Lady Sandite Softball wins six-straight shutouts, run-rules Muskogee 11-0

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). 

Taber and Pennington pitch like pros in double-header shutouts of Sapulpa

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

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The fast-pitch softball edition of the Highway 97 Rivalry went to Charles Page High School (9-3, 4-0) Thursday evening at the Sandite Softball Complex. The Sandites won back-to-back games against the Sapulpa Chieftains (1-9, 0-4); both by shutout, one by run-rule.

Senior Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington (3-0) pitched a no-hitter in game one and sophomore Jacie Taber (4-1) struck out a career-best ten batters in game two and only gave up one hit.

The first game was a slow starter, but finished on a high note for the Sandites. Felicity Horn scored on an error in the bottom of the first, but the home team didn't find home plate again till the bottom of the fifth when Madelyn Blair singled to score Jessica Collins. Blair advanced to score on a throw. Freshman Sabrina Usher added a double, but was left stranded after stealing third. 

In the bottom of the sixth Sapulpa changed pitchers from Jessica Hobbs to Taylor Acree. Hobbs finished with four hits, two earned runs, and five walks over five innings. 

The pitching change did little to stem the Sandite tide as Cameron Clemons singled, Rachel Blair reached on a failed fielder's choice, and Horn was walked to load the bases. Collins grounded out to score Clemons, and Pennington doubled to score Blair and Horn. 

Acree finished with two hits, three earned runs, and one walk over one inning. Pennington had no hits, three strikeouts, and four walks over seven innings. 

Sapulpa put two on base in the first inning of game two. Pitcher Ally Zanca reached on a dropped third strike and Hobbs was walked, but the Sandites pulled out of it and piled on runs in the bottom of the inning.

Horn doubled, Collins singled, and both scored on a passed ball with Pennington at bat. Madelyn Blair was walked and Usher doubled. Kimi Presnell scored Blair on a single and Taber scored Usher and Presnell on a single for the 5-0 advantage.

Taber struck out two in the top of the second and one in the third. Horn was left stranded after a single in the second, and Sapulpa stranded two in the third. Kali Husman smacked a double for the lone Chieftain hit of the evening and Acree was hit by pitch.

Sand Springs added two more runs in the bottom of the third. Usher reached on error, Presnell reached on a fielder's choice that outed Madelyn Blair, and Taber singled to load the bases. Clemons hit a double to bring in Usher and Presnell, but was stranded.

Taber added two more strikeouts to her resume in the fourth inning and Pennington and Madelyn Blair both singled but were left on base. Taber struck out the side in order in the top of the fifth and Sandites came home to win it on run rule.

Taber doubled, Rachel Blair singled, and Makenna Skaggs scored Taber with a single. Collins reached on a failed fielder's choice that allowed Blair to score, and Skaggs scored after tagging up on a flyout by Madelyn Blair to end the game 10-0. 

Taber finished with ten strikeouts, one hit, and only one walk over five innings. Zanca pitched thirteen hits, one strikeout, and two walks over four and a half innings. 

The Lady Sandites return to action Friday at the Rogers State Festival in Claremore. They will play the Muskogee Roughers (3-1) at 7:00 p.m. and Pryor (7-3) at 8:30 p.m.

Sapulpa will take a break till the 27th when they will play Checotah (5-6) and Mustang (9-2) at the Stillwater OSU Festival.

Sydney Pennington rips Putnam North from the mound, Sandites win 3-1

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Senior Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington (1-0) needed a few at-bats to warm up her pitching game Friday, but once she got going she was unstoppable. Pennington pitched seven strikeouts, gave up only four hits, and scored a run to lead the Charles Page High School varsity softball team (3-2) to victory at the Broken Arrow Tournament Friday evening.

The Lady Sandites split the first two games of the day, falling 2-1 to the eventual tournament champions from Owasso, but getting revenge on last year's State Champions with a 4-1 victory over Choctaw. Choctaw defeated Sand Springs 4-3 in the State Finals last year. 

