Lady Jackets bounce back big
Kingfisher goes 4-0 over weekend to win Pauls Valley tournament
Morgan Dutton was expecting a bounce back…and she got it.
After being humbled in a run-rule loss to open the season last Tuesday, the Lady Jackets roared back with four wins over the weekend to claim the inaugural Mia Tapia Memorial Tournament championship in Pauls Valley.
The title trophy was delivered Saturday evening after a 7-3 victory over Marlow.
It was the Outlaws’ fourth game of the day as they had to come through the consolation bracket.
That was thanks to KHS, which beat Marlow 8-1 Friday in the second round.
KHS opened play early Friday morning and needed just four innings to pound Madill 10-0.
Kinlee East gave up just two hits and struck out eight batters.
She was also 3 for 3 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.
Presleigh Phillips, Shelby Davis and Kendall Farrar had 2 RBIs apiece.
That set up the first matchup with Marlow on Friday afternoon.
Kingfisher took care of business early as it scored six times in the top of the first inning.
East got it going with a two-run double.
Then, with two outs, Davis and Jancee Matthews had RBI singles to help push the lead to six runs.
That was enough for Lily Voth, who recorded her first career win in the circle.
The freshman scattered eight hits over five innings. She struck out three and didn’t give up an earned run.
Farrar went 2 for 2 and drove in two runs.
East was 1 for 3, scored once and had an RBI as well.
Addison Willson collect- ed a hit and scored twice.
The Lady Jackets returned Saturday and put themselves in prime position with a 5-2 victory over host Pauls Valley.
The Panthers got the quick start in this one as they got two hits and a walk in the first three plate appearances to post a 2-0 lead.
East worked out of the jam, which was aided by a double play.
The sophomore then tied the game in the bottom half of the frame with a two-run triple to score Adlee Friesen and Liliana Garramone.
KHS took the lead later in the frame when East scored on Matthews’ RBI groundout.
She made the lead stick as Pauls Valley had just one more hit and three more baserunners the rest of the way.
East was 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs and a pair of runs.
Friesen, Willson and Farrar also had one hit each.
That victory planted KHS in the championship game and the survivor of the consolation bracket would need to beat the Lady Jackets twice to keep them from winning it.
That “if” game wasn’t needed.
With the game knotted up at 2-2 after two innings, East and Voth delivered back-to-back RBI hits for a 4-2 edge.
Addison Johnson had another RBI single in the inning to push it to 5-2.
Johnson and East both drove in two runs.
Voth pitched the first two innings, gave up three hits and two runs. Neither was earned.
East threw the final two frames, surrendered one hit and an unearned run.
Both pitchers combined for four strikeouts and just one walk.
For the tournament, East went 7 for 10 (.700) in 12 plate appearances. She collected 7 RBIs and scored seven times.