Sallisaw Red Sox 8U team regional runners-up, statebound

STROUD — The Sallisaw Red Sox age 8-and-younger baseball team will be making one more summer baseball trip.

The Red Sox were the 2023 OK Kids Age 8-and-Younger Regional Tournament runners-up, thus earning a trip to this week’s state tournament in Clinton, which will begin today with a 4 p.m. contest against the Stigler Cubs. There are two brackets, a blue bracket — featuring the Red Sox — and a red bracket. The champion and runner-up from each bracket then qualify for the championship round on Friday, which will culminate with the state title game at 4 p.m. Friday.

The Red Sox opened the tournament Thursday evening with a 12-2 loss to the Shawnee PC Naturals, but bounced back with three straight wins to make it to the title game as they routed the Luther Lions 17-2 Friday evening, defeated the Cashion Wildcats 15-8 Friday night and outlasted the Apache Warriors 14-10 in Saturday morning’s loser’s-bracket finals.

The Red Sox lost their rematch with the Naturals in the regional finals, falling 9-2.

In the regional finals, the game was tied at 2 in the third inning when the Naturals scored on an RBI triple to take the lead for good at 3-2.

The Red Sox had 10 hits in the game, with three players — Bryson Barlow, Rajko Chapman and Tucker Rogers — having multiple hits.

In the loser’s-bracket final victory over Apache, a six-run sixth inning was the key to victory that was highlighted by singles by Barlow, Ace Bailey and Rogers, a triple by Holland Loyd and a double by Kennon Davis. All total, the Red Sox had 20 hits. RBI singles in the first inning by Bailey and Rogers got the Red Sox off and running.

In the loser’s bracket semifinal win over Cashion, the Red Sox trailed 3-0 in the first inning, but rallied with a six-run first inning, highlighted by an RBI single by Jackson Foster, RBI doubles by Loyd and Joshua Bush and an RBI groundout by Holden Denny, for a 6-3 lead after the opening frame.

After the Wildcats responded with a three-run second inning to tie the game at 6, an RBI triple by Barlow in the bottom of the frame put the Red Sox back ahead 7-6.

After the ’Cats tied the game at 7, the Red Sox took the lead for good with a four-run third inning, highlighted by a two-run double by Bailey, to take an 11-7 lead.

The Red Sox put away the game with a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by Bush’s inside-the-park home run and an RBI single by Foster.

In the rout of Luther, a six-run first inning got the Red Sox going, highlighted by RBI doubles by Loyd and Rogers and a two-run triple by Denny.

A five-run second inning was sparked by an RBI double by Rider Manchester for an 11-0 lead, then a six-run third inning that was highlighted by an RBI double by Loyd, another RBI double by Manchester and an RBI single by Davis put the game into run-rule status.

In the winner’s-bracket quarterfinals loss to the Naturals, Bailey and Loyd each doubled, but the Red Sox did turn a double play as Davis caught a line drive for the first of the two DP outs, then he doubled off the Naturals baserunner by throwing the ball to Manchester to complete the twin-killing. Bush also caught a key flyout for the third out with the bases loaded to end a Shawnee rally.