By: Chris Evans
After dropping two hard fought games against two of the best teams in 5A, the Guthrie Bluejay baseball team picked up two wins over 6A teams to wrap up the week and the regular season.
On Monday and on the road, the Jays dropped a 5-4 contest to top ranked Chickasha and then hit the road, again, the following night at Carl Albert. The Titans gave the Jays another 1-run loss, 4-3.
However, Guthrie ended the regular season with wins over U.S. Grant and Edmond North.
On Thursday, Guturie celebrated Senior Night as each senior was introduced to the Squires Field crowd and afterwards were served hamburgers and hot dogs.
Sandwiched between that was an 8-4 win, but the Generals gave Guthrie everything they wanted in the process.
The Jays jumped out to a quick 1-0 advantage in the first inning when Justin Chappell brought in Ashton Morgan, who had singled in the first. However, the Generals would take the lead in the third inning with 2-runs.
Guthrie would respond with 2-runs of their own in the home half of the fourth when Jaden Chappell and Sean Ellis scored. The Jays got hits from Ellis, Josh Taft, and Robbie Sheffield.
U.S. Grant would re-take the lead 4-3 with two more runs in the fifth, but would not scratch the plate again as Corbin Crockett went the distance to pick up the win for Guthrie.
Going into the sixth inning and Guthrie winning, 4-3, Jaden Chappell put the game away with a 3-run homer that sailed over the left field wall. Morgan, Crockett, and Michael Harmon also collected hits in the inning.
Jays dump Edmond North in season finale
Just like the previous night, Guthrie got a complete game on the mound, the offense came through in the late innings, a homerun to put the game away, and Guthrie collecting the win 9-2.
TJ Bross toed the rubber for seven innings and allowed just two hits to the Top 10 ranked Huskies. Edmond North will be the No. 1 seeded team in their regional, but will have to travel to Midwest High School to play.
Bross's counter part, on the mound, Evan Small got the loss, but pitched well as both pitchers did a good job of keeping the batters off balance.
Guthrie, however, would score first in the second inning when Justin Chappell came across the plate. Chappell finished the night 2-2 with a run batted in.
Edmond North responded with 2-runs in the top half of the third inning and Small would retire the Jays in the home half of the inning to make it an Edmond North 2-1 game going into the bottom of the fourth when Guthrie would put 4-runs on the board.
In that inning, the Jays would take advantage of two base-on-balls and three hits. Both Crockett and Jaden Chappell drew walks and were moved up a base with Ellis's sacrifice bunt. Justin Chappell would single to left to score Crockett. J Hensley, the next batter, then double to score Crockett and Justin Chappell.
The Huskies had Justin Chappell out at the plate if Small (the pitcher) had not cut the ball off in front of home plate, but Guthrie would add one more run in the inning off a John Cotton single to center to score Hensely to put the Jays up 5-2.
Guthrie would score two more runs in both the fifth and sixth innings including Ashton Morgan's 2-run homer in the fifth.
The Jays must now travel to Carl Albert for regionals that begin on Tuesday and run through Thursday. In the regional, each time must be beaten twice to be eliminated. Carl Albert will be the top seed and take on Noble in the first game on Tuesday. Guthrie and NW Classen will take the field soon after and the two losers playing in the first elimination game at 7:00. For a complete bracket please visit our home page and click the "Carl Albert Regional Bracket" for dates and times.
Triple Play Sports 105.1 FM will carry the entire regional when the Jays are playing. You can listen to the games live right here on Guthrie Sports Page by heading to the Baseball Page.
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This website and Evans Sports LLC is an unofficial and independent source of news and information, and is not affiliated with any school, team, or league.
This website and Evans Sports LLC is an unofficial and independent source of news and information, and is not affiliated with any school, team, or league.