SHAWNEE - The Henryetta Lady Knights will have to wait at least one more year to claim their very first state championship in slowpitch softball. The Lady Knights were denied
SHAWNEE - The Henryetta Lady Knights will have to wait at least one more year to claim their very first state championship in slowpitch softball.
The Lady Knights were denied the state championship Monday morning following a 21-11, run-rule, defeat at the hands of top-ranked and 3-time defending state champion Dale in a quarterfinal showdown at the Class 4A state slowpitch softball championships at The Ball Fields at Firelake.
Monday's state tournament appearance was the fourth in school history for Henryetta and second for head coach Ryan Swallow, who guided the Beggs Lady Demons to the Class 5A state tournament in 2017. Swallow became the third different head coach to guide the Lady Knights to the slowpitch softball state tournament, joining Sheri Freeman in 2013 and Chris Ray in 2014 and 2015.
In Monday's quarterfinal showdown with Dale, the Lady Knights took the early advantage, plating six runs in the top of the first. The first three runs came on a 3-run home run by senior Lauren Lee. The other three runs in the frame came on an RBI double by freshman Hulleah Wincle and a 2-run double by junior Kaylie Hamric.
Dale cut the Henryetta lead in half, 6-3, with three runs in the bottom of the first, then added seven in the second to take over the lead at 10-6 after two innings of action.
The Lady Knights' deficit grew to eight, 14-6, after the top-ranked Lady Pirates pushed across four runs in the bottom of the third.
After a scoreless fourth kept the score at 14-6, in favor of Dale, the Henryetta offense caught fire in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to three, 14-11. All five of the Lady Knights' runs in the frame came on three home runs - all with two outs. Freshman Jalynn Joslin got the scoring started in the fifth with a 2-run home run. After an intentional walk to Lee, freshman Avery Miller made it a 14-10 contest with a 2-run home run to straight-away center field. Senior Mattie Blackbear followed with a solo home run to right to make it a 14-11 contest.
The quarterfinal battle came to a close in the bottom of the fifth when Dale pushed across seven runs to put the Henryetta squad on the short end of a 21-11 decision.
In the quarterfinal loss, the Lady Knights scattered 12 hits, led by Wincle (2 for 3, single, double, RBI), Mattie Blackbear (2 for 3 single, home run, RBI), Autumn Blackbear (2 for 3, 2 singles), and Kasedi Gobin (2 for 3, 2 singles) with two hits apiece.
Besides home runs by Joslin, Miller, and Lee, the final base hit for Henryetta in the contest came on Hamric's 2-run double in the first.
Besides Lee's intentional walk in the fifth, the only other baserunner for the Lady Knights against Dale was Joslin, who drew a walk in the first. Dale's top hitter was Lacey Savage, who went 3 for 4 with three home runs and 6 RBIs. Addie Bell also went 3 for 4 for the Lady Pirates with a double, two home runs, and 6 RBIs. Delanie Manning went 3 for 3 with a single, two home runs, and 4 RBIs, while Danyn Lang went 3 for 3 with three singles.
