Oklahoma high school baseball: Owasso, Duncan, Blanchard, Washington, Silo capture titles
The Class 6A-2A baseball state championship concluded on Saturday. Here's a recap of the action:
Class 6A: Owasso 7, Edmond Santa Fe 3
J.T. Davis was just trying to stay calm.
After throwing the first pitch in the opening inning of the Class 6A baseball state championship game, Davis was still going 119 pitches later.
"I didn't think I would be starting today and then become a closer," Davis said.
But when you have it going, you have it going.
On pitch 120, the state's limit, Davis fired a fastball for a called third strike and the final out. Davis flung his arms into the air as the Rams met him in a dogpile at the mound.
With Davis' complete game, Owasso took down Edmond Santa Fe 7-3 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Saturday afternoon for its first baseball state championship since 2015 and its 14th overall.
More:Pitch-count issue delays result of Owasso-Edmond Memorial Class 6A state baseball game
Davis gave up just three runs and five hits while striking out six and didn't walk a batter until the seventh inning. He gave up three hits in the first inning and held Edmond Santa Fe scoreless until the fifth inning.
"I looked up there and was going, 'Man he hasn't given up a hit since the first inning'," Owasso coach Larry Turner said. "It was kind of like, 'Man he's got a no-hitter going!' Maybe he just settled down a little bit and had really good command of his slider. But he just cruised."
After holding Owasso to zero runs in the top of the first inning, Edmond Santa Fe jumped out on top. Blake Seefeldt, who had a grand slam in the semifinal, hit an RBI single up the middle.
And Owasso took advantage. The Rams tallied four runs in the top of the fourth. Markus Mirabal hit a swinging bunt that rolled down the third base line before slamming against the bag as a fair ball to load the bases in the second inning. Bringing up Noah Smallwood, who smashed a bases-clearing three-RBI triple to give Owasso a three-run lead.
"In my first at-bat," Smallwood said, "all they did was throw me outside. So, I knew it was coming that second at-bat, so I sat on it and drove it left-center."
Owasso earned two more runs in the third inning as Jake Morrow hit an RBI double and Mirabal knocked in another. Then Zach Burnes entered the game and successfully executed a squeeze bunt for the seventh run.
Edmond Santa Fe wouldn't counter until Drew Qualls opened the fifth inning with a triple, the Wolves first hit since the first inning. He then advanced home on a wild pitch to give Edmond Santa Fe its second run. In the seventh, Jaxson Meadows hit a two-out, RBI single for Edmond Santa Fe's final run.
But Davis struck out the final batter to finish it.
Oklahoma State signee Brennan Phillips threw a complete game help Owasso take down Edmond Memorial in the state quarterfinal game, which had a delayed final due to a pitch-count discrepancy. Jackson Smith hit a three-run home run in the semis to take down Deer Creek.
"Best feeling I've ever had this whole season," Davis said.
More:Oklahoma high school baseball: Class 6A-2A state tournament semifinal roundup
Class 5A: Duncan 15, Piedmont 4
Chago Barham just wanted to continue the rally.
In the top of the sixth inning, Duncan had already plated enough runs to force a run-rule.
But what’s one more?
Barham slapped an RBI-single down the left field line. Peyton Roberson, who hit an RBI single just one swing before, held his hand in the air and stomped on the home plate before running to his dugout to celebrate.
Duncan plated six runs in the sixth inning to lift the Demons to a 15-4 win over Piedmont for his first baseball state championship title.
“It’s been a story of this team all year,” First-year Duncan head coach Grant Oliver said of the inning. “We’ve created big innings on our own, a lot of times they were because of us not because other people gave them to us. So, it was special just to be able to do it in the final game, the way we’ve done it all year long.”
Duncan opened the game, taking advantage of Piedmont’s mistakes. After earning two walks, the Demons rallied in the first innings. Trevyn Stewart, Kenny Garland, Tully Booth and Eli Ramirez all earned RBI before Duncan earned three more in the second as Barham hit a groundball to drive in a run and Trevyn Stewart hit a two-RBI triple.
In Stewart’s first two at-bats, he hit a triple and a double.
“We saw this kid about two weeks ago at Piedmont,” Stewart said. “But I think it was just all year long having good at-bats and getting our pitch was the biggest thing. It was just refusing to be out. Just not wanting to be out.”
Piedmont didn’t go away easily. Dax Priddy knocked in Gabe Clyden, who doubled to open the second inning. Dalton Hampton followed with an RBI single in the third and one run scored on an error in right field. Trey Migl hit an RBI double in the fourth inning for the Wildcats final run.
From there, it was all Duncan and its big sixth inning, which began with a run on a wild pitch and a Ramirez single.
Blake Banard threw four innings before Ramirez came in to close.
“It means everything just getting here,” Oliver said. “It’s all about those people from years before. Those guys that have just worked their tail off and couldn’t make it here. There were so many people commenting on social media just from old Duncan teams. It’s just a community that surrounds everybody and it’s something special for them, especially be the first.”
