Black Diamonds outlast Oologah for regional title; pitcher no-hits Mannford

Although the Sallisaw Black Diamonds were forced to Saturday afternoon’s if-game in the Class 4A Regional Tournament, which began Thursday on “The Turf of Dreams” at Sallisaw High School, they still got to hoist the regional tournament championship plaque.

After falling 1-0 to the Oologah Mustangs in the first regional title game on Friday night, the Black Diamonds avenged that loss with a 6-3 victory over the Mustangs in Saturday afternoon’s winner-take-all game.

The Black Diamonds won both games on Thursday, winning their opener 9-0 over the Mannford Pirates before downing the Mustangs 6-0 to make it to the regional championship.

The Black Diamonds (23-5) will play at Cushing in the Class 4A Super Regional Tournament, which will begin with a doubleheader at 4:30 p.m. Friday with the if-game on Saturday. Whichever team wins two games from the other will advance to next week’s state tournament.

SATURDAY’S IF-GAME

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

SALLISAW 6, OOLOGAH 3

After Creed Nelson’s sacrifice fly scored Luke Pack for a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Black Diamonds put some distance between themselves and the Mustangs (20-15) as they scored five runs in the third inning. An error, a two-run triple by Rylan Eagle and RBI singles by Dagan Grizzle and Broque Oft — Oft’s RBI single coming with two outs in the inning — upped Sallisaw’s advantage to 6-0.

Meanwhile Eagle was in control on the mound, especially through the first four innings as he was perfect — facing 12 batters and retiring all 12.

However, the Mustangs got to Eagle for three runs in the fifth inning to cut their deficit to 6-3, but they got no closer.

For the game, Eagle helped his own cause with a 2-for-3 day with two runs batted in, while Oft was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI and Caleb Hightower scored once as a courtesy runner for Eagle.

Eagle (3-0) got the complete-game win, striking out seven batters in seven innings and throwing a fourhitter.

FRIDAY’S FIRST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

OOLOGAH 1, SALLISAW 0

It was a true pitcher’s dual between Sallisaw’s Brodie Cameron and Oologah’s Asher Streater.

Streater got the win as he threw a five-hitter, while Cameron (1-2) was the hard-luck loser as he struck out nine batters in six innings as the Black Diamonds were the visiting team after losing the opening coin flip.

The game’s lone run scored on a two-out, RBI single by Streater in the third inning.

In defeat, Cameron doubled, while Luke Pack, Connor Green, Dagan Grizzle and Easton Wolfe each singled for Sallisaw’s five hits off Streater.