Jackets hold off Newcastle to stay unbeaten in district
Kingfisher Yellowjackets vs. Newcastle Racers
Newcastle put a scare in Kingfisher on Tuesday night, but the Yellowjackets survived to stay unbeaten in the district with the biggest game of the season looming on the horizon.
The Racers scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh and had the winning run on base, but Creighton Bugg coaxed a groundout to end the game in a 7-6 victory on the road.
The win capped a district sweep of the Racers as Kingfisher moved to 6-0 in 4A-2 games and 17-1 overall.
KHS hosts the Edward Jones Invitational this weekend, but undoubtedly has its eyes set on Monday when it travels to Tuttle for the first district game against the Tigers.
The Tigers make the return trip on April 22.
Tuttle is also 6-0 in the district.
District champions host regional tournaments in the postseason.
The Jackets’ unbeaten mark was in jeopardy when the Racers scored three runs on a two-out error by KHS, its second miscue of the seventh inning, to pull within a run.
Bugg, who pitched all seven innings and earned the win, hit the next Racer to put runners on first and second base.
However, Kale Crossley, who had two previous hits, grounded to third where Zach Goodwin scooped it up and got the force out at his base to seal the win.
Bugg struck out seven Racers without walking one while allowing eight hits.
Three of the six runs he surrendered were earned.
The Jackets got an RBI fielder’s choice from Goodwin and a run-scoring double from Cole Crosswhite to go up 2-0 in the second inning. It grew to 4-0 when Clayton Abercrombie pushed home a run with his sacrifice and Ian Daugherty eventually scored after doubling in the third.
The Racers, though, hit two home runs in the bottom of the third to pull within a run.
Goodwin made it 5-3 with an RBI double and later 6-3 when he scored in the fourth.
Daugherty’s double pushed yet another run across for a 7-3 advantage that held until the seventh inning.
The Racers got two singles and took advantage of a KHS error to load the bases in the seventh.
Daugherty had three of Kingfisher’s 10 hits.
Crosswhite and Keaton Abercrombie had two apiece while Goodwin led the team with two RBIs.