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Lion Cole Robbins is about to hit the ball in the game with Madill. Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat -
Durant Lion Elijah McClure is up to bat. Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat
The best offensive inning of the season for the Durant Lions threatened defending district champ Sapulpa but the Lions dropped a wild 17-12 decision at home last week.
In the second district meeting between the two, the Lions fell 10-2 on the road and wrapped up the week by falling 5-2 to Madill in a non-district encounter.
The Lion schedule heats up this week with the Atoka Wood Bat double elimination tournament starting on Thursday. Durant will face small school powerhouse Roff in round one at 4 p.m.
Coach J.W. Parsons’ club trailed 15-0 in the fifth inning of the opening slugfest and were on the brink of run rule when things came together in a big way on the way to 11 runs.
Holdan Robinson reached on an error and a couple of free passes later Ryder Jones drove in the first run with a single. Cole Robbins walked to force in another and Lucas McClure singled to push across a third.
That set the stage for Eli McClure to pop the very next pitch over the right field wall for a grand slam that narrowed the gap to 15-7.
The rally continued with two outs on a Jackson Williams RBI single ahead of two more hit batsmen to load the bases. Robbins reached on a Sapulpa error that plated two more and Lucas McClure notched his second hit of the frame to drive in another pair.
That’s as close as the Lions would come, however, with a final flurry only mustering a single run when Robbins singled and eventually scored on a Chieftain miscue.
The Lions posted nine hits in the game, spurred by three from Robbins. Eli Mc-Clure drove in four with his two hits and Lucas McClure accounted for three RBI on two hits as well. Jones and Williams added the other DHS hits.
Durant’s offense was limited to five hits in the second meeting with Sapulpa as both runs came in the third inning to knot the score 2-2.
Jones was hit by a pitch with two outs and rode home on an Aiden Diviney double. Robbins then reached base on a Sapulpa error that allowed the second run to score.
What started as a scoreless pitching duel against Madill through three innings turned into the Wildcat favor in the fourth and Durant was never able to gain the lead.
The Lions knotted the score with a run in the bottom of the fourth after Eli McClure led off with a single. Courtesy runner Stephen Manhard came around to score on a Robinson RBI single, but Durant left the bases loaded with a chance to take the lead.
Madill took advantage by plating three runs in the fifth stanza and the Lions were only able to get one back on a Eli McClure sacrifice fly that scored Diviney, who had walked to begin the frame.
Kegan Neill had two hits as Jones, Diviney, Eli Mc-Clure, Robinson and Avalos added one apiece.