The Chandler and North Rock Creek fast-pitch teams put their youth on display and rolled to tournament championships last week.
Chandler won the Cushing tournament, beating Cushing 6-5 in the championship game, and North Rock Creek claimed a championship at the Ripley tournament, beating Arnett 11-3 in the maroon bracket finals.
Despite playing more freshmen and sophomores than upper classmen, the two teams have combined to go 13-1 through Monday’s games and have positioned themselves as among the teams to beat in Class 3A.
For Chandler, the story in the Cushing tournament was the dominating pitching of Grace Hulsey and Keelie Treat, who combined to go 5-0 with three shutouts and only eight runs given up.
“I can’t say enough about the pitching,” said Chandler coach Bryan Herring. “Hulsey’s a junior and Treat’s a freshman and they were lights out.
“Treat gave up three in the first game and didn’t give up another and Hulsey didn’t give up a run until the finals.”
Stroud nicked Treat for three scores in the top of the first inning, but she and Hulsey didn’t give up another run until the third inning of the finals against Cushing.
In between were three straight shutouts, with Hulsey one-hitting Mannford and striking out nine, then coming back with a three-hit, six-strikeout win over Stillwater and Treat whiffing nine and giving up just two singles against Cleveland.
They continued the pitching dominance on Monday, with Treat shutting out Bethel, 3-0, and giving up only a two-out single in the first inning.
The Lady Cougars, who reached the state tournament in slow-pitch last fall, are playing their first fast-pitch season with a chance at the playoffs. While Chandler has been an elite program for years, the Lady Cougars are establishing themselves as one.
So far, it’s all good, with a 6-0 start going into Tuesday’s game against Prague and a shutout in every other game.
“We’re where I’d hoped we’d be,” said coach Chance Griffin. “It’s been a team effort. We’ve had 15 girls play.”
The Lady Cougars’ typical lineup includes two freshmen, four sophomores, two juniors and senior Jayden Haney.
Sophomore Hailey Hacker has been dominant on the mound, including a three-inning run-rule perfect game against Kellyville in the Ripley tournament.