Showdown is set
KHS completes sweep of Elgin, has shot at district crown when Tuttle visits Monday
ZACH GOODWIN slides in safely during Kingfisher’s 13-2 victory over Elgin last Tuesday. Goodwin drove in three runs for the Yellowjackets, who stayed unbeaten in district play. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]
The bats awoke for the Kingfisher offense in the second game of a sweep of the defending state champs.
Now, the Jackets are on the cusp of something bigger.
One day after scoring just one run in a shutout win, KHS hammered out 10 hits in a 13-2 run rule home victory over Elgin on Tuesday at Homier Field.
That win kept the Jackets unbeaten in District 4A-2 as they moved to 9-0 with just one game left.
That comes Monday when they host Tuttle, who will come in with an 8-1 district mark. The Tigers’ lone district loss was a 7-1 setback at the hands of Kingfisher on April 8.
Monday’s game will decide the district championship and a shot at hosting a regional. If Kingfisher beats Tuttle, the Jackets are district champs.
If Tuttle wins by five or fewer runs, the district title stays with KHS. If the visitors win by six or more, they take home with them the district championship.
KHS has yet to win a district since Class 4A moved to the format in 2016.
Once again, KHS got a stellar pitching performance in its latest win.
Creighton Bugg scattered just four hits over his five innings. One of the two runs he surrendered was earned.
The Owls used a plethora of bunts in the first inning to scratch a run across home plate, something they were unable to do in seven innings the night before.
However, one run wasn’t going to win this game.
Kingfisher collected five hits and scored six runs in the first inning alone.
It got started when Zach Goodwin led off with a single and eventually scored on a passed ball.
Ian Daugherty walked and then scored from first on a double by Keaton Abercrombie. He was then pushed home on a single by his brother, Clayton Abercrombie, for a 3-1 edge.
Logan Rutledge added his own RBI double, which was followed by a Chase Gustafson single for another run.
Goodwin, in his second plate appearance of the inning, got an RBI fielder’s choice for the 6-1 advantage.
Bugg settled in and allowed one hit and one unearned run over the final four innings.
He retired the final eight batters he faced.
The Jackets, meanwhile, kept tacking on runs.
Goodwin had an RBI single as part of a three-run second inning.
In the third, Clayton Abercrombie drove in his brother yet again, this time with a double. He later scored on a wild pitch for an 11-2 lead.
Goodwin walked with the bases loaded for another RBI. He finished his day 2-3 with three RBIs and a run.
Clayton Abercrombie had two RBIs, three hits and scored three times.
Keaton Abercrombie scored twice to go with his two hits and one RBI.
Will Taylor and Rutledge scored twice each while Gustafson had two hits, an RBI and a run.
The Jackets upped their mark to 25-2 overall.