SOFTBALL: Sequoyah splits with Rogers County foes Chelsea, Catoosa
Aug. 16—Sequoyah battled some intracounty competition during opening week of the softball season.
After dropping their season opener to Sperry, the Lady Eagles split with a pair of Rogers County foes — Chelsea and Catoosa — on Tuesday and Friday, respectively. They are now 1-2 heading into a four-game slate this week.
Chelsea 14, Sequoyah 11: Just when it seemed Sequoyah was destined for a blowout loss, Kaylee Johnson provided an unexpected spark.
With the Lady Eagles trailing 8-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Johnson notched an RBI single to center field that began an epic comeback. Reagan Hanson (groundout) and Konstance Flores (single) followed with RBIs of their own the next two at-bats, and after Sydnee Bass cut the deficit to 8-7 with a 2-RBI triple and a steal of home, Avery Hyde knotted the tally with a single.
Just like that, Sequoyah had taken all the momentum.
Or so it seemed.
The Lady Green Dragons quickly loaded the bases and retook the lead when Dakota Equels stole home, and they never trailed again. Madison Wammock followed with a 3-RBI triple to left field and scored moments later on a Minnie Tsosie groundout to make it a 13-8 spread.
The Lady Eagles managed to outscore Chelsea 3-1 the rest of the way, though, scoring on a fielder's choice from Hanson in the fifth, a Molly Sortore triple in the sixth and a sacrifice fly from Hanson in the seventh. The Lady Green Dragons' final run came when Equels singled to center field.
Chelsea had 14 hits, with Equels leading with three while Jaclyn Draeger, Cadence Trent and Brooklyn Tibbs adding two. Sequoyah (11 hits) has multihit finishers as well as Bass and JoJo Stinnett accounted for three hits apiece while Johnson had two.
Tsosie pitched the Lady Green Dragons to victory with two strikeouts and five hits, six runs and two walks allowed on 67 pitches through 3.1 innings. Tibbs threw 3.1 innings of relief, tossing two strikeouts while allowing five runs on six hits and four walks on 63 pitches.
Hanson took the loss for Sequoyah in a full-game effort, surrendering 14 runs on 14 hits and six walks despite five strikeouts on 155 pitches.
Sequoyah 4, Catoosa 3: The Lady Eagles never trailed, and they have Hanson to thank.
The sophomore pitcher notched 16 strikeouts on 152 pitches, allowing only four hits and five walks. As a result, she held Catoosa to five-consecutive scoreless innings during a stretch when Sequoyah struggled offensively.
The Lady Indians went three up and three down in the fourth and sixth innings because of Hanson's arm.
The teams were tied at 1 after the first inning, but neither managed another run until Stinnett broke the deadlock in the sixth when she stole home. That gave the Lady Eagles a permanent lead at 2-1, and Bass (triple) and Hyde (single) gave them a three-run cushion in the top of the seventh.
Hannah Jenkins and Autumn Shearer gave Catoosa a chance at a comeback with an RBI double and an RBI single, respectively, but three groundouts dashed its hopes.
Bass led Sequoyah with two of the team's eight hits, handing Lady Indians pitcher Mallory Warma the loss. Warma pitched the full game for Catoosa, striking out 12 on 131 pitches.