The Putnam City North game was a slow starter for both teams as Felicity Horn and Rachel Blair struck out swinging in the first inning. Pennington walked Lorren Kromer in her first appearance on the mound this season and gave up a single to Steffany Dickerson before finding her groove and striking out Meridee Lawson. 

Senior Jessica Collins registered the first hit of the game for the Sandites in the top of the second but was left stranded. The Lady Panthers nearly got on the board in the bottom of the third. Kromer hit a single, advanced to second as Lawson was walked, advanced to third on a wild pitch, but was caught stealing home to end the inning. 

The Sandites broke their dry spell in the top of the fourth as Pennington singled on a hard ground ball into left field. Madelyn Blair hit what should have been a sacrifice bunt, but an overthrow error to first gave Pennington enough time to clear home plate and Blair reached second. Jacie Taber hit a single to advance Blair to third, and freshman Sabrina Usher brought them both home with a single of her own for the 3-0 advantage.

The Lady Panthers got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Sydni Gibbs reached second on an error, advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on an error that allowed Maleina Fortin to reach first. Fortin nearly scored but was tagged out at home by Horn. 

Sydney Pennington named to ASA All Star Team, will play Jr Olympic Cup

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School senior Sydney Pennington will be competing at the 2016 USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup in Powder Springs, Georgia this Tuesday. 64 teams will battle this week in an invitational tournament, highlighted by a twelve-inning exhibition between the US Olympic Team and the ASA All Star Team. The Oklahoma State University-committed player finished her junior fast pitch season with a .458 batting average, 2.28 ERA, and 10-7 record from the mound. 

The CPHS fast pitch team won their Regional Championship and made it to the OSSAA 6A State Finals where they lost 4-3 to Choctaw. Since then, Pennington's Tulsa Elite team placed ninth at the USA Elite Select Championship Showcase in Shawnee, Kansas and were only one win away from the World Championship quarterfinals.

Oklahoma dominates Georgia 68-2 in Dual Nationals round one

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Team Oklahoma got off to a fast start against Team Georgia Blue in the first round of the Junior Greco-Roman Dual Nationals Wednesday morning, building up a massive lead before the wrestling even started.

Jet Taylor, Jacob Butler, and Jaxen Gilmore received forfeits for 126 to 138. Tuttle's Brik Filippo wasted no time in putting points on the board with a 10-0 tech fall over Khyree Alexander, then Sand Springs's Payton Scott took down Dustin Berry 10-0 in thirty seconds flat. Ezequiel Rubio pinned Cole White in a quick twenty then Nick Mahan teched Chandler Miele 13-2.

Bear Hughes continued the winning streak with an 11-0 tech over Devyn Villafane. Zach Marcheselli received a forfeit, Tanner Hawkins picked up a 16-6 tech fall over Richard Walker, then Trenton Lieutance, Alex Fields, and Wyatt Adams all received forfeits.  Alec McDoulett teched Brandon Foster 11-0 and Westmoore's Dalton Duffield wrapped things up with a 12-0 tech of Alex Cain for a final score of 68-2 with no matches lost.

Up next for Oklahoma is Team Pennsylvania who solidly defeated Team Kansas Red 49-12 in round one. 

Carson Griggs finishes 20th at State Championship, Garrett Griggs places 38th

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Brothers Carson and Garrett Griggs were the lone Sandite golfers to qualify for the State Tournament this year, and both fared well at Karsten Creek in Stillwater earlier this week. 

The State Tournament started Monday morning with 18 holes and concluded Tuesday with 36 holes. Garrett and Carson were neck and neck in the first round with scores of 86 and 87 respectively. Garrett was tied for 28th place and Carson was tied for 35th place.

The two went opposite directions in round two, however, and Carson shot 155, the 11th best score of the day, bumping him up to 20th overall. Garrett shot a 170 and dropped to 38th, still a solid performance in a field of 78. 

Carson shot 242 against an average score of 255, while Garrett shot 256. Carson was a mere thirteen strokes behind the State Champion. He placed 30th last year, so 20th as a sophomore puts his career on a good track. Garrett is a senior and finished his career in style with his first State Championship appearance.