The Okmulgee Bulldog varsity baseball team came away with a seventh-place finish at the 2021 Keystone Classic this past weekend.

The Bulldogs’ lone win of the 3-day event came in the seventh-place game this past Saturday against the Frontier Mustangs by a 13-12 margin. The narrow victory for Okmulgee came in walkoff style on a 2-out base hit by Kevin Washington in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Okmulgee diamond squad found themselves in the meeting with Frontier following back-to-back 16-0 losses to Sperry and Tulsa Edison, respectively, in the first two days of tournament action.

Frontier fell into the seventh-place contest against Okmulgee after dropping an 8-0 decision to Mannford last Thursday and an 11-1 loss to Morris in last Friday’s consolation semifinal round.

The thrilling win over Frontier improves the Bulldogs’ season record to 3-7.

The Okmulgee squad was to be back in action on Monday and Tuesday against district foe, the Kansas Comets. The Bulldogs were scheduled to travel to Kansas on Monday and host the Comets on Tuesday. Other scheduled contests for Okmulgee this week will be games at Keys (Parkhill) on Thursday, at home against Keys (Parkhill) on Friday, and the Kiefer Festival on Saturday.

In last Thursday’s tournament opener against Sperry, the Bulldogs were limited to just three hits in the contest - singles by Kaden Ballard and Garrett McElroy and a double by Dustin Dunlap. Ballard also reached base after being hit by a pitch.

Sperry opened the scoring with seven runs in the bottom of the first, then added a run in the second, six in the third, and two in the fourth to hand the Okmulgee squad the 16-0 setback.

Dunlap was saddled with the pitching loss for the Bulldogs, allowing 16 runs on 15 hits, striking out two, walking five, and hitting four in three and one-third innings of work.

In last Friday’s consolation semifinal battle with Tulsa Edison, the Bulldogs were held to just two base hits in the setback - a single by Dylan Evans and a double by Garrett McElroy. McElroy also reached base on a walk, as well as Austin Burwell and Alex Gilmour.

Kevin Washington absorbed the pitching loss for Okmulgee, giving up 16 runs on five hits, striking out two, walking five, and hitting five in four innings of work.

Tulsa Edison scored two in the first, one in the second, six in the third, and seven in the fourth to put the Bulldogs on the losing end of a 16-0 outcome.

In last Saturday’s seventh-place meeting with Frontier, the Bulldogs opened the scoring with seven runs in the bottom of the first.

Frontier made it a 7-3 contest with three runs in the top of the second, while Okmulgee plated four in the home half of the frame for an 11-3 advantage.

The Mustangs tallied four in the third and one in the fourth to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to three, 11-8, after three and onehalf innings of action.

Okmulgee pushed across a run in the last of the fourth for a 12-8 margin, then Frontier tied the score at 12-12 with three in the fifth and one in the sixth. After both teams failed

After both teams failed to score in the bottom of the sixth and top of seventh, respectively, the Bulldogs had one final opportunity to come away victorious in their final at-bat of regulation.

After the first two hitters for Okmulgee were retired to begin the bottom of the seventh, Gavin Garcia drew a walk, then Xander Dunn singled to left field to put the winning run in scoring position. On the throw from the outfield, both runners moved up one base, putting Garcia just 90 feet away.

Kevin Washington roped a single to left to score Garcia from third to give the Bulldogs the thrilling 13- 12, walk-off, victory.

Okmulgee finished with nine base hits in the contest. Dunn added a double to his seventh-inning single to finish 2 for 4 at the plate. Tyler Pollard also had a 2-hit game for the Bulldogs against Frontier, going 2 for 2 with a single, double, and 2 RBIs.

Besides Washington’s game-winning base hit, the other four hits for Okmulgee in the win came on a single by Garcia, RBI singles by Dustin Dunlap and Austin Burwell, and a 2-run double by Garrett McElroy.

Besides Garcia’s seventh-inning walk, other baserunners for Okmulgee were McElroy (3 walks), Pollard (3 walks), Dunn (hit by pitch), Dunlap (error), Washington (walk), Kaden Ballard (3 walks), and Malachi Simmons (2 walks).

Ballard worked a scoreless inning of relief in the seventh to earn the pitching win. Ballard struck out two and walked one in the inning of relief work. Pollard got the start on the mound

Pollard got the start on the mound for the Bulldogs, allowing eight runs on six hits with two strikeouts and six walks in three-plus innings of work. Dunn replaced Pollard in the

Dunn replaced Pollard in the fourth and worked the next three innings in relief, giving up four runs on five hits, striking out one, walking three, and hitting a batter.

Keystone Classic First Round

Sperry 16, Okmulgee 0

Okmulgee - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 0 - 3 - 1

Sperry - 7 - 1 - 6 - 2 16 - 15 - 0

WP: Justice

LP: Dustin Dunlap

HR: None

Consolation Semifinals

Tulsa Edison 16, Okmulgee 0

Edison - 2 - 1 - 6 - 7 16 - 5 - 0

Okmulgee - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 0 - 2 - 6

WP: Lankie

LP: Kevin Washington

HR: Hutchings (2)

Seventh Place

Okmulgee 13, Frontier 12

Frontier - 0 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 3 - 1 - 0 12 - 11 - 3

Okmulgee - 7 - 4 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 13 - 9 - 1

WP: Kaden Ballard

LP: Harman

HR: Frontier: Rexford