Vian outlasts Central to win Checotah Tournament

CHECOTAH — The Vian Wolverines outlasted the Central Tigers 11-9 on Saturday afternoon to win the Checotah Tournament.

The Wolverines reached the finals with a 9-5 win over Hulbert on Thursday and an 8-6 victory over host Checotah on Friday.

The Tigers made it to the title game with a 15-3 rout of Pocola on Thursday, followed by a 7-5 win over Stilwell in Friday’s semifinals.

In the title game, the Wolverines (18-16) broke a 9-all tie with a two-run seventh inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly by Draighton Fletcher and an RBI double by Michael Polecat.

The Tigers (14-14) tied the game at 9-all in the sixth inning with a seven-run outburst that was highlighted by Connor Green’s three-run double and a game-tying double by Hardy Buzzard.

For Vian, Polecat was 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a run scored, Lastyn Taylor was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored, Kaden Fulbright was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, Fletcher hit a grand slam home run, which came in a seven-run fifth inning, with five RBIs and Garrit Hunt doubled and scored twice for for the Wolverines.

Taylor (2-3) got the win in relief, going the final 1.1 innings with a strikeout after starting pitcher Gabe Gilbert went the first 5.2 innings with two strikeouts.

For Central, Aiden Sainer was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored, Meeko Ariza doubled and scored once, Green doubled with three RBIs and a run scored and Buzzard doubled with an RBI.

Waylen Campbell suffered the loss in relief, going 2.1 innings with a strikeout. Connor Walters went the first 4.1 innings with four strikeouts. Cade Tucker got the final out of the game.

In Vian’s semifinal victory over Checotah, a three-run fifth inning broke a 5-all tie for the Wolverines.

For the game, Riley Ellis was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, Fulbright was 2-for-4 with a run scored, Cash Collins doubled with an RBI and a run scored, Fletcher and Stryker Fields each doubled with two runs scored and an RBI and Gilbert doubled with a run scored for Vian.

Polecat (4-3) got the win, going the first four innings with seven Ks. Ellis got the save, going the final three innings with six strikeouts. The duo combined on a four-hitter.

In Vian’s opening-round win over Hulbert, the Wolverines broke a scoreless deadlock with a two-run third inning, a three-run fourth inning and a three-run fifth inning for an 8-0 lead.

For the game, Fulbright was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, Ellis doubled with a run scored, Fields doubled with an RBI and Fletcher tripled with two RBIs and a run scored for Vian.

Fulbright (3-5) got the win, going the first six innings with eight Ks. Fletcher went the final inning.

In Central’s semifinal victory over Stilwell, a three-run sixth inning rallied the Tigers from a 5-4 deficit to a 7-5 victory.

For the game, Buzzard was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Walters was 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored for Central.

Buzzard got the win in relief, going the final three innings with two strikeouts. Bo Locust started the game and went the first 3.1 innings with five Ks.

In Central’s opening-round win over Pocola, the Tigers rallied from a 3-1 first-inning deficit with a four-run second inning and a five-run fourth inning for a 10-3 lead. A fiverun fifth inning put the game into run-rule status.

For the contest, Tucker was 4-for-4 with three doubles, with two RBIs and two runs scored, Sainer was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored and Locust doubled with two RBIs and two runs scored for Central.

Ryker Miller got the fiveinning, complete-game victory as he fanned four batters and threw a two-hitter.