Wolverines win Ripley Tournament Saturday

The Class 2A ninth-ranked Wolverines went 3-0 last week at the Ripley Tournament to win the tourney for the first time since 2018.

Ripley is located about 15 miles southeast of Stillwater.

Vian head coach John Brockman was pleased with his team’s performance at the tournament, which was played in less than ideal weather conditions.

“It was freezing cold,” Vian head coach John Brockman said about the weather conditions at the tournament. “I was real happy with the kids because they battled the elements and played good baseball. It was freezing cold.”

Vian has competed in the Ripley Tournament for several years and Saturday’s championship was the first for the Wolverines since 2018.

“I don’t know exactly how many years we’ve been going to Ripley but it’s a long time,” Brockman said. “We’ve probably won it six or seven times, maybe eight, I wouldn’t know exactly how many but we hadn’t won it since probably 2018.”

Saturday

Vian 11, Amber-Pocasset 9

Vian (6-1 overall) scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning Saturday as the Wolverines went on to defeat the Panthers (5-1) and claim the Ripley Tournament.

The score was tied at 9-all in the top of the seventh frame before Connor Collins’ single drove in a run and put the Wolverines in front for good.

Vian led 2-0 at the end of the opening inning and each team registered a run in the second. Three Panther runs in the bottom of the third tied the score at 4-all.

The score was also tied at the end of the fourth (6-6), fifth (9-9) and sixth (9-9) innings.

Diego Ramos, Brandon Redburn, Draighton Fletcher and Collins had two hits apiece in the game and Destry Bethel and Riley Ellis each had one hit. Ramos and Fletcher registered a double apiece in the contest.

Driving in Vian’s runs were Redburn (3 RBIs) and Bethel, Ramos, Connor Collins, Cash Collins and Michael Polecat (1 each).

Polecat (2.0 innings) was the winning pitcher after shutting down the Panthers in the sixth and seventh frames. Polecat allowed no hits, runs or walks and didn’t strike out any batters.

Bethel (5.0) struck out two and walked two while allowing 12 hits and six earned runs.

Vian committed two errors in the game and the Panthers had three.

Friday

Vian 18, Atoka 12

The Wolverines scored a combined seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings Friday to top the Class 3A Wampus Cats and advance to the championship contest.

Vian recorded the first runs (four) of the game in the top of the third inning but Atoka registered seven in the bottom of the fourth.

The Wolverines outscored the Wampus Cats 7-5 in the fifth frame and in the top of the sixth Diego Ramos’ base hit gave Vian the lead (13-12) while driving in two of their five runs. Kaden Fulbright, Draighton Fletcher and Destry Bethel also drove in Wolverine runs during the at-bat.

Ramos, Fletcher and Cash Collins led Vian’s batters with three hits apiece, Connor Collins added two and Brandon Redburn, Bethel and Riley Ellis added one apiece.

Fletcher hit a triple in the game and Bethel, Ramos, Cash Collins and Ellis registered a double apiece.

Driving in Vian’s runs were Ramos (4 RBIs), Bethel and Fletcher (3 each) and Redburn, Cash Collins and Fulbright (1 apiece).

Ramos (3.2 innings) struck out eight and walked six while allowing one hit and five earned runs and in relief Connor Collins (3.1) picked up the win after striking out none and walking two while giving up five hits and five earned runs.

Atoka committed five errors in the game and Vian had one.

Thursday

Vian 10, Hammon 0

Vian registered three runs in the bottom of the first frame before adding five in the fifth and Wolverines’ pitcher Riley Ellis shut out the Warriors in their tournament opener Thursday.

A pair of Vian runs in the bottom of the fourth ended the contest.

Cash Collins went 2-for-2 at the plate for the Wolverines in the contest and registering a hit apiece for Vian were Destry Bethel (double), Diego Ramos and Draighton Fletcher.

Driving in Vian’s runs were Fletcher (2 RBIs) and Bethel, Connor Collins, Cash Collins, Ellis and Kaden Fulbright.

Ellis (4.0 innings) struck out seven and walked one while allowing two hits.

Hammon committed two errors in the game and Vian had one.