The Preston Lady Pirate varsity slowpitch softball team saw a bid for their first state championship in 15 years come up short last Wednesday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The Lady Pirates led 8-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning in last Wednesday’s quarterfinal showdown with third-ranked Oktaha at the Class 4A state slowpitch softball championships.
The Preston Lady Pirate varsity slowpitch softball team saw a bid for their first state championship in 15 years come up short last Wednesday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The Lady Pirates led 8-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning in last Wednesday’s quarterfinal showdown with third-ranked Oktaha at the Class 4A state slowpitch softball championships.
The Preston diamond squad watched as the Lady Tigers scored seven runs all with one out - in their final at-bat of regulation to hand the Lady Pirates the heartbreaking 9-8 defeat.
The quarterfinal loss brings a close to the Preston slowpitch softball season with the Lady Pirates finishing the 2023 campaign with a 25-8 record.
Oktaha began the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first for an early 1-0 advantage.
Preston answered with two runs in the top of the second for a 2-1 lead after one and one-half innings of action.
The Lady Pirates extended their lead to three, 4-1, with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, while Oktaha plated a run in its half of the inning for a 4-2 Preston advantage with one inning remaining.
Preston pushed across four runs in the top of the seventh for an 8-2 margin and were just three outs away from earning a spot in the semifinal round.
Oktaha rallied in the bottom of the inning, scoring its first five runs of the frame on a 2-run home run and a 3-run home run, respectively, to trim the Preston lead to one, 8-7.
The Lady Tigers put the winning run in scoring position with a double, then ended the comeback with a game-winning 2-run single to center field to hand the Lady Pirates the 9-8 setback.
Na’Braijhanae Phillips (2 for 4, 2 singles, RBI) and Jadyn Roberts (2 for 3, single, double) led the way offensively for the Lady Pirates in the season-ending loss with two hits apiece.
The remaining Preston base hits in the quarterfinal loss came on singles by Celeste Pineda, Kristen Holuby, Kinlee Basquez, and Emilie Stidman, a double by Taylan Starr, an RBI single by McKenna Jones, and a 2-run home run in the seventh by Josie Cope.
--- Class 4A State Slowpitch Championships Quarterfinals
Oktaha 9, Preston 8
Preston:0-2-0-0-0-2-4 8 - 11 - 2 Oktaha:1-0-0-0-0-1-7 9 - 14 - 2 One out when winning run scored WP: Payton Stewart LP: Josie Cope HR: Preston: Josie Cope; Oktaha: Ava Scott, Peyton Bryan, MacKenzie Eaves
