CPHS Softball: Lady Sandites snap losing streak with 2-straight wins at UCO

The Charles Page High School softball team (19-7 overall, 8-2 district) dropped their fourth-straight game Friday afternoon at the University of Central Oklahoma Tournament, but rebounded with a 4-3 victory over the 4A District 4 Champions from Newcastle (25-8), then hammered Midwest City (12-20) 10-2.

The 6A District 3 Runners-Up from Union (23-12) avenged an 8-1 loss from the Bixby Tournament with a 4-3 victory in the third round of the UCO tourney. Sophomore pitcher Kallie Lund held the Sandites to their lowest batting performance to-date with only four hits. She recorded only one strikeout, but gave up zero walks.

Leading Sandite slugger, junior Kimi Presnell hit a double to start the game, took third on a sacrifice fly from Makenna Skaggs, then scored on a single from Sabrina Usher to put the first run on the board. 

Union returned the favor in the bottom of the first as Samantha Ibison, AD Young, and Britton Clark all singled to load the bases. Samantha Dutton hit a ground ball to score Ibison. Jacie Taber sent the ball to home where Usher tagged out Young, then Usher found Cameron Clemons at third for the double-play. Dutton made it home on the next play thanks to a single from Hailey McPherson for the 2-1 lead.

Junior pitcher Madelyn Blair (4-3 season, 17-5 career) hit one batter with the pitch in the bottom of the second. Ibison reached on a fielder's choice, then scored on a double from Young for the 3-1 lead.

Usher reached second on an error in the top of the fourth, stole third, then scored on a throwing error from the catcher. Usher had a hand in the third run as well, scoring Presnell with a bunt to tie the game. The redskins secured the win in the bottom of the seventh with a walk off home run from Clark.

That evening the Sandites came out on the other end of a similar game, winning the 4-3 bout with Newcastle on a walk off in the bottom of the seventh. 

The Sandites jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with a double from Taber to score Skaggs and Usher in the bottom of the first. The Racers scored runs in the first and fourth to tie it up before taking the lead in the fifth with an RBI single from Anna Cox. Usher tied things up in the same inning, reaching on an error, stealing third, and scoring on another error. 

Elizabeth Luttrell secured the walk off victory with a fly ball to score Drew Hawkins, who was placed on second by International Tie-Breaker rules. 

Taber (14-2, 27-9) recorded the win on the mound with three strikeouts, two walks, and six hits. She also got the win against Midwest City with three strikeouts, one walk, and five hits.

Hawkins and Felicity Horn were first to score, coming home on an error by the short stop. The Lady Bombers struck back right away, putting two on base with a single and an error. Both runners scored on a single from Ashlynn Williams and the game had the appearance of a shootout. Unfortunately for Midwest City, those would be their only runs of the game.

Blair doubled to score Horn in the fourth, then Luttrell doubled to score Blair. Usher reached on an error in the fifth and scored on a double from Arnold. Arnold scored on a single from Clemons, Hawkins scored on a single from Blair, Horn and Clemons both scored on a single from Luttrell, and Blair scored on a double from Presnell for the 10-2 lead before time expired. 

The Lady Sandites will get to spend the next several games at home, returning to action Tuesday with a 5:00 p.m. game against Skiatook (13-16). The last game of the regular season will be Thursday against Bartlesville (16-16), then the Sandites will host a home Regional the next week.