Roland falls to Buffalo Valley in Central Tournament final

LEA LESSLEY SPORTS WRITER

Roland sliced a 2-0 deficit in half in the top of the fifth inning Saturday afternoon against Class B No. 2 Buffalo Valley in the Central Lady Tiger Shootout championship game but the Lady Buffalos hung on for a 2-1 win to claim the title.

Buffalo Valley scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break the scoreless tie but Roland responded with a run in the top of the fifth. With one out Jaidyn Burrell singled to right field and her pinch runner, Jestina Cantrell, went to third on a wild pitch after stealing second. With two outs Chloe Strong‚s RBI double to left field scored Cantrell before a strikeout ended the at-bat.

With one out in the top of the sixth inning Jaydance Bean reached on an infield single but two outs later the time-limit game ended.

In the Roland second Emily Daws singled to right field and in the third the Lady Rangers‚ Kynlei Earnhart advanced to first on an infield base hit.

The Lady Rangers edged Central 5-2 in a tournament contest Thursday.

Roland 5, Central 2 (Thursday) Roland broke a 1-1 tie by scoring four runs in the top of the sixth inning Thursday afternoon and the Lady Rangers hung on for a 5-2 win over Central in a Central Lady Tiger Shootout game.

Addy Clark led off the Roland sixth with a walk and after stealing second went to third on Jaydance Bean‚s single to left field before Madi Mulanax‚s triple down the right field line drove in a pair of runs to make the score 3-1. Emily Daws went to first after being hit by a pitch and Mulanax scored on Raine Honeycutt‚s fielder‚s choice. Daws, who stole second and moved to third on Honeycutt‚s ground ball, scored Roland‚s fifth run on Jaidyn Burrell‚s fielder‚s choice.

Central‚s Allie Harris started the Central sixth with single to left field and one out later Cambree Bair‚s double to right center field sent Harris to the plate with the Lady Tigers‚ second run. Logan Stewart‚s groundout moved Bair to third but a flyout ended the game (tournament time limit).

Thursday‚s contest was scoreless through the first four innings but each team got on the scoreboard in the fifth. In the top of the inning Burrell walked with one out and courtesy runner Jestina Cantrell scored the Lady Rangers‚ first run of the game on Aubrey Price‚s single.

Stewart led off the bottom of the fifth with an infield base hit and went to second on an error on a grounder put in play by Camryn Gilliam. Stewart registered Central‚s first run on Taylor‚s fielder‚s choice.

The teams registered a combined three hits prior to the fifth frame. Roland‚s Kynlei Earnhart led off the game with an infield single and in the bottom of the fourth Ayrland Jiles doubled to deep center field before Azlin Green bunted for a base hit.

On Friday Roland defeated Talihina 9-1 and Central lost 7-3 to Buffalo Valley.

Roland third baseman Madi Mulanax throws to first base Saturday during the championship game of the Central Lady Tiger Shootout. The Class 3A Lady Rangers fell 2-1 to Class B No. 2 Buffalo Valley in the title contest.

LEA LESSLEY •TIMES