After dropping a pair of early matchups, the Class 3A top-ranked Caddo Lady Bruins reeled off four straight wins to finish as runner-up in the rugged Kiowa Invitational last weekend.
The Lady Bruins trek included avenging an earlier loss to Class 2A second-ranked Red Oak (6-0) as well as outslugging Class A number one Caney (19-15) and blasting 4A third-rated Pocola (13-4).
That set up a showdown with 4A top-ranked Dale where the Lady Bruins dropped a 9-8 extra inning thriller to settle for tournament runner-up honors.
Caddo’s trek began with a 14-3 run rule thumping of Crowder in which Logan Busby led the charge with three of the Lady Bruins’ 19 hits.
Brylee Daniel smacked three hits, including a pair of home runs, while driving in six to fuel the Caddo onslaught over Caney.
It was senior Jaycie Nichols that rode the long ball with two bombs against Pocola. Daniel, Jordyn Nichols and Presley Beck chipped in one homer apiece.
The Lady Bruin defense put the clamps on Red Oak in the semifinal rematch, yielding only three hits in the shutout after giving up 12 runs to the Lady Eagles just a day earlier. Caddo’s extra base explosiveness was limited as they strung together 10 singles with two apiece from Jaycie Nichols, Rylan Peevyhouse and Kayden Cowan.
With Dale up 4-0 in the sixth inning, Caddo rallied with five runs on six singles as they batted through the lineup to go ahead 5-4.
The Lady Pirates got four runs back in the seventh but the Lady Bruins came up clutch with two outs in the bottom of the frame as Jaycie Nichols, Peevyhouse, Jordyn Nichols and Beck all singled to knot the score.
Dale plated one on a home run in the top of the eighth as a double play squashed the Caddo comeback hopes in the bottom of the frame.
Beck and Jaycie Nichols each posted three hits with Peevyhouse and Lyndee Harless tossing in two apiece.
Silo Baseball
After a pair of blastings of Hugo to begin the week, Silo wrapped up a solid showing by reaching the finals of the power-packed Jones Tournament by rallying past 4A state contenders Berryhill, 6-5, and Heritage Hall, 4-3.
The Rebels then dropped a narrow 5-4 decision to Class B top-ranked Fort Cobb-Broxton in the title tilt.
Senior Gabe Hernandez garnered the mound victory against Berryhill with three scoreless frames of twohit relief that included two strikeouts and three walks.
Silo manufactured the tying run in the seventh as Zane Sander started the rally with a single and Landon Langley scored to knot the game on a two-out double steal.
In the eighth inning, Bryce Vandenburg opened with a single, stole second and eventually came around on a Cord Standridge walkoff single to left.
The story was much the same against Heritage Hall as a scoreless battle through three innings turned into a back and forth affair.
Keyed by an Aiden Mc-Carty single, Sam Mendenall scored on a double steal with two outs to give the Rebels the final cushion they needed.
Sophomore Nolan Northcott then slammed the door on the Chargers in the seventh to record his second mound win of the year.
Silo held a 4-2 edge through four innings of the finale but couldn’t hold off the Mustangs down the stretch as they scored once in each of the last three stanzas.
Sander, Langley, Braden Hill, Northcott, Mendenall and Standridge all had one hit for the Rebels.