East a beast in KHS doubleheader split
KINLEE EAST gets set to deliver a pitch during the second game of Kingfisher’s doubleheader split with Woodward on Monday. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]
One strike separated Kingfisher from its first district sweep of the season.
However, Woodward’s Rylie Moore not only avoided the strikeout, but finally got her team on the board as she delivered a two-run walkoff hit.
That hit gave the Lady Boomers a 2-1 victory in eight innings over KHS in the nightcap of a District 4A-1 doubleheader Monday in Kingfisher.
Moore was at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the eighth after the Lady Jackets finally broke through for a run in the top half.
Kingfisher freshman pitcher Kinlee East - who delivered every pitch in the two games - quickly got Moore to an 0-2 count.
Then Moore took an offering just over the outstretched arms of Bella Gomez at second base and to the wall, allowing runners to score from second and first base.
The ending deflected - only somewhat - from East’s performance.
She was dominant for the better part of the 13 2/3 innings she pitched on the blistering hot afternoon and evening.
East pitched all six innings in Kingfisher’s 9-1 win in the opener, which extended the team’s overall win streak to four games.
She gave up five hits, struck out two and didn’t walk a batter in that victory as Woodward’s lone run was unearned.
She got more than enough run support in the bottom of the first inning as KHS plated five runs.
East was a part of that with an RBI single to make it 2-0 KHS.
Jancee Matthews and Shelby Davis also had RBI singles in the inning while Gomez and Mattie Slezickey picked up RBIs as well.
East had two hits and 2 RBIs in the game.
Adlee Friesen and Kinley Taylor also delivered two hits and each scored twice.
Matthews had 2 RBIs and two runs scored as KHS delivered nine total hits in the game.
The offense wasn’t as plentiful in the contest that followed.
Kaleigh Mills was able to scatter five KHS hits.
Two of them came from Taylor, but the Lady Jackets couldn’t muster a run until the first extra inning.
Matthews led off with a walk and stole second just before Taylor singled.
Layla Kroener then lifted a sacrifi ce fly to right field that was deep enough to bring home Matthews.
Mills struck out five and walked five in the game.
East was equally impressive as she also gave up just five hits, two of them in the final inning.
After the split, KHS was 4-4 on the season and 1-3 in district games.
Woodward was 11-4 and 3-1. KHS hosts Mount St. Mary this Thursday night in another district game. That game time has been pushed back to 6:30 p.m.
The team will also be at home in another district showdown Friday against Clinton.
First pitch for that game will be 4 p.m. and will lead up to the two schools playing their football season opener in Kingfisher.