Sandite of the Week: Jessica Schuler
/By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
This week Sandite Pride would like to recognize Charles Page High School senior Jessica Schuler for her consistent outstanding performances at all three slow pitch softball games last week. Schuler is the second-highest scorer on the team with 25 runs and 34 RBI this season and is the leading home-run hitter with 13 this season. She has the highest slugging average at 1.644 and is the only Lady Sandite to hit a grand slam this season.
This past week has been particularly notable for Schuler, who is signed to play for Northeastern State University this fall. In a Tuesday evening game against 2A No.3 ranked Barnsdall (23-4) the No.14 Lady Sandites (10-5) scored a 13-8 upset win with Schuler (6-2) on the mound.
The Lady Panthers led 4-3 in the bottom of the third when Schuler scored a go-ahead 2RBI homer. Barnsdall had tied it back up at 8-8 in the top of the fifth, but once more it was Schuler to the rescue with a grand slam to make it 12-8. Schuler pitched all seven innings and gave up 12 hits, 1 walk, and 8 earned runs with 1 strike out while throwing 43% strikes.
On Thursday evening the Sandites had a close double-header rivalry match-up at Sapulpa. In the first game Schuler only got off a single on four at-bats, but she was instrumental in the second game.
Once more Schuler was on the mound, giving up just two earned runs and twelve hits over eight innings while throwing 73% strikes. Schuler got a base hit in the top of the second and courtesy runner Jensen Arnold scored the go-ahead on a Jacie Taber sacrifice. The Chieftains retook the lead in the bottom of the third, but in the top of the fourth Schuler hit a home run to tie it back up. Sapulpa battled back to a 6-6 tie by the top of the fifth and it held through extra innings till Sydney Pennington scored Kimi Presnell, then came home on a single by Schuler to ice the cake.
The Sandites have just two game-days left in the regular season and will play next at Bixby (5-14) on Tuesday.
