OKLAHOMA CITY - After falling out the top spot in the Class 3A slow pitch state rankings early in the season, the Caddo Lady Bruins had a proverbial chip on their shoulder. That definitely did not spell good things for the rest of 3A in the attempt to dethrone the two-time state champions.
The Lady Bruins turned it on down the stretch, winning 16 straight games against all comers to close the year, including another dominant run through the 3A state bracket last week at Hall of Fame Stadium.
Caddo smacked Apache (10-0) and Ripley (15-8) before facing long-time class adversary Rattan, who had given the Lady Bruins their closest playoff contest of the season. The end result was much of the same as Coach Dustin McKay’s unit blasted their way to a 13-3 rout to finish off the threepeat.
“It’s a pretty special deal with a lot of special girls,” McKay commented about the third straight slow pitch crown. “They are as competitive as can be and want to pick each other whenever we need to. Going into the early season we were ranked 6th and kind of used that as fuel for the fire. We only lost to state tournament teams at the beginning of the year and finally found our stride and got rolling.
“I don’t know what it is, but whenever it’s playoff time this bunch can flip the switch and that’s what is special about them. They know any given day we can get beat but didn’t let that happen once the postseason rolled around. It’s neat that we started two freshmen and the older ones that were experienced helped carry us through.”
The Lady Bruins wasted little time in dispatching Apache with clutch hitting coupled with stellar defense throughout.
Caddo got a pair of first inning runs with runs batted in from Presley Beck and Jordyn Nichols. They added four more in the third stanza fueled by a Kadey McKay two-run homer and a two RBI single by Logan Busby. Another four-spot a frame later including runscoring hits from Beck, Jordyn Nichols and Anna Adair.
Peck and Adair joined Rylan Peevyhouse with three hits to pace the Caddo onslaught. McKay tallied a pair.
The Ripley contest was a bit closer at the end, but Caddo took command at the outset and never really looked back after notching four runs in the first stanza and exploding for seven in the third to build a commanding 11-1 edge.
Kayden Cowan smacked a two-run double in the early uprising with McKay and Jaycie Nichols each homering in the third.
After yielding five runs in the fifth and going scoreless for two innings, Caddo came back with four tallies in the sixth to put it away spurred by a Jordyn Nichols three-run blast.
Caddo ended with 15 hits topped by three from Beck as Cowan, Adair and Harlee Taylor all had two.
In the finale, the Lady Bruins spotted Rattan a 3-0 edge in the opening stanza but the defending champs were unfazed while plating eight in the second frame to take the lead and gain firm control.
Taylor got the scoring started with a two-run single and Jordyn Nichols drove in another tie the score. That was just the start however as Peevyhouse slapped an RBI single to go in front.
It was still 8-3 in the fifth when the Lady Bruins smelled blood and picked up a Peevyhouse RBI single before fittingly ending the game on Kadey McKay final swing of her high school career with a walk off grand slam.
“It was a bittersweet moment,” Coach McKay admitted. “Kadey had been getting pitched around the entire game. They finally gave her one in her last at bat and she delivered. She’s been an unbelievable leader for our program and all her teammates look up to her. That capped off a special career that she’s had here at Caddo. She’s been a great role model and I am tickled to death for her and even more so for our team.”
Peevyhouse paced the 13-hit Lady Bruin attack with three hits and drove in two. Jaycie Nichols, Adair and Taylor all had two hits apiece.
“It just never gets old,” Coach McKay added. “We expect to go (to state) every year and that’s what these girls have helped create. They just expect to do it.”
And winning six straight state championships combined (fast pitch and slow pitch) is just the cherry on top.
