Underdog Edmond Memorial to play for state title
SHAWNEE — In Shawnee this week, the Edmond Memorial Bulldogs have been a different kind of dog.
The No. 7 seed in the Class 6 A state softball tour nament, Edmond Memorial has been the underdog in both i ts quarterfinal and semifinal matchups. The Bulldogs haven't looked like the lower seed in either game, though, scoring in the top of the first inning in both games.
“I think it's just confidence and swinging the bat,” coach Janet Chart neysa id .“And once you have confidence and swing the bad, then people go on the defense on the other side.”
The two teams Memorial has played so far in the tournament are familiar faces. Deer Creek, which Memorial beat 9-3 in the quarter finals, and Moore, which the Bulldogs beat 8-0 Friday, are both in District 6 A -1 with Memorial.
Memorial finished fifth in its district, but the teams it lost to in the regular season haven' t been able to stop them in the state tournament. Chartney credited the strength of the district for preparing Memorial for the postseason.
“Our district was probably the hardest district in the state of Oklahoma,” Chartney said. “And I think that district prepared us because we had hard losses to all these teams that were above us.”
Memorial also had to play Mustang, the top team in District 6A-1 when the regular season ended in a regional at Mustang. Chartney said the regional was exactly where Memorial wanted to be. Memorial has been rolling since the regional.
Memorial is a young team this year. With only one senior on the roster, the Bulldogs are relying on the leadership and athleticism of their younger players. One of those athletes is Jill Dickson. She pitched for Memorial in the win over Deer Creek and has hit a home run in both games at the state tournament.
Playing in the state tournament is a different arena, Dickson said, everything is more hyped. A sophomore, Dickson said having positive attitude and playing for each other has helped her and her teammates make it to the state ti tl e game against Owasso. Saturday will be the first time Chartney and Memorial have bee ninth estate title game since 2004.
“This year we've just had a lot of chemistry, and we've played for each other ,” Dickson said.