The Checotah Wildcats (614) swept the competition at the Beggs’ Baseball Festival enroute to winning the tournament Championship. The Wildcats shut out the Beggs JV team 9-0 on Thursday. Then they topped Kellyville 5-2 on Friday and won the championship over Bristow 8-7.
Checotah jumped out quick in the first inning as they scored three runs to take a 3-0 lead as Jacob Jones smashed a pitch for a doublescoring two runs and Jim Rainbolt singled, scoring a run. The Wildcats added another run in the second inning as Charles Collins hit a fielder’s choice to take a 4-0 lead at the top of the second inning. However, the floodgates opened-up for Bristow as they scored six runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 6-4 lead.
The game was like two heavyweight boxers trading blow-for-blow as both teams made great plays in the infield and at the plate. Checotah regained the lead, 8-7, in the top of the seventh inning as Bryce Marshall connected on a pitch for a single, scoring a run. Mason Rainbolt had the hot bat for the Wildcats as he sent a pitch deep into left field for a triple, scoring two runs.
Charles Collins earned the victory on the mound for Checotah as he came in as relief for Jacob Jones. Collins gave up one hit and zero runs over four innings, striking out five and walking two. Jones started the game for the Wildcats. He allowed one hit and seven runs (four earned) over two innings, striking out three and walking four. Jones was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs at the plate. Mason Rainbolt went 1-for-3 with a RBI, Lane Elliott had a pair of runs, Bryce Marshall and Jim Rainbolt went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
“This was a huge win for us. We really played up to our potential. I thought we had great production at the plate, our dugout was full of enthusiasm and energy and this gives us some motivation going forward,” Checotah head coach Walker said.
On Thursday, the Wildcats pounded the Beggs JV team in a 9-0 shutout. Mason Rainbolt led Checotah in the first inning as he singled, scoring two runs and an error by Beggs allowed a score as the Wildcats took a 3-0. The second inning Eli Patterson of Checotah hammered a pitch sending it deep to left field for a home run scoring two runs. Patterson wasn’t the only Wildcat with a homerun on the day as Rainbolt hit a solo homerun in the top of the fifth inning to extend the Checotah lead to 8-0.
Pitcher Dalton Carter closed the game for Checotah. He allowed zero hits and zero runs over two innings, striking out four and walking one. Dallas Carter allowed three hits and zero runs over three innings, striking out two and walking one. Carter Sisson threw two innings surrendering two hits, striking out two with zero walks.
Checotah tallied 10 hits in the game with Lane Elliott, Jonah Marshall, Charles Collins and Mason Rainbolt each collected multiple hits in the victory.
On Friday, Checotah defeated the Kellyville Ponies 5-2. Lane Elliott went 1-for-2 with 2 RBIs, Mason Rainbolt 1-for-3 with a run scored, Bryce Marshall went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Jim Rainbolt 2-for-2 with a run scored and Jacob Jones was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
