Sandite Baseball tops Fossil Ridge 10-6 at Best of the West Tournament

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity baseball team (4-5) took on the Fossil Ridge Sabercats (2-4) in the final round of the Best of the West tournament in Phoenix, Arizona and slugged their way to a 10-6 victory in their best batting performance of the season. 

While the Sandites were .548 at the plate with seventeen hits and only three strikeouts, they struggled defensively, giving up ten hits and two walks against five strikeouts. They also committed three errors. Ben Banker (1-0) got the start and the win with two other pitchers picking up valuable experience. 

Sand Springs jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Josh Taber singled and was joined on base by Mack Thompson with a walk. Both advanced on a bunt from Treyce Tolbert, and Taber scored on a dropped third strike to draw first blood. Thompson wasn't far behind him, scoring on a single from Braden Askew who in turn scored on an error at the mound.

The Sabercats cut into their deficit in the top of the third as Justin Durnill singled and scored on a triple from Tanner Hoke, who in turn crossed home on a single from Calvin Marley. Marley was left stranded after a strikeout of Alex Paul, and the Sandites came in to cushion their lead.

Thompson doubled and scored on a Tolbert single. Tolbert was caught trying for home on a Greathouse single, but Greathouse scored on a Cale Savage single to make it 5-2. 

Askew (0-2) took over on the mound in the top of the fourth and pitched one strikeout and one walk. The Sandites landed two hits in the bottom of the inning-- a single from Taber and a double from Thompson-- but both were left stranded. 

Fossil Ridge made another comeback attempt in the fifth as Nic Gidley reached on error and scored on a double by Hoke. Hoke crossed home on a single from Marley, but once again Marley was left stranded and the Sabercats trailed by one. 

Sand Springs put the game away once and for all in the bottom of the sixth as Braden Cook walked, Taber was hit by pitch, and Thompson singled to lead the bases. Tolbert hit a ground ball to left field to score Taber and courtesy runner Kameron Adcock, then Greathouse scored courtesy runner Braden Millican on a sacrifice fly to center field. Tolbert came in on a double from Askew, who in turn scored on a single from Savage.

Thompson (0-0) took over the mound for the seventh inning and gave up three hits, including a double from Bridger Keally to score Marley. Gidley also crossed home on an error, but Thompson struck out Everette Barnes to strand two and bring the game to a close.

The Sandites will return to action next Monday with a district road game at Moore High School (1-3, 0-2).