Sports return as Lady Jackets dominate McLoud

Senior Olivia Wilcox drove in three runs and struck out 10 batters Monday as high school sports returned to Oklahoma for the first time since March.

Wilcox led Kingfisher to a 14-3 win at McLoud in the softball season opener.

“It definitely was great to get back out there,” said KHS head coach Danny Green.

“I think it added to the excitement of a regular season opener because it has been so long for everyone.”

Kingfisher belted out 11 hits and had 12 RBIs as a team while Wilcox surrendered just two walks and was in command all except one inning against the Lady Redskins.

“I told the girls before the game that they need to play every game like it’s their last because you never know now if it will be,” Green said.

“I think they responded. They were focused and ready to go.”

The dominance started early as Wilcox, batting cleanup drove in two runs with a double and later scored when Emma Lukasek reached on an error.

Errors led to two more KHS runs in the second.

Kaycee Karcher and Wilcox reached via that route then scored on yet another when Mya Dewberry put it in play.

McLoud had its lone offensive success in the third when a walk, hit batter, bunt and two hits led to three runs.

But Wilcox got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts and only allowed six McLoud players to reach base over the next four innings.

She surrendered nine hits overall.

The Lady Jackets tacked on a couple of insurance runs in the fifth, including RBI hits from Brittany Willson and Mia Farrell.

They put the game away with six runs in the top of the seventh.

Farrell had four hits, drove in a run and scored twice.

Dewberry joined Wilcox in driving in three runs.

Willson was 2-for-5 and drove in two runs.

Karcher scored three times while Lukasek and Merrin Evans scored twice each.

“It just felt great to go out there and get your first win in your first game,” Green said.

The Lady Jackets hosted Bethany Tuesday in a pair of district games.