Second Game Friday: Durant run-rules Tulsa Hale

Durant raced to a 6-0 lead and never looked back on Friday night en route to a 17-4 run-rule win over Tulsa Hale completing the District 5A-4 sweep.

The Lions were the visitors in the contest despite playing at home and needed just three batters to get on the scoreboard as Austin Joines tripled with one out and then came across on an Alex Brooks double. Dylan Stevens contributed a single, Brandon Maynard chipped in a two-run single and Tyler Stovall smacked a run-scoring double all before the inning was over.

Hale answered with a pair of runs on a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame off Lion starter Riley Hendrix, but the sophomore righthander settled down after that while going the pitching distance, scattering five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Durant tacked onto the lead in the second frame after Brooks singled, stole second and scored on Stevens’ second hit of the evening. The Lions added three more runs in the third, capitalizing on a pair of Hale miscues and Stovall’s single for a commanding 10-2 advantage.

Zack Lively sparked another four-run uprising in the fourth with a one-out double. Stovall was hit by a pitch and Spencer Tidwell beat out an infield single to load the bases. Cooper Webb and Joines then delivered back-to-back two-run singles.

The Lions put it away with three scores in the fifth innings led by singles by Stevens and Webb along with a two RBI double from Carson Campbell.

Durant notched a season-high 15 hits in the game as Stevens led the charge with three of those. Webb, Joines, Brooks and Stovall ended with two hits apiece.

* Due to error, the second game of Friday’s double-header was missed in Sunday’s edition.