top of the seventh and Ford got two quick outs.
The right-hander that will pitch for Redlands Community College ran into trouble by walking Boston Tointigh. Jared Jones then reached on an error to put runners at second and third base.
A second straight error happened on a throwing error on what looked to have been the game-ending ground ball. The ball rolled into the Panthers’ dugout and two runs scored.
Down 5-4, Tyler Shaw came to bat and on the third pitch, he hit a ground ball to second base and a third straight error happened. That allowed Trace Barry to score the tying run.
Ford got a strikeout to end the inning and sent the game into the bottom of the seventh.
“If you ever failed, you knew the guy behind you always had your back; you weren’t scared,” said Trout, who will play at Southwestern Christian University in Bethany. “You just knew someone would have your back.”
Leadoff hitter Kyler Proctor was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and had one RBI for Silo.
The Oklahoma State signee also started for the Rebels, striking out three and giving up one hit. However, Proctor walked four in two innings and was pulled three batters into the third.
The Panthers were held to only one hit in the game - by Shaw, which happened with two outs in the first. Lawson Braden and Shaw had the only RBIs for Amber-Pocasset.
Left-handed starter Jackson Riley, a freshman, gave up three earned runs over six innings for the Panthers.
The championship is the 13th overall for Silo, still third all-time in OSSAA history, and pulled within one of tying Owasso for second. All 13 of the titles for the Rebels have come since 2002.