More:Storylines, players to watch at 2022 Oklahoma high school baseball state tournaments
Class 4A: Blanchard 6, Tuttle 5
Blanchard senior Brennan Milligan had the green light.
The winning run was on second base, and Milligan faced a favorable 3-1 count in a tied game in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“I looked at my coach, he was just like, ‘Swing out your shoes, see what happens.’ I got my pitch, swung out my shoes and it happened,” Milligan said.
Milligan hit a walk-off laser to the left-center gap, giving Blanchard a 6-5 win over Tuttle in the Class 4A baseball state championship game at Shawnee High School.
“Never felt anything like it,” Milligan said. “It’s the greatest moment of my life.”
Blanchard freshman Brayson Carter scored the winning run. He tossed his helmet as he crossed home plate, and then he did a backflip before joining his teammates in a dog pile.
Blanchard led 3-0 after the first inning, but Tuttle took the lead in the fourth on a grand slam from Ty Chaddrick. The ball kept carrying and carrying before clanging off the top of the metal wall and over for a home run.
All five of Tuttle’s runs came in the fourth inning. Blanchard pitcher Kale Miller blanked the Tigers in every other frame.
“He’s a dog,” Milligan said of Miller. “That’s all I can say. He’s a dog.”
Blanchard has won three Class 4A state baseball titles since 2015. Two, including the latest, came against rival Tuttle.
Class 3A: Washington 13, Kingston 2
Dax McCaskill had the chance to do it.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, a home run would end the game.
So, when he saw his pitch, he hammered it.
McCaskill raised his hand and watched the ball fly over the fence and the Warriors stormed him at home plate.
McCaskill hit a walk off home run to seal Washington's first baseball state title. Washington run-ruled Kingston 13-2 in six innings at Shawnee High School. In total, Washington tallied 12 hits in its final game of the season.
"These last three days the bats were really good," fifth-year Washington coach Jeff Kulbeth said. "I thought we got three really good outings on the mound. We played really solid around our pitcher. But just solid overall.
"As a team, I thought our base running was good, I thought we swung good, we pitched it good and the culmination is a obviously a state title. And that's what our kids did today."
Washington plated one runner in the first as Camden Bates led the inning with a double and then stole two bases to score. The Warriors followed the solo run with five more in the second inning where Kane Springer, Marlon Moore and Reese Stephens all tallied RBI.
And after being held scoreless for two innings, Washington rallied in the final two innings. After a walk and Kade Norman single in the fifth, Canon Stewart hit an RBI double to score two. Washington then closed the game with a five-run sixth inning.
Bates led the Warriors at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with Springer anchoring him, going two-for-three with three RBI. Tristin Babbitt threw five innings for Washington before Nate Roberts came in to close.
Washington totaled 15 runs to take down Tulsa Victory Christian in the quarterfinals then nine in the semifinal to lead to Kulbeth earning his first title as a head coach.
Class 2A: Silo 7, Oktaha 3
Kyler Proctor still had some pitches left in him.
After opening the game, throwing six innings and getting relieved, Proctor came back in for the final out.
With the bases loaded, Proctor didn't fall in the moment. The Oktaha batter hit the ball right back at Proctor, who caught it and ran to first for the final out.
"He just does what he does," Silo coach Billy Jack Bowen said of Proctor. "He's outstanding."
The Rebels ran and dogpiled at the mound, as they were champions once again.
Silo took down Oktaha 7-3 to win its fifth consecutive state championship, excluding the canceled 2020 season. The Rebels totaled ten hits in the championship at Shawnee High School to earn its 58th straight win. Silo has 11 spring state championship and 17 combined with the fall.
"It's just unbelievable," Silo coach Billy Jack Bowen said of the win-streak. "It's neat that it's there. It's really cool and a great compliment to our kids just how committed they are and how hard they work. It's just an unbelievable thing that they've put together."
Kyler Proctor and Delton Roberts combined to throw all seven innings. Proctor struck out eight, giving up just three hits and one run.
Easton Ford got the Rebels started in the first inning. In the first pitch of his at-bat, Ford hit a two-RBI double before scoring on an error. Carter Parker hit an RBI groundout for the final run of the first inning.
Silo's Proctor hit an RBI single to score Charlie Gardner in the fourth inning before Ford scored on an error in the fifth.
"I thought we'd come out ready to go," Bowen said. "Scoring four in that first inning, is really tough to do on that left hander that really good. I think it showed that we'd come out to play and we just stayed with it."
Class A and B
Click here for the Class A and B baseball state championship recaps.
James D. Jackson covers high school sports across the Oklahoma City metro and state. Have a story idea for James? He can be reached at jjackson@oklahoman.com or on Twitter @JamesDJackson15. Supports James' work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscrib.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.