Oklahoma Class 4A baseball semifinals: Tuttle puts together dramatic seventh-inning rally to edge Elk City; Blanchard pushes across late runs to defeat Marlow

Tuttle able to weather literal storm to move on
Oklahoma Class 4A baseball semifinals: Tuttle puts together dramatic seventh-inning rally to edge Elk City; Blanchard pushes across late runs to defeat Marlow
Oklahoma Class 4A baseball semifinals: Tuttle puts together dramatic seventh-inning rally to edge Elk City; Blanchard pushes across late runs to defeat Marlow /

By Buck Ringgold

NOBLE – Friday morning, Tuttle players weren't sure they were gong to be able to get in their Class 4A semifinal game.

Right before first pitch, a heavy storm hit Shawnee, forcing the game to be postponed. Then, there was a scramble to find an alternate location, and the Tigers' game with Elk City was eventually moved to Noble and a Friday evening start.

As it turns out, it was well worth the wait for the Tigers, including what transpired in the game itself.

Down 5-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, Tuttle put together a massive rally and scored four runs – capped by Gunner Kerr's successful squeeze bunt to bring in Brady McAdoo – as the Tigers stunned Elk City, 6-5.

"When I went into that bottom of the seventh, I went up to my guys and was like, 'You've got to believe in yourself; you guys get on, I promise you your teammates behind you are going to pick you up and it's all going to work out itself,'” Kerr said. “And sure enough, we ended up pulling it out right there. It was awesome.”

It was the second straight day Tuttle (36-8) rallied from a three-run deficit in the late innings. Thursday, the Tigers trailed 3-1 entering the sixth inning of their 4A quarterfinal before rallying to defeat Fort Gibson, 6-4, with two runs in the top of the seventh.

Friday, things appeared to be similarly bleak for the Tigers, especially after Elk City's Jaston Holder led off the top of the seventh by blasting a solo home run to left, giving the Elks a 5-2 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, though, Tuttle quickly struck, as Braylon Brooks and Alex Conover put together back-to-back singles, bringing up Carsen Moore.

On a 3-2 count, and having fouled off several pitches, Moore connected by lining a shot up the middle, scoring Brooks to get the Tigers within two runs.

"I was just trying to see pitches and I was telling myself I could do it, and (Elk City pitcher Cooper Church) hung a curve ball up there, and took it right back up the middle,” Moore said. “It felt great.”

Tuttle coach Breck Draper credited Moore's at-bat as perhaps the most pivotal in the inning.

"That was massive and he's grown as a player,” Draper said. “Last year, he gave in to some of those situations; this year, he's excelled in those situations.

"When we get two strikes, we're very confident with our approach, and guys get two strikes a lot but they fight.”

Tuttle was still far from being done.

Conover, who moved to third on Moore's hit, scored on a wild pitch. With one out, McAdoo, a freshman, lined a double down the left-field line, bringing home Moore to tie the score.

After making second, McAdoo noticed Elk City's third baseman leaving his area around the bag and alertly darted to third.

"Brady comes up in a big spot, and I was thinking about bunting him, but I know he can swing the bat and he put a great swing on it for a double; then a heads-up play right there going to third,” Draper said.

Draper's next gamble also proved lucrative. He had perhaps his best bunter, Kerr, coming up to the plate.

"We knew we had our best guy handling the bat at the plate who (Thursday) had two base-hit bunts, so very confident in (Kerr) getting the job done and very confident in our team,” Draper said.

Kerr proceeded to drop a bunt right along the first-base line as McAdoo dashed home with the winning run.

"What was going through my mind was, automatic (win) right there,” Kerr said. “I had all the confidence in the world in myself.

"The previous (at-bat) wasn't what I wanted, but going into that at-bat, I had the confidence I was going to get the job done and we're going to go home.”

Kerr was 2-for-4 on the evening, one of three Tigers with multiple hits. Conover went 3-for-4, while Moore was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.

Brooks was the winning pitcher in relief, going 1 2/3 innings and giving up a run – the homer from Holder – on two hits, striking out one.

Holder, Kye Keyes and Drake Hughes each had two hits for the Elks, who upended Verdigris in Thursday's quarterfinals.

Elk City (29-10) had led throughout most of Friday's game, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth to break a scoreless tie and adding single runs the last three innings.

Tuttle got within a run twice, 2-1 in the fourth and 3-2 in the fifth, before the Elks added to their lead.

Still, the Tigers never doubted themselves.

Now, they've got one more game to go. Tuttle will face Blanchard in the 4A state title game at 5 p.m. Saturday, right back at Shawnee. The Lions defeated Marlow in Friday's other semifinal.

"Celebrate (Friday's) game a little bit, but we've still got a job (Saturday) and that's when the real fun happens,” Kerr said. “I'm ready; we're all ready.”

Blanchard 5, Marlow 1

Thursday, the Lions had little trouble scoring runs, posting 16 in the quarterfinal win against Pryor.

For four innings, they were unable to solve Marlow pitcher Brennan Miller in Friday's 4A semifinal. But in the last of the fifth, Blanchard broke through with three runs to go in front to stay.

The Lions (34-5) took advantage of a pair of errors, including a two-out outfield misplay that broke a 1-all score, bringing in two runners for a 3-1 Blanchard lead.

Blanchard then tacked on some insurance in the bottom of the sixth.

With one out and runners on second and third, Kale Miller stepped up and lined a double to right center, bringing in both runners for the eventual final four-run margin.

Miller ended up with two of the Lions' four hits on the night as he went 2-for-4. He had the lone extra-base hit on either side with his double.

The Lions' lead-off batter, Brennan Milligan, had a hit, drew three walks and scored twice.

Jaxon Gless, normally Blanchard's catcher and an Oklahoma commit, was the winning pitcher, giving up two hits. He struck out 12 batters.

Morgan, who also signed with Oklahoma, went 4 2/3 innings and allowed three unearned runs, also registering 12 strikeouts.

Marlow (31-9) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI single from Cade Gilbert.


Published
Buck Ringgold, SBLive Sports
BUCK RINGGOLD, SBLIVE SPORTS

Buck Ringgold is a Regional Editor for SBLive Sports, covering Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana.