The Guthrie Bluejays baseball team traveled to Edmond Santa Fe on May 13 for its quarterfinal game in the Class 5A state championship tournament. The Pryor Tigers jumped on senior pitcher Josh Rains for nine runs in 2.1 innings to cruise to a 13-4 win and end the Bluejays season.
Rains was in trouble in the first inning as he walked three Tiger hitters, hit one and threw two wild pitches to get in a 3-0 deficit in the first inning as the Tigers sent seven batters to the plate. Jake Zserdin got one of those runs back in the bottom of the first with a base hit and two stolen bases, scoring on an Anthony Giddings groundout.
In the top of the second, the Tigers got a run but left the bases loaded after two more walks by Rains. Pryor pulled away in the third inning when Rains walked four Tigers, threw another wild pitch and gave up a base hit, making it 9-1. Rains was done afterward.
Freshman Luke Hubbard got the call from the bullpen and gave the Bluejays a solid 3.2 innings of relief, giving up one run and striking out five Tigers, while only walking two batters.
Freshman Hayden Calvert was then summoned in the seventh inning but gave up four hits that scored three more runs to close out the scoring.
The Bluejays were held to five hits with Landon Hirzel, Peyton Miller, Jackson Walters, Zach Henry and Zserdin getting the hits. Miller had the only extra base hit with a double in the fourth inning, driving in two runs.
The Bluejays struck out eight times and the Tigers ten times. The score could have been worse as the Tigers left 11 men on base.
The Bluejays lose four seniors in Rains, Miller, Ty Biggs, and Jaylen Allison but had 18 underclassmen on the state tournament roster.
Carl Albert won its fourth-straight Class 5A state title on Saturday, beating Bishop Kelly 13-3.
The Bluejays finish the season 20-12, and the future looks bright. A return trip to the state tournament in 2022 is a distinct possibility. Congratulations Bluejays on a great 2021 season.