The Vian Wolverines baseball team won the seventh-place game over the Central junior varsity 11-0 on Saturday at the 2024 Central Tiger Shootout, which took place Thursday through Saturday at Central High School.
The Wolverines dropped their first two games in the three-day tournament, losing 10-2 to Stigler on Thursday and falling 4-3 in eight innings to Roland in Friday afternoon’s consolation semifinals.
The week began with a 4-3 loss to the Warner Eagles at home April 8, but the Wolverines bounced back 24 hours later to down Pocola 10-1 in five innings at home on April 9.
In the seventh-place game, Draighton Fletcher (1-3) got his first win of the season, throwing a one-hitter with four strikeouts in three innings.
The Wolverines (1514), who found out Friday they will entertain Mounds for next week’s Class 2A District Tournament, scored four runs in the first inning and seven runs in the second inning to put the game into run-rule status.
For the contest, Gilbert doubled with two RBIs and a run scored for Vian.
In Vian’s loss to Roland, the Rangers rallied from a 3-0 deficit with a three-run sixth inning to tie the game at 3-all, then win it in walkoff fashion on Trenton Ross’ suicide-squeeze bunt scoring Avery Moya with the gamewining run with one out in the eighth inning.
In defeat, Draighton Fletcher was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored, while Lastyn Taylor was 2-for-4 for the Wolverines.
Gabe Gilbert (0-4) suffered the loss in relief, going the final 2.1 innings with two strikeouts. Kaden Fulbright started and went the first five innings and fanned five batters.
In the loss to Stigler, after the Wolverines took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Panthers scored three runs in the second inning and twice in the third inning for a 5-1 lead. A four-run fifth inning put the game into run-rule status.
In defeat, Taylor was 2-for-2 for Vian.
Michael Polecat (32) suffered the loss, going the first four innings with two strikeouts. Taylor went the final inning.
In the win over Pocola, Riley Ellis (6-0) got the win for the Wolverines, going all five innings with 10 strikeouts and throwing a no-hitter.
The Wolverines scored twice in the first inning, then, after the Indians cut the deficit in half at 2-1 in the second inning, the Wolverines put the game into runrule status with a sevenrun second inning and a run in the third inning.
Originally, Howe was to have made it a threeway, but the Lions canceled out.
For the game, Cash Collins was 3-for-3 with four runs batted in and a run scored, Fletcher was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Polecat was 2-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI for Vian.
In the loss to Warner, the Wolverines suffered a walk-off win by the Eagles, who broke a 3-all tie with a run in the seventh inning after the Wolverines tied the game at 3-all with a tworun sixth inning.
In defeat, Collins was 2-for-3 with a double, a run batted in and a run scored, while Fulbright was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Fulbright (2-5) suffered the loss in relief, giving up the gamewinning run with an out in the seventh inning after striking out a batter. Gilbert started and went the first six innings with two strikeouts.
The Wolverines were slated to play Wilburton at home Monday and Hartshorne at home Tuesday before playing in this weekend’s Checotah Tournament, in which they will open with a 10 a.m. Thursday contest against the Muskogee junior varsity. Next week, the Wolverines will close out the regular season with a road game at 4:30 p.m. Monday at Panama.
