Piedmont’s Bohuslavicky wins battle of friends with Guthrie’s Dean
SHAWNEE — Chloe Bohuslavicky and Karrah Dean were the last two to shake hands. But they did something else entirely.
They smiled, laughed and hugged even with one heartbroken. They stood over home plate as someone from the crowd took a picture on their iPhone.
Foes were actually good friends, even in the biggest high school stage.
Bohuslavicky’s Piedmont team just beat Dean’s Guthrie team 3-1 to open the Class 5A state softball quarterfinals Thursday afternoon at The Ball Fields at Firelake.
More concerned with showing respect to each other, they still celebrated together.
“It’s her last year, so I know how hard it was for her,” Bohuslavicky said. “It just means a lot that we can still face each other and be OK with each other.”
Bohuslavicky, a junior, and Dean, a senior headed to Oklahoma Christian, have grown up teammates and foes throughout travel ball seasons. Their families are friends.
That made Thursday unique.
“It is a friendship,” Dean said. “She’s a good pitcher, obviously, but she’s a great person.”
Guthrie took a 1-0 lead in the third with a two-out RBI single by Trenda LeGrande. This came after Piedmont junior Jade Rowland hit a home run in the top of the inning that was negated when Kenedi Morelock was ruled to have left first base early.
“It was a great call by the officials,” Piedmont coach Keith Coleman said. “You don’t see it very often.”
It was in the sixth when Piedmont gave Bohuslavicky the lead. Ashlyn Brown hit a sacrifice fly off Dean and Ellie Griffin singled in the goahead run.
Bohuslavicky then held firm to move one step closer to putting Piedmont back in the
Class 5A title game for a second straight year. The Wildcats get Pryor at 11 a.m. Friday in the semifinals.
Facing Pryor will be easier for Bohuslavicky's conscience. There won’t be a friend in the circle or batter’s box like Thursday.
Though, Dean will have some words later for Bohuslavicky. Dean never saw a pitch from her friend. She was intentionally walked four times.
“It kinda sucks because I got walked,” Dean said.
“But it was good because she pitched great. She did her job and that’s what she supposed to do.”
Bohuslavicky wanted to pitch to Dean. Maybe, she’ll get another chance.
“Usually I would be like let’s pitch to her, but I understand my coach’s decision because she is a good hitter,” Bohuslavicky said. “She’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen. I still want to pitch against people and never walk someone, but it worked for our team.”