Whitesboro scores big while reaching state semifinal
Whitesboro’s softball team totaled 37 runs while making the semifinal in the Class A state tournament on Tuesday at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, its second straight advancement past the slow-pitch first round as head coach JoAnn Scarberry, an Oklahoma SlowPitch Softball Coaches Association Hall of Famer, went to retirement following the tournament.
Whitesboro exploded from the start of its quarterfinal to beat Kiowa 21-3, matching its seasonhigh in scoring.
Madi Edwards hit a run-scoring double to spark a five-run top of the first inning. Three batters later, Madison Grogan hit a run-scoring triple.
Samantha Craig hit a two-run single in a fourrun third inning as Whitesboro took a 9-0 lead.
Austyn Wright hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence in the fourth, making the score 11-0.
She belted a two-run single to left field as part of a 10-run fifth, ending 3-for-4 with four runs batted in. Madi Edwards finished Whitesboro’s scoring with a two-run single.
Kinley Barron and
Linley Collins both went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Craig went 4-for-4 with four RBIs. Darah Cole was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Against Turner in its semifinal, Whitesboro led for a couple of innings before walks and tumbling defensive confidence resulted in a 21-16 loss.
Turner scored five runs in the first inning after an error and two walks with one out.
After bringing in Mercedez Mortensen and Maura Cole on a hit to right field in the top of the second, Linley Collins darted around the bases to score on an error in right field.
Then, Kinley Barron hit a two-run home run to tie in 5-all. A leadoff triple by Addi Wright led to a six-run third inning for an 11-5 lead.
Feeding off three walks, Turner scored on a sacrifice fly and a three-run double in the bottom of the fifth to tie it at 13.
Whitesboro gave up eight more runs in the sixth inning.
Austyn Wright hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh.
She had walked four times before hitting her second home run of the state tournament. Kinley Barron went 5-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs to finish the state run 8-for-9 with five RBIs.
Collins was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Edwards, Grogan and Maura Cole both went 2-for-4.
Scarberry will be replaced by Hammon head coach Peyton Walker. See a future issue for a story on Walker.