The win, the third over Collinsville this year, is significant for the Lady Tigers in that they will get to host a Class 5A Regional Tournament that will be played during the first week of October.
Tahlequah, now 19-5 overall, improves to 9-2 in District 5A-4 and secures the second spot in the district standings behind Durant. Collinsville slips to 8-4 in district games and 15-13 overall.
“It was a great ballgame and a good battle by both teams,” Tahlequah interim head coach Matt Cloud said. “It was a tough day to hit with the wind blowing really hard in. I knew Hannah (Boswell) would give us a chance, and we made a play there at the end. We just kept fighting and fighting in what was a playoff-type atmosphere as far as being a 1-0 ballgame. All in all, I’m happy we got this out of the way.”
It was the perfect time for Ferguson to be at the plate in the seventh with her ability to get down the line.
“Instead of trying to hit the ball hard and trying to do too much, I just wanted to put it in play and score Maddie,” Ferguson said.
“It was a really important win for us,” Ferguson added. “With everything that’s gone on this season we really want to make it to state.”
“We knew with Ryann up we were going to put enough pressure on their defense to have a chance,” Cloud said. “She put it in the right spot and I knew she would be safe right when she hit it.”
Sams started the seventh with single to left field on a 1-1 offering. She was lifted as a runner for Goins, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Sierra Smith, and moved to third on Emma Akin’s groundout.
Both teams had their chances to push across runs earlier in the contest.
The Lady Tigers had runners at second and third with nobody out in the fourth after a lead-off walk from Emily Sampson and a double to left field by Hannah Boswell, but Collinsville pitcher Mackenze Crow got out of the jam by retiring Lanie Sanders on a groundout, Bailey Wright on a popout and Hailey Sams on a strikeout.
Tahlequah also had runners in scoring position during the fifth following back-to-back singles from Emma Akin and Ferguson and a sacrifice bunt by Kennedy Davis, but Sampson grounded out to end the scoring threat.
“We had chances earlier to get some runs and couldn’t, but I knew if we just kept in the game we would give ourselves chances to win the game,” said Cloud, whose team is 3-0 on the season in games determined by one run.
The Lady Cardinals couldn’t take advantage in the fifth with the bases loaded and just one out. Boswell took matters into her own hands when she started a 1-2-3 double play on a ball hit by Crow to keep them off the scoreboard.
“We wanted to pound them in, pound them in,” Cloud said. “Hannah threw a fastball in and the girl hit it right back to her. Hannah made a good feed to home, and Emily (Sampson) made a good throw to first base. I knew it was backbreaker emotionally for them. That was their chance to get us, but we made a good play in a stressful situation.”
Boswell went the distance from the pitcher’s circle for the complete-game shutout and picked up her fifth win of the season. She allowed five hits and finished with a pair of strikeouts. Boswell retired the last six batters she faced, and retired the side in order in the first, third and seventh innings.
Ferguson led the offense with two hits, while Boswell, Wright, Sams and Akin finished with one each.
The two teams left a combined 10 runners on base.
The Lady Tigers will begin play in the Tahlequah-NSU Tournament Thursday with games against Berryhill (10 a.m.) and Jenks (11:20 a.m.). Tahlequah will take Friday off and return with Saturday games against Glenpool (10:20 a.m.) and Muldrow (1 p.m.). The Po... Click here to read full article
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