Collinsville Wins First Gold Ball over Booker T. Washington

Originally Published: May 17, 2010 10:20 PM CDT

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The Collinsville Cardinals took an early lead and never surrendered it to claim a 7-2 win over Booker T. Washington and win the Class 5A Gold Ball

Collinsville (31-6) pitcher Randy Rogers (10-0) finished the season unbeaten, after only allowing five hits in his complete-game shutout of the Hornets.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Cardinals scored four runs with two outs on the board to put the Hornets (26-14) in a hole early. Collinsville added one more in the bottom of the third on a Kraig Kelley RBI single to left field to take a 5-0 lead.

That ended Cale Finnell’s day for Booker T. Washington, but his relief – Dylan Seibert – gave up back-to-back sacrifice flies to Luis DeJesus and Nick Goza to push the Cardinal’s lead to seven runs.

This was the Cardinals’ first trip to the playoffs in 19 years, and their first championship in a boys’ sport.