The Beggs Golden Demon varsity baseball team finished third at the 2021 Victory Christian Tournament last weekend at Victory Christian School in Tulsa.

The Demons found themselves in an early 7-run deficit after three innings last Saturday and rallied to tie the score and send the game to extra innings, scoring a run in the top of the eighth to defeat the Wagoner Bulldogs by a 9-8 margin in the third-place game.

The Beggs squad began its tournament action last Thursday with a thrilling 6-5 victory over the Oklahoma Union Cougars, then fell into last Saturday’s thirdplace game after dropping their semifinal showdown with the host Victory Christian Conquerors 10-0 last Friday.

The Demons were back in action this past Monday and Tuesday with a home-and-home district series with the Prague Red Devils. The Beggs squad dropped Monday’s home meeting with Prague by a 12-9 margin, then took Tuesday’s showdown in Prague by a 4-2 decision. See today’s edition for complete details of the Demons’ district battles with Prague.

Beggs was scheduled to host Metro Christian on Thursday and are scheduled to play host to the Kellyville Ponies Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

The Demons will begin next week’s schedule with a home-and-home district battle with Holland Hall, hosting the Dutch on Monday and traveling to Tulsa Tuesday for the rematch.

In last Thursday’s opening-round showdown with Oklahoma Union, the Cougars opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the third.

Beggs broke onto the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the frame, then deadlocked the score at 3-3 with two runs in the home half of the fourth.

After Oklahoma Union plated a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to regain the lead at 5-3, the Demons tallied a run in the last of the fifth, then ended the contest with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, as the time limit had expired in the inning, for the 6-5 victory.

Andrew Duclos earned the pitching win for Beggs in the opening-round contest, striking out one in one inning of relief work in the sixth. Duclos took over on the mound for starter Dakota Angelski, who gave up five runs on two hits with nine strikeouts and six walks in five innings of work.

The Beggs offense was led by the trio of Duclos (2 for 3, 2 singles), Jameson Ross (2 for 4, single, double, 2 RBI), and Brayden Gable (2 for 3, 2 singles) with two hits apiece. Ross drove in the game-winning run in the sixth with an RBI double. Duclos also reached base on a walk in the contest.

The other two base hits for the Demons against Oklahoma Union came on a single by Caleb Burright and an RBI single by Dakota Hudson.

Other baserunners for Beggs in the opening-round contest were Dawson Barrett (3 walks, RBI), Darieon Johnson (walk, error), Ethan Busby (RBI walk, hit by pitch), and Wyatt Nail (error).

In last Friday’s semifinal battle with Victory Christian, the host Conquerors got the scoring started with seven runs in the home half of the first, then added three in the fourth to hand the Demons the 10-0, run-rule, setback.

The Beggs offense was held to just one base hit in the contest - a leadoff single in the first by Dawson Barrett.

The only other baserunners for the Demons against Victory Christian were Jameson Ross (fielder’s choice, error), and Darieon Johnson (2 walks).

Caleb Burright got the start on the mound for Beggs and was saddled with the pitching loss, allowing seven runs on four hits, walking two and hitting two in just one-third of an inning of work.

Andrew Duclos worked the final three and one-third innings in relief, giving up three runs on two hits with four walks.

In last Saturday’s extra-inning win over Wagoner, the Demons trailed 5-1 after one inning of action, then watched their opponents plate two in the second and one in the third for an 8-1 deficit.

After a scoreless fourth, the Beggs squad began their comeback with a run in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to six, 8-2.

The Demons erupted for six runs in the top of the sixth to deadlock the score at 8-8.

After neither team managed any runs in the final inning and a half of regulation, the third-place game moved into the top of the eighth with the score tied at 8-8.

The Demons broke the tie with a run in the top of the extra inning, then held the Bulldogs in check in the bottom of the eighth to walk off the field with the 9-8 victory and the third-place trophy.

Dawson Barrett earned the pitching win for Beggs, working two innings in relief, striking out three and walking two while allowing just one hit.

Barrett entered out of the bullpen in the sixth, taking over for starter Caleb Burright, who allowed eight runs on six hits with three strikeouts, two walks, and one hit batter in five innings of work.

Jameson Ross struck out one and walked two in the eighth to earn the pitching save for Beggs.

Barrett led the offensive attack for the Demons, going 4 for 4 with three singles and the go-ahead RBI double in the eighth. Barrett also drew a walk in his fifth plate appearance.

Ross (2 for 5, single, double, 2 RBI) and Andrew Duclos (2 for 4, single, double, 2 RBI) also recorded multi-hit games for Beggs against Wagoner with two hits each.

The final base hit for the Demons in the extra-inning win came on a single by Brayden Gable. Gable also reached base on a pair of hit by pitches in the contest.

Other baserunners for Beggs against Wagoner were Burright (walk), Darieon Johnson (walk), Dakota Hudson (hit by pitch, error), Nathan Melton (hit by pitch), and Wyatt Nail (dropped third strike).

Victory Christian Tournament

First Round

Beggs 6, Oklahoma Union 5

Okla. Union - 0 - 0 - 3 - 0 - 2 - 0 5 - 2 - 2

Beggs - 0 - 0 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 6 - 8 - 2

WP: Andrew Duclos

LP: Bottoms

HR: None

Semifinals

Victory Christian 10, Beggs 0

Beggs - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 0 - 1 - 3

Victory Chr. - 7 - 0 - 0 - 3 10 - 6 - 1

WP: Swan

LP: Caleb Burright

HR: None

Third Place

Beggs 9, Wagoner 8 (8 innings)

Beggs - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 6 - 0 - 1 9 - 9 - 5

Wagoner - 5 - 2 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 8 - 7 - 2

WP: Dawson Barrett

LP: Stevens

SV: Jameson Ross

HR: None