Latta powers into final after victory against Roff

For The Oklahoman

MUSTANG — When Dawson Dansby hit his two-run homer in the second inning, he jumped toward home yelling, pumping his fists in a wild celebration.

The thrill of hitting his first state tournament home run was obviously a primary factor, but his coach Ed Collins’ reaction gave him the pure emotion leading to his wild celebration.

“It was a blur on the bases, but I remember looking over and seeing coach’s face — he was excited,” Dansby said. “It’s the state tournament, dreams can happen.”

Latta used this emotion to hold on for a 5-4 victory over Roff in a Class A baseball semifinal Friday.

“I always tell my team to make good memories,” Collins said. “These are memories that will live with you the remainder of your lives, so make good memories that will wake you up in the middle of the night laughing and smiling and not a reason to wake up making you want to get a sandwich.”

In addition to Dansby’s home run, Latta scored three runs in the third inning. Randis Gray and Dansby each had RBI singles in the inning.

But Roff scored two runs in the fourth inning and added a run in the sixth and seventh innings. Roff had two on with one out in the sixth inning, but it ended with a strikeout and groundout.

“I got frustrated with my guys,” Collins said. “We got a 5-0 lead, and I sensed we were playing to hang on instead of playing to add on. That’s what we preach all year long, keep putting the heat on. Yet we were able to make enough plays at the end to hang on.”

Latta starter Jacob Savage pitched a complete-game victory. Collins had closer Kyle Rogers warming up between innings, but he kept Savage in for the seventh.

With the tying run on base and the go-ahead run at the plate, Savage ended the game after forcing Roff’s Brady Benedict to fly out.

“I thought his velocity was down a bit and didn’t have a crisp of a breaking ball as he has had in the past, but he was keeping the ball down for the most part,” Collins said. “That generally translates to ground balls. He’s a bulldog, and he was throwing against good people.”

Latta will play Oktaha in Saturday’s championship game. Latta won three consecutive spring titles from 2003-05, but it hasn’t won a fall title since 2001.

Oktaha 5, Wright City 2

During the regular season, Oktaha pitcher Jake Robbins could not throw the off-speed pitches he used consistently the previous season.

Wright City wished he hadn't rediscovered it.

Robbins mixed in his off-speed pitches in a complete-game victory as Oktaha defeated Wright City 5-2 in Friday's other semifinal.

Oktaha's senior pitcher allowed only two runs on six hits, and he used his sharp-breaking curveball to frustrate Wright City batters.

Impressive, given Robbins couldn't even throw off speed for most of the season.

“This whole week I’ve been working on throwing off speed for strikes,” Robbins said. “I lost it at the beginning of the year. I guess I wasn’t throwing it enough. It wouldn’t break as much, so I had to do more bullpen work. It’s key because it speeds my fastball up.”

Oktaha scored all five of its runs in the second inning. Logan Thomas reached on an error, and Korey Walker, Robbins, Brock Rodden and Brayden Rodden each had two-out singles.

Wright City cut the lead with a run in the fifth and sixth innings. But Robbins forced two fly outs and a groundout in the seventh inning to end the game.

Oktaha is looking to win its first fall state title since 2009 in Saturday’s championship game vs. Latta. The venue for the final was changed to Mustang High School at 1 p.m.

“It’s just another game,” Oktaha coach Kevin Rodden said. “Every tournament we’ve played in has been three games, and tomorrow is just that.”