Rain delays Class 4A semifinals in Shawnee
The Class 6A-2A baseball state tournament semifinals began on Friday. Here’s a quick recap of the action:
Class 6A: Owasso 6, Deer Creek 2
Jackson Smith had everything going for him on Friday.
The senior from Owasso had tallied two hits in Thursday’s quarterfinal and was hoping to do better.
He did.
In his first at-bat, Smith smashed a three-run home run in the first inning which provided an offensive spark for Owasso.
Behind the bat of Smith, Owasso bested Deer Creek 6-2 to advance to the Class 6A state championship on Saturday. The first baseman went 3-for-4 from the plate with three RBI.
Oklahoma State signee Brennan Phillips didn’t provide much with his bat as he drew three walks. But the senior scored three runs on those opportunities to help the Rams.
Owasso plated at least one run in the first, third, fifth and seventh innings. It was the cushion starting pitcher Jackson Farrell needed. Farrell pitched all seven innings, allowing just three hits and two runs while striking out seven.
Class 5A: Piedmont 10, Sapulpa 8
Jackson Harriger blocked the slider. Harriger, Piedmont’s junior catcher, kept the ball in front of him and quickly noticed Sapulpa right fielder Logan Rains dart from first base toward second.
“I just let my arm do the work,” Harriger said.
Harriger snapped the ball down the middle of the field, placing the ball in perfect position to apply a tag-out. With Piedmont clinging to a two-run lead, Harriger caught Rains stealing, thwarting Sapulpa’s comeback attempt in the seventh inning.
On Friday, Piedmont’s 10-8 win punched the school’s ticket to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark for the first time since 2016 to compete in the Class 5A championship game.
“It’s a big win for the program,” said Adam Skokowski, Piedmont’s head coach. “Only one other time have we been to the state championship game.”
Innings earlier, Harriger’s play didn’t look likely if not for pitcher Jakeb Koop.
After springing to an early 4-0 lead, Piedmont surrendered eight unanswered runs across the third and fourth innings. Starting pitcher Fidel Hatch started strong, tossing four strikeouts in the first seven batters before allowing six straight hits in the third.
After Dalton Hampton entered in relief, facing three batters and allowing Sapulpa centerfielder Kaiden Ashton to rip a solo home run to center, Skokowski opted for Koop, Piedmont’s closer who missed the first half of the season with several injuries.
Down two runs with three innings left, Koop closed the game out allowing just three base runners and setting Harriger up for his defensive walk-off.
“It’s awesome,” Koop said. “I put so much work in over the offseason, coming back from injuries, rehabbing and stuff to throwing pens and getting my arm in shape, it’s awesome.”
— Dean Ruhl, For The Oklahoman
Class 4A: Game postponements
The semifinal state tournament games were rained out due to inclement weather in Shawnee. After just over an hour of searching, the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association rescheduled the games for 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Noble on Friday. Tuttle vs. Elk City played the first game while Blanchard and Marlow followed. Saturday’s Class 4A-2A state championship games are still scheduled at Shawnee High School.
Class 3A: Washington 9, Salina 4
Kane Springer had noticed the large lead the Salina runner on third was having.
“He just kept getting further off,” Springer said. “I trusted my teammate to make the tag.”
Washington coach Jeff Kulbeth did as well.
“I almost put a pick on,” Kulbeth said, “between our pitcher and our third baseman but I didn’t want, I didn’t want to make awareness.”
After catching a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning, Springer fired the ball to his third baseman, where they caught the Salina runner in a pickle. After a few tosses, Washington tagged out the runner at home for the last out and the celebration began.
Washington took down Salina 9-4 to advance to the Class 3A state championship game.
“Obviously, you take a guy that’s caught two straight years for us back there,” Kulbeth said of Springer’s play, “So, you give him the freedom a little bit and he makes a play right there.”
Class 3A: Kingston 4, Keys (Park Hill) 3
Brady Brister just wanted to redeem himself.
The senior pitcher from Kingston had thrown a wild pitch in the top of the seventh inning that had caused the tying Keys (Park Hill) run.
In the bottom of the seventh, he got his chance.
After Mason Burkhalter hit an infield single, Keys (Park Hill) opted to intentionally walk the next two batters, bringing Brister to the plate.
“I was just trying to get a bat head on it,” Brister said.
Brister took two strikes, before ripping a single over the left fielder’s head to score Burkhalter, the winning run from third.
With the bases loaded, Brister hit a walk-off single to give Kingston a 4-3 win and send Kingston to the Class 3A state championship game.
“It’s awesome,” Brister said on advancing to the state championship. “We’ve been close in every year that we’ve played in the state tournament, but this is the first time so it’s a big deal.”
Class 2A: Silo 13, Cashion 1 (5 innings)
Cashion scored a run before ever recording an out Friday morning, but fourtime defending Class 2A champion Silo never panicked.
Silo (29-0) responded with six runs on just two hits in the bottom of the first inning, on its way to the run-rule victory at Dolese Park.
Cashion was without star pitcher Joey Wilson, who was expected to pitch Friday, but got ejected from Thursday’s game for colliding with a defender while not sliding on a play at third base.
Cashion pitching and defense struggled, committing four errors with two wild pitches, a passed ball, plus a handful of walks and hit batters.
And each time, Silo was prepared to jump on a Cashion miscue.
“We’re good at that,” Silo coach Billy Jack Bowen said. “We really run bases well. Part of our emphasis is putting pressure on other people.”
Silo pitchers Delton Roberts, Charlie Gardner and Easton Ford combined to allow a run on four hits. Gardner, a sophomore, struck out five in two innings. Silo has allowed more than two runs in just two of its 29 games this season.
The superlatives are in the numbers for Silo: 29 straight wins this season, 57 straight spring wins overall, 14 consecutive wins in state tournament games and now, its 10th straight finals appearance as it chases a fifth title in a row.
In Saturday’s 2 p.m. title game at Shawnee High School, Silo will hand the ball to ace pitcher Kyler Proctor, who is committed to Oklahoma State.