The Class A #1 Caney Lady Cougars (26-12) have their eyes set on the ultimate prize of winning a state championship this week, despite moving from Class B up to Class A this season. The Lady Cougars won their first state championship of any sport in school history a year ago with a 4-3 victory over Lookeba-Sickles in the Class B slow pitch state championship game. Caney returned seven starters from last year's team.
On Wednesday, May 7, Caney will make their fifth consecutive appearance in the state tournament. The Lady Cougars will open the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association Class A State Tournament with Tupelo at 10 a.m., at Firelake Ball Park in Shawnee. The winner of Caney/Tupelo will play the winner of Fort Cobb-Broxton/ Roff at 4 p.m., in the semi-finals and the Class A State Championship game has been set for 7 p.m. All Class A state tournament games will be played on field 3.
'We brought back a lot of experience and added a good group of freshmen. Every year the plan is to win the last game,' Caney Head Coach Jackie Dollarhide said. Caney advanced to the state tournament after winning a Class A Regional Tournament Championship on May 1. The Lady Cougars defeated Geronimo in the first round 10-0 in 4 innings and defeated Fort Cobb-Broxton 7-4 in the championship game.
Against Geronimo, Caney put up 4 runs in the bottom of the first innings as the Lady Cougars hit 4 singles and a triple. After a scoreless second inning, Caney added in the next 4 innings to end the game in 6 innings. Kaelynn McMichael allowed 8 hits and zero base on balls in the game. Caney had 16 hits in the game, seven athletes had 2 or more hits. Kaigan Ladd led the team with 3 hits including a triple and 2 doubles.
In the championship game, Fort Cobb-Broxton ran out to an early 4-1 lead in the middle of the third inning. Dollarhide's message to the team during the half inning was 'Get your bats going and respond. Runs are going to be scored in slow pitch, it's about how you respond when runs are scored,' In the bottom of the third inning, the Lady Cougars put up 5 runs in the inning as McKinnley 'Mac' Wheeler hit a three-run home run and Cheyenne Daniel hit a two run home run. started the top of the first inning scoring two runs. After giving up two runs in the third, Caney held Fort Cobb-Broxton the final 4 innings of the game.
In the 10 player batting lineup, every Caney batter recorded a hit while Wheeler and Taigan Crites recorded two hits a piece. Wheeler scored 3 runs and had 3 runs batted in. McMichael allowed 9 hits, 4 earned runs and 1 base on balls in the seven inning game.
