Lady Sandite Softball wins six-straight shutouts, run-rules Muskogee 11-0
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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
Sydney Pennington is batting over .500 this season and scored three runs against Muskogee.
Charles Page High School junior Madelyn Blair (3-2) got it done on the mound Friday evening for the Lady Sandites (11-3, 4-0) pitching five strikeouts over four innings and only giving up two hits in an 11-0 run-rule shutout over the Muskogee Lady Roughers (3-3). Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington was the leading batter for the evening with three runs and three RBI, including a home run.
The Lady Sandites didn't waste any time in getting on base with a single from Jessica Collins. Pennington reached on an error and Sabrina Usher scored Collins with a single. Kimi Presnell singled in Pennington, but was left stranded with Usher.
Elexis Watson and Amber Purdin each drew walks over the next two innings but the Roughers failed to bring them home. Makenna Skaggs hit a single for the Sandites but was left stranded in the top of the second.
Sand Springs blew the game wide open in the top of the third as Pennington hit a lead-off double to center field and scored on a double by Usher. Presnell reached on an error that allowed Usher to score. Jacie Taber singled and scored on a 2RBI single from Cameron Clemons. Skaggs and Collins both hit singles with Collins scoring Clemons, then Pennington rounded out the batting order for a 3RBI homer for the 10-0 advantage. Madelyn Blair hit a single but was left stranded.
Watson and Brookelyn Gilmore both singled in the bottom of the third but were left on base.
Jensen Arnold made her season-debut behind the plate in the top of the fourth and doubled, then scored on a single from Rachel Blair to make it 11-0. Madelyn Blair retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning and the Sandites secured the victory via run-rule.
Jacie Taber has pitched double digit strikeouts in each of her last two games.
In the second game of the Rogers State Festival in Claremore, sophomore Jacie Taber (5-1) continued to prove herself as an outstanding pitcher and led her team to a 3-0 victory over Pryor (7-4).
Thursday evening Taber pitched ten strikeouts in a 10-0 shutout of Sapulpa. Friday evening she pitched ten strikeouts over Pryor with only two hits in the five inning game. University of Oklahoma-commit Olivia Rains also fared well on the mound for Pryor with six strikeouts and only one hit.
Pryor was the first to threaten as Hunter Gilstrap drew a walk and Rains reached on error in the bottom of the first. Taber struck out MKayla Hillman and Payton White to strand the two runners.
In the top of the second Presnell drew a walk, Taber reached on error, and both nabbed an extra base on a passed ball before being stranded. Pryor's Maeme Ward was walked and stranded in the bottom of the inning. Gilstrap and Olivia Cummings were both walked in the bottom of the third and Rains hit a single, but Taber struck out White and Kennedy Cramer to save the inning.
Madelyn Blair reached on a dropped third strike in the top of the fourth and Halee Nichols reached on an error in the bottom of the inning. Both were stranded.
Sand Springs finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth thanks to a series of errors from the Pryor defense. Rachel Blair reached on error, Skaggs walked, and Collins reached on an error that scored Blair. Pennington singled to score Skaggs and Madelyn Blair reached on an error to score Collins for the 3-0 advantage.
The Tigers tried to rally with a single from Gilstrap, a walk from White, and a reach on error from Cummings, but Rains and Hillman were struck out and Cramer grounded out to first to end the inning and the game.
The Lady Sandites will return to action Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at Jenks (4-7).
