Eagles hold on for seventh spring state title
Red Oak’s baseball team held strong in its tradition to finish its first spring season under coach Cody Pair.
Third-ranked Red Oak (27-7) finished its Class A state tournament run at Shawnee High School by winning the final 7-6 against top-ranked Canute on Monday.
This was Red Oak’s seventh spring baseball state title and first since 2016. (Red Oak has since won a fall baseball state championship in 2019.
In the bottom of the second inning, Isaiah The Boy scored on a groundout by Tanner King.
After Canute tied it in the top of the third, the Eagles retook the lead on a two-run double by Coby Bell.
Canute tied it again in the top of the fourth. Caldwell put Red Oak ahead with a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth.
Following a tying home run for Canute in the top of the fifth, King hit a run-scoring single and Trever Lyons scored on a fielder’s choice in the bottom half of the inning.
Caldwell threw eight strikeouts in six innings.
Bell struck out two batters while retiring the Canute side in order in the seventh.
Bell, King and Caldwell both had two hits and two runs batted in. Chance Pair went 2-for-2 with a walk.
Caldwell and the Eagles’ infield produced clutch magic in a 7-6 state semifinal win on Saturday against Tushka.
After Tushka scored on an error in the bottom of the seventh to get within a run, Caldwell relieved starter Denver Hamilton with the bases loaded.
Chase Pair threw to home plate for the first out. To finish it, Caldwell threw to home plate before catcher Chance Pair completed the double play by firing it to first base.
Caldwell hit a go-ahead run-scoring single in the top of the sixth inning.
Four batters later, Chance Pair drew a bases-loaded walk.
Red Oak led 5-1 in the top of the fifth before Tushka tied it in the bottom half of the inning.
Hamilton threw five strikeouts in six-plus innings. Both Chance and Chase Pair had a hit and two walks.
Reed Kauk went 2-for-3 with a walk.
Chase Pair opened the tourney with a no-hitter in a 10-0 quarterfinal win against Pioneer on Friday.
He threw eight strikeouts and allowed a walk while landing 42 of his 62 pitches (67.7 percent) as stirkes.
At the plate, he was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Caldwell had a hit, two walks and an RBI.
Kauk was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Bell hit a two-run double in the fifth and walked.