Sallisaw’s bid for a berth in this week’s Class 4A state baseball tournament ended Monday at Verdigris with an 8-6 loss to Oologah-Talala in the regional tournament title game.
The Black Diamonds (17-12 overall) defeated top-seeded Verdigris 6-2 in their tournament opener on Friday before beating Oologah 12-5.
On Saturday Oologah handed Sallisaw its first loss (13-3) to force Monday’s deciding game.
The regional tournament was scheduled to begin on Thursday, but rain postponed the start of the tourney.
Oologah-Talala 8, Sallisaw 6
The Black Diamonds took a 6-2 advantage to the bottom of the sixth inning Monday but the Mustangs (2512) scored six runs in the sixth to claim the regional championship.
Sallisaw took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Brock Streun’s homer over the center field fence.
Broque Oft’s home run to center field in the second frame made the score 2-0 and the Black Diamonds added their third run following Charlie Martin’s double and Brodie Cameron’s RBI single.
Chance Pair led off the Oologah second with a double and with two outs an error and Landon Roach’s RBI single cut the deficit to two (3-1).
After walks to Sallisaw’s Luke Pack and Brock Streun in the top of the third, Braxton Lamb’s RBI line-drive base hit to left field gave the visiting Black Diamonds a 4-1 lead.
The Mustangs registered their second run in the fourth following Pair’s base hit and stolen base and A.J. Streater’s RBI single.
Sallisaw recorded its final two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Pack singled to start the at-bat before Creed Nelson walked and Streun singled before Lamb’s sacrifice fly and Oft’s RBI base hit gave the Black Diamonds a 6-2 advantage.
In Oologah’s six-run sixth a walk, Jaxson Burchett’s double, Streater’s two-RBI triple, Bryson McGuire’s RBI double, a passed ball, Roach’s sacrifice fly, Matthew McGuire’s base hit, Adam Earnhardt’s RBI double and Joseph Griswold’s two-run homer allowed the Mustangs to take their first lead of the game.
With two outs in the top of the seventh base hits by Kaden Warner and Oft kept Sallisaw’s hopes alive but a groundout ended the game.
Sallisaw registered two other hits in the contest; Martin singled in the fourth and Pack had a base hit in the sixth.
Oft went 3 for 4 in the game for the Black Diamonds and Martin, Streun and Pack had two hits apiece.
Earnhardt, Pair and Streater led Oologah’s batters with two hits each.
Cameron (5.2) struck out five and walked two while allowing 11 hits and seven earned runs for Sallisaw and in relief Gracin Marshall (0.1) walked one.
Griswold (7.0) picked up the win after striking out five and walking three while giving up 12 hits and five earned runs.
Oologah committed two errors in the game and Sallisaw had one.
Oologah-Talala 13, Sallisaw 3
The Mustangs scored their runs in the bottom of the third inning of Saturday’s five-inning game to force Monday’s ifnecessary contest.
The Black Diamonds took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third before adding their final two runs in the fifth.
Kaden Warner, Brock Streun and Broque Oft had a hit apiece for Sallisaw and Warner (2 RBIs) and Charlie Martin (1) drove in runs.
Teagin Nelson went 2 for 3 at the plate for Oologah and Bryson McGuire drove in two runs.
Sallisaw’s Coleman Wasson (2.2 innings) struck out three and walked nine while giving up two hits and eight earned runs. In relief Tristin-Wise Potter (0.0) walked two and allowed three hits and five earned runs and Luke Pack (1.1) struck out two while giving up one hit.
Oologah’s A.J. Streater (5.0) struck out seven and walked seven while allowing three hits and three earned runs.
Sallisaw committed two errors in the contest and Oologah had none.
Sallisaw 12, Oologah-Talala 7
Creed Nelson hit a grand slam in Sallisaw’s five-run fourth inning and picked up the win on the mound Friday afternoon at Verdigris as the Black Diamonds registered their second regional tournament victory of the day.
After a scoreless first inning the Mustangs outscored the Black Diamonds 4-2 in the second. Sallisaw tied the score in the bottom of the third and grabbed its first lead of the contest in the fourth (9-6).
The Black Diamonds registered their final three runs in the sixth and Oologah recorded its last run in the seventh.
Nelson, Brock Streun and Broque Oft had two hits apiece for Sallisaw and Charlie Martin, Braxton Lamb, Luke Pack and Brodie Cameron added a hit apiece. Nelson and Streun each hit a double in the game.
Driving in the Black Diamonds’ runs were Nelson (4 RBIs) and Pack and Oft (2 each).
Chance Pair and A.J. Streater led the Mustang batters with two hits and two RBIs apiece.
Nelson (6.0 innings) struck out five and walked eight while giving up six hits and seven earned runs and in relief Gracin Marshall (1.0) struck out one and walked one while allowing one hit.
Joseph Griswold (3.0 innings) walked two while giving up five hits and two earned runs for Oologah. Adam Earnhardt (0.1) walked three while allowing three hits and five earned runs and Wade Peters (2.2) struck out four and walked two while giving up two hits and three earned runs.
Sallisaw had no errors in the contest and Oologah committed three.
Sallisaw 6, Verdigris 2
Sallisaw pitcher Brock Streun allowed one hit while striking out 14 Verdigris batters in the tournament’s first game as the Black Diamonds upended the top-seeded Cardinals.
Sallisaw leadoff hitter Luke Pack started the game with a line-drive double down the first-base line and scored the first run following a pair of errant throws to the plate. After Streun walked and stole second Kaden Warner’s RBI single to left field made the score 2-0.
The Cardinals got on the board in the bottom of the second frame following a walk, stolen base, bunt single and a balk.
Streun started the Sallisaw third with a base hit to center field but two groundouts and a flyout ended the at-bat.
Pack (walk) and Creed Nelson (hit by a pitch) reached base in the Sallisaw fifth and after stealing second Pack scored the visitor’s third run when Streun singled to left field. Charlie Martin was credited with an RBI after being hit by a pitch and Brodie Cameron’s RBI double and Cole Stephens RBI infield single added two more runs to the Black Diamonds’ advantage (6-1).
Nelson led off the Sallisaw sixth with a double to left field but three straight flyouts finished the at-bat.
Two walks and a hit batter allowed Verdigris to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning. Streun, who had moved to third base, helped turn a double play when he threw to Warner at first base after fielding a ground ball and touching third base. The Cardinals registered their second run on the play before a groundout ended the game.
Streun (6.0 innings) walked seven while picking up the win and in relief Cameron (1.0) walked two batters.
