Wild Day in Class 3A at Miller Park

Originally Published: May 13, 2010 11:51 PM CDT

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

YUKON, Oklahoma -- Despite pitcher and Oklahoma commit Jon Gray throwing a gem, the No. 1 Chandler Lions were upset in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A playoffs 2-1 by the Eufaula Ironheads Thursday.

Gray struck out 20 Eufaula batters in his nine innings pitched, while giving up just four hits and one run. The Ironheads got 10 innings of service from sophomore pitcher Brady Colbert, who struck out eight and gave up one run on five hits.

The game remained scoreless through four innings, until the Lions struck in the bottom of the fifth. Tony Soto reached first on a fielder’s choice to shortstop and advanced to second on a Devin Mayes single. In the next at-bat, Casey Barrier singled to left field to bring Soto home and give the Lions a 1-0 lead.

In the first at-bat of the next inning, Daniel Salters doubled to left field and Dylan Helms singled back up the middle in the next at-bat to bring him home and tie the game.

Gray had thrown nearly 150 pitches at the end of the ninth and was replaced by Chance Rich. Rich gave up back-to-back singles, and with two outs Colbert laid down a suicide squeeze to bring Carter Baldwin home and take a one-run lead.

Colbert retired three of the four batters he faced in the bottom of the tenth to clinch the win for the Ironheads.

Bethel 8, Plainview 0

Bethel took a commanding lead early with a five-run second inning, including a three-run home run by sophomore Justin Vermillion to take a 3-0 lead. Three at-bats later, pitcher Jason Swafford hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring Jaycee Dismuke home and push the lead to four runs. Brandon Williams singled in the next at-bat to bring Eddie Kieffer home and extend the lead to 5-0.

Swafford pitched a complete-game shutout for the Wildcats, only giving up five hits while striking out 11 and walking two.

Williams led off the fifth inning with a triple to right field and Derek McMahon brought him in the next at-bat with an RBI double to extend the Bethel lead to six runs. The Wildcats added two more on a sacrifice fly to right field by Swafford, Dismuke crossed the plate and Kieffer scored on a throwing error, to give Bethel an 8-0 lead.

Sperry 3, Beggs 2

It took a seventh-inning comeback for the two-time defending champion Sperry Pirates to advance to the semifinal round of the Class 3A playoffs over the Beggs Demons.

The Pirates struck first in the bottom of fifth on a double to right field by pitcher Shane Bay to bring Jeremy Bernhardt home, who reached base on a walk two at-bats earlier.

Beggs responded in the next inning with a two-run double by Cody Dixon down the right field line to bring home Tim Hicks and Miles Yarnell, both unearned.

Bay was dominant from the mound striking only giving up six hits and striking out 14 in his seven innings, and only giving up two runs, both unearned. Yarnell pitched six innings for the Demons, giving up just one earned run on five hits and striking out six.

Kevin Boone came in to close the game, and after giving up a double and an intentional walk in his first two at-bats, Trevor Wagester scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. In the next at-bat, Tyler Troix singled to center field to bring courtesy runner Blake Teel home and win the game for the Pirates.

Purcell 6, Verdigris 5 (9)

Two blown leads, late-game drama, and base running errors gave the Purcell Dragons the 6-5 lead in extras over the Verdigris Cardinals.

The Dragons started the game with a leadoff hit by pitcher Jon Chavira and in the next at-bat Tanner Bell singled to right, advancing Chavira to third. Bell stole second in the next at-bat and Dillon Hamilton hit into a fielder’s choice to bring Chavira home. Two at-bats later, Hunter Marcum tripled to bring Bell home and give the Dragons a 2-0 lead. Marcum would score in the next at-bat on a triple to take a three-run lead.

The Cardinals answered in the bottom of the third with five runs scored on four consecutive at-bats. Andrew Parham started the inning with a single through the gap and two at-bats later Andre Bernier reached on a bunt, advancing him to third. Caleb Banks hit a two-run double in the next at-bat to close the deficit to one run. Kirby Kunka followed with a double to score Banks and tie the game, followed by a Josh Royal two-run bomb to center to take a 5-3 lead.

Purcell started the top of the fifth inning with back-to-back walks to put Chavira and Bell on base, and a wild pitch by Cardinal pitcher Blake Battenfield scored Chavira and advanced Bell to third. Tyler Williamson hit a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat to bring Bell home and tie the game 5-5.

The game remained scoreless for the next two innings, making it the second extra-inning game at Miller Field for the day.

Verdigris appeared to have the game won in the bottom of the eighth, but a base running error cost the Cardinals the chance to score. Parham walked to start the inning and advanced to second on a walk in the next at-bat. Caleb Banks came to bat and hit a bomb to center field, which appeared to be out of the center fielder’s reach. However, left fielder Dillon Tompkins was able to make the grab for the out. Parham was already heading home, without tagging second, and appeared to score the walk-off run. The throw came into the Bell, the catcher, who jogged to tag second base and record the double play.

Chavira walked in the second at-bat of the ninth inning, made his way to third base after two errors by pitcher Banks and scored from third on a passed ball to take the 6-5 lead.