The Vian Wolverines went 1-2 at last week’s 2023 OK Kids Age 12-and-Younger State Baseball Tournament, which took place at the Sallisaw Sports Complex.
The Wolverines opened up the state tournament with a 12-4 winner’s-bracket quarterfinal win over the Alva Renegades on June 26, but after a Day 2 rainout the following day, last Wednesday saw the Vian bats go silent as they lost 4-0 in the winner’s-bracket semifinal against the Okarche Warriors, then fell 5-3 against the Blanchard Boom in the loser’sbracket quarterfinals that night.
In the win over Alva, the Wolverines jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening inning on an RBI double by Zayden Cheater and an Alva error.
An RBI single by Mike Crowder and two more Alva errors helped produce three more runs in the second inning for a 5-0 Vian advantage.
The Renegades got an RBI double by Daveon Logan to cut their deficit to 5-1 after two innings.
An RBI double by Isaiah Drew, RBI singles by Jax Sumpter, Isaiah Owens and Crowder and another Alva miscue produced five runs for a 10-1 lead in the third inning.
After the Renegades cut their deficit to 10-4 after three inning, the Wolverines put the game into run-rule status with a two-run fifth inning thanks to an RBI double by Cheater and an RBI triple by Jeremiah Marshall for a 12-4 lead.
For the game, Drew was 3-for-3 with a run scored, Crowder was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a run batted in, Cheater was 2-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored, Haeden Morris was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and Marshall hit an RBI triple for Vian.
Morris got the win, with Logan Elms and Crowder also taking turns on the pitching mound for Vian.
In the loss to Okarche, the Warriors got a complete-game performance from starting pitcher Jake Henderson, who struck out 16 batters in six innings and threw a no-hitter.
The Wolverines only saw three batters reach base. Elms got hit by a pitch with two outs in the second inning, Morris walked with two outs in the third inning and Marshall walked with one out in the fourth inning.
The Warriors scored once in the first inning, twice in the second inning and once in the fourth inning.
Cheater took the loss. All total, Vian used four pitchers in the game. After Cheater started, Marshall came to the mound in the second inning, followed by Elms in the third inning and Crowder in the fifth inning.
In the loss to Blanchard, Blanchard pitcher Kainen Wayland was masterful. He went the first 5.2 innings with eight strikeouts and scattered eight hits.
However, after being dominated by Wayland through five innings and down 5-0, the Wolverines finally mounted an offensive outburst against the Blanchard pitcher in the sixth inning.
A two-out, two-run triple by Marshall, followed by an RBI single by Rowdy Crittenden chased Wayland from the mound, and cut Vian’s deficit to 5-3. However, Blanchard relief pitcher Charlie Mann struck out Owens to end the game, and the season for Vian.
In defeat, Marshall was Vian’s only multiple-hit batter, going 2-for-3 with a two-run triple and a run scored.
Morris started the game and went the first 2.2 innings with three strikeouts, but took the loss. Crowder went the final 3.1 innings with six Ks.
Vian Wolverines baserunner Jeremiah Marshall, right, slides safely into third base against the Alva Renegades in the winner’s-bracket quarterfinal on June 26 in the 2023 OK Kids Age 12-and-Younger State Tournament, which took place last week at the Sallisaw Sports Complex.
