Alva out-duels KHS for Highway 81 title
HEAD FIRST – Sophomore Adlee Friesen slides safely into second base after delivering one of Kingfisher’s three hits Saturday in the finals of the Highway 81 Classic. [Photo by Chris Simon/ www.simon-sports-photos. smugmug.com]
Marlow couldn’t do it.
Piedmont JV couldn’t either.
Jaycee Kelln and Alva finally had the stuff to get it done, but it took some extra work.
Kingfisher was denied its third championship in as many tournaments when the Lady Jackets were downed 3-2 by Alva in nine innings Saturday in the finals of the Highway 81 Classic at Pioneer.
Ladybug ace Jaycee Kelln was as good as advertised as she hushed Kingfisher’s bats through all nine innings.
The senior right-hander, who earlier in the tournament recorded her 700th career strikeout, allowed just three hits and struck out nine KHS batters in working the complete game.
Both of Kingfisher’s runs were unearned and came in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Addison Willson led off the inning with a single, which was Kingfisher’s first hit of the game.
She scored when Kendall Farrar reached on a two-out error by Alva’s right fielder.
Farrar was able to reach third, then tied the game at 2-2 on a passed ball as Adlee Friesen was up to bat.
Friesen singled, but Kelln was able to get out of the inning soon after.
She gave up just one more hit - a single to Shelby Davis in the bottom of the seventh - the rest of the game.
Alva threatened in both the second and third innings, but finally got its first run in the fourth.
Asia Blackledge singled off of Lily Voth and later scored on a groundout.
The Ladybugs made it 2-0 in the fifth when Kelln singled and then scored on a fielder’s choice.
They got the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth as Myka Mouthan delivered a two-out double to drive in a run.
Kelln retired the Lady Jackets in order in the bottom of the frame to pick up the win.
Voth pitched the first four innings, surrendered six hits and an earned run.
Kinlee East threw the final five innings, gave up four hits and two earned runs.
Both pitchers struck out three batters.
••• East pitched a no-hitter in the opener and Addy Brueggen belted a homer in the second game Friday as KHS picked up two wins in the tournament.
Combined with Thursday’s two wins (see weekend print edition), Kingfi sher went 4-0 in pool play to earn its spot in the title game.
East’s performance was needed in the morning matchup as Kingfisher’s bats were quiet in a 2-0 victory against Pioneer-Pleasant Vale.
KHS had just four hits through the first four innings and no runs to show for them.
They got their first real break in the fifth when Addison Johnson singled and then scored when Brueggen reached on an error. Brueggen later scored on a passed ball to give the team two unearned runs.
They’d be the only runs scored, but only one of them was needed.
East only faced 23 batters in seven innings. She struck out 12 and didn’t walk any, though she did hit one batter.
East and Johnson had two hits apiece in the game. The bats were much more lively in an 11-0 run-rule victory against Okarche.
KHS scored four runs in the first inning, then added four in the third and three in the fourth.
Brueggen, who already had an RBI double in the first inning, provided the big pop with her three-run bomb in the third.
It’s her first homer of the season as she became the fifth Lady Jacket to hit a home run in a varsity contest this season.
The freshman finished 3 for 3 with 5 RBIs.Johnson once again had two hits, drove in a run and scored twice.
Voth kept Okarche’s bats mostly quiet as she allowed just two hits and struck out three. Callie Cramer had both of Okarche’s hits.
That was Okarche’s first loss of the tournament as the Lady Warriors owned wins of 8-7 over Pioneer and 12-6 over Ponca City JV.
Kingfisher ended the tournament with a 14-3 overall record. The Lady Jackets played at Elk City Tuesday and at Clinton Thursday in District 4A-1 contests.