It took an “if necessary” game for Guthrie High’s softball team to qualify for the Class 5A State Tournament, but the Lady Bluejays did it in explosive fashion.
After dropping a 2-1 decision against the Altus Bulldogs, the Lady Bluejays responded in the second game with seven runs in the second inning and rolled to 10-0 five-inning, run-rule game to clinch a berth.
The Lady Bluejays open play at 6:30 Thursday night against Tahlequah (30-9) on the Integris Field at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. Guthrie is the No. 6 seed; district rival Piedmont is the top seed among the eight teams. Tickets can be found on the link at OSSA.com.
In the first game, Kinley Duehning started for Guthrie and struck out 11, allowing just three hits, but two came in the fourth on a single and home run.
Guthrie had five hits, and if it were not for double plays in the first and second innings by Altus, things could have been different.
Mckenna Tucker, Saylor Hamilton, Ava Hebensperger, Abbie Eichler and Katelyn Siess had the hits for Guthrie. Cara Hibbs scored the lone run after walking in the top of the fifth, getting to second on a sacrifice bunt and then scoring on Tucker’s hit.
Altus pitcher Maci Hayes kept the Guthrie team at bay the rest of the way.
The “if game” was totally different. Tucker went the distance, allowing only one hit. Guthrie was the home team for this game and started quickly in the first when Ashlee Eichler drove in Duehning with a base hit to right field and a quick 1-0 lead.
Seven runs crossed in the second as Siess started the inning with a bloop double. Sage Driscoll then drove in a run before Duehning made it 3-0. Hebensperger then launched a pitch over the right field fence, and it was 7-0.
Ashlee Eichler, Siess and Driscoll had two hits each to lead Guthrie’s nine-hit attack.