Jacket baseball keeps pace in district race

Kingfisher kept on track to set up a district championship showdown with Heritage Hall at the end of the regular season.

The Jackets did their part last Monday and Tuesday by sweeping Harrah in a pair of District 4A-1 games… although that second win came with a bit of drama.

Tate Taylor coaxed a fielder’s choice grounder on the game’s final play as the Jackets held on for the 7-4 win.

KHS led 7-1 entering the final half-inning, but Taylor walked four batters, hit another and a Kingfisher error pulled the Panthers within three runs and loaded the bases.

But then the senior forced the grounder to Mason Snider at second, who flipped it to Ian Daugherty for the final out at second base.

The win moved the Jackets to 8-0 in the district with a series upcoming this week against Mount St. Mary.

KHS plays Heritage Hall, also unbeaten in the district, next Monday and Tuesday.

Daugherty threw the first six innings to grab Tuesday’s win.

He gave up just four hits - one a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning - and struck out five batters.

His double in the third inning scored Cade Stephenson, who also doubled, and gave the Jackets a 2-1 lead.

It was 3-1 entering the seventh when Daugherty blasted a three-run home run.

Kingfisher tacked on another run with Caleb Dick’s RBI single in the seventh before the game got interesting in the seventh.

There wasn’t as much tension late during Monday’s 4-0 win at home.

However, Kingfisher never got breathing room until the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Jackets led just 1-0 with two outs when T.J. Parker singled and Tate Barton was hit by a pitch.

The two were brought home by Will Taylor’s triple for a 3-0 edge. Dick’s single brought Taylor across the plate.

That gave the Panthers virtually no chance against Brady Friesen, who was dominant on the mound.

The left-hander gave up four hits and struck out seven without allowing a walk in the complete-game effort.

He was part of a scoreless pitcher’s duel until the Jackets finally broke through in the fourth.

Daugherty reached on an error and his courtesy runner, Cash Slezickey, was able to later score on a throwing error by Harrah’s catcher.

The Jackets had seven hits in the game, two each by Barton and Daugherty.

The game lasted just one hour, 40 minutes.

KHS collected 12 hits in Tuesday’s road win.

Stephenson was 3 for 4 and scored three times.

Daugherty, Will Taylor and Snider collected two hits apiece.

Daugherty had 4 RBIs in the game.

Kingfisher was 14-4 overall after the district wins.