Duncan, Blanchard & Silo capture state titles
The Class 6A-2A baseball state championship concluded Saturday. Here’s a recap of the late games:
Class 5A: Duncan 15, Piedmont 4
Chago Barham just wanted to continue the rally.
In the top of the sixth inning, Duncan had already plated enough runs to force a run-rule.
But what’s one more? Barham slapped an RBI-single down the left field line. Peyton Roberson, who hit an RBI single just one swing before, held his hand in the air and stomped on home plate before running to his dugout to celebrate.
Duncan plated six runs in the sixth inning to lift the Demons to a 15-4 win over Piedmont for its first baseball state championship title.
“It’s been a story of this team all year,” first-year Duncan head coach Grant Oliver said of the inning. “We’ve created big innings on our own. A lot of times they were because of us, not because other people gave them to us. So, it was special just to be able to do it in the final game, the way we’ve done it all year long.”
Duncan opened the game by taking advantage of Piedmont’s mistakes. After earning two walks, the Demons rallied in the first-two innings. Trevyn Stewart, Kenny Garland, Tully Booth and Eli Ramirez all had an RBI, before Duncan earned three more in the second inning as Barham hit a groundball to drive in a run and Stewart hit a tworun triple.
In Stewart’s first two at-bats, he hit a triple and a double.
“We saw this kid about two weeks ago at Piedmont,” Stewart said. “But I think it was just all year long having good at-bats and getting our pitch was the biggest thing. It was just refusing to be out. Just not wanting to be out.”
Piedmont didn’t go away easily. Dax Priddy knocked in Gabe Clyden, who doubled to open the second inning. Dalton Hampton followed with an RBI single in the third and one run scored on an error in right field. Trey Migl hit an RBI double in the fourth inning for the Wildcats’ final run.
From there, it was all Duncan and its big sixth inning, which began with a run on a wild pitch and a Ramirez single.
Blake Banard threw four innings before Ramirez came in to close.
“It means everything just getting here,” Oliver said. “It’s all about those people from years before. Those guys that have just worked their tail off and couldn’t make it here. There were so many people commenting on social media just from old Duncan teams. It’s just a community that surrounds everybody and it’s something special for them, especially be the first.”
Class 4A: Blanchard 6, Tuttle 5
Blanchard senior Brennan Milligan had the green light.
The winning run was on second base, and Milligan faced a favorable 3-1 count in a tie game in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“I looked at my coach, he was just like, ‘Swing out your shoes, see what happens.’ I got my pitch, swung out my shoes and it happened,” Milligan said.
Milligan hit a walk-off laser to the left-center gap, giving Blanchard a 6-5 win over Tuttle in the Class 4A baseball state championship game at Shawnee High School.
“Never felt anything like it,” Milligan said. “It’s the greatest moment of my life.”
Blanchard freshman Brayson Carter scored the winning run. He tossed his helmet as he crossed home plate, and then he did a backflip before joining his teammates in a dog pile.
Blanchard led 3-0 after the first inning, but Tuttle took the lead in the fourth on a grand slam from Ty Chaddrick. The ball kept carrying and carrying before clanging off the top of the metal wall and over for a home run.
All five of Tuttle’s runs came in the fourth inning. Blanchard pitcher Kale Miller blanked the Tigers in every other frame.
“He’s a dog,” Milligan said of Miller. “That’s all I can say. He’s a dog.”
Blanchard has won three Class 4A state baseball titles since 2015. Two, including the latest, came against rival Tuttle.
Class 2A: Silo 7, Oktaha 3
Kyler Proctor still had some pitches left in him.
After opening the game, throwing six innings and getting relieved, Proctor came back in for the final out.
With the bases loaded, Proctor didn’t fall in the moment. The Oktaha batter hit the ball right back at Proctor, who caught it and ran to first for the final out.
“He just does what he does,” Silo coach Billy Jack Bowen said after the Rebels state championship victory. “He’s outstanding.”
The Rebels ran and dogpiled at the mound, as they were champions once again. Silo won win its fifth consecutive state championship, excluding the canceled 2020 season. The Rebels totaled 10 hits in the titel game at Shawnee High School to earn its 58th straight win. Silo has 11 spring state championship and 17 combined with the fall.
“It’s just unbelievable,” Bowen said of the win-streak. “It’s neat that it’s there. It’s really cool and a great compliment to our kids just how committed they are and how hard they work. It’s just an unbelievable thing that they’ve put together.”
Proctor and Delton Roberts combined to throw seven innings. Proctor struck out eight, giving up just three hits and one run. Easton Ford got the Rebels started in the first inning. On the first pitch of his at-bat, Ford hit a two-run double before scoring on an error. Carter Parker hit an RBI groundout for the final run of the first inning. Silo’s Proctor hit an RBI single to score Charlie Gardner in the fourth inning before Ford scored on an error in the fifth.
“I thought we’d come out ready to go,” Bowen said. “Scoring four in that first inning, is really tough to do on that lefthander that’s really good. I think it showed that we’d come out to play and we just stayed with it.”