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Lookeba-Sickles holds off Tupelo in semifinals

jeff cali, the ada news, okla.
·4 min read

May 3—OKLAHOMA CITY — The Tupelo Lady Tigers' bid to add another state championship plaque to its trophy case this school year came to an end with a 5-2 loss to Lookeba-Sickles Wednesday evening in the semifinals of the Class B State Tournament inside a jam-packed Hall of Fame Stadium.

The fourth-ranked Lady Tigers finished the spring with a 23-14 record. After upsetting Tupelo, No. 8 Lookeba-Sickles suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat to second-ranked Caney in the Class B championship game. The Lady Panthers finished the season with an 18-9 mark.

Tupelo had outlasted No. 5 Asher 7-4 in a back-and-forth first-round contest between the two local teams earlier in the day. The Lady Indians saw their season come to an end at 30-8.

Lookeba 5, Tupelo 2

Lookeba-Sickles scored four runs in the top of the first inning and added their final run in the second and made that 5-0 lead stand up as the Lady Tigers had trouble scoring throughout the contest.

Lookeba-Sickles strung together three consecutive hits to get the first inning started — back-to-back singles by Aspen Courtney and Brylie Stocking and a run-scoring double by Madi Barger that put the Lady Panthers on top 1-0.

Stocking scored on a groundout by Reagan Williams to put Lookeba-Sickles ahead 2-0.

Langdon House, Kenzli Locke and Stormi Pitchford then came up with consecutive two-out base hits that produced two more runs that put Tupelo in the early 4-0 hole.

Courtney singled with one out in the top of the second inning, went to third on a base hit by Stocking and scored on a fielder's choice to increase the Lookeba advantage to 5-0.

Tupelo got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning.

Jade Ellis led off with a base hit, went to second on an error and scored on a RBI knock by Jaycee Stringer that got the Lady Tigers within 5-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, Marley Crites reached on an error, went to second on a base hit from Raylee Jones and later scored when Kayle Watson hit into a fielder's choice to trim the Lookeba advantage to 5-2.

Tupelo got two base runners on with one out in the bottom of the seventh via a walk to Watson and a base hit by Bailey Battles but back-to-back groundouts ended the game.

Tupelo collected seven total hits in the game and all were singles. Ellis led the way, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Three different Lookeba-Sickles players finished with three hits each. Courtney went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored from the top of the Lookeba batting order; Stocking finished 3-for-4 and scored a run; and House went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Tupelo 7, Asher 4

The Lady Tigers struck first with two runs in the top of the first inning.

Lainee Wafford led off with a base hit and Ava Sliger was intentionally walked with one out. Maci Gaylor knocked in a run with an RBI double and Sliger raced home on a sacrifice fly by Marley Crites that gave Tupelo an early 2-0 cushion.

That lead didn't last long.

Asher's first two batters got on base to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Alexis Johnston reached on an error and Mackenzie Thompson walked before Tupelo recorded two quick flyouts.

Asher senior Payton Leba then belted a triple that drove in two runs and tied the game at 2-2.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, sisters Cadence Leba and Peyton Leba came up with base hits and both players scored on a two-run triple by Preslee Taylor that put Asher on top 4-2.

Gaylor drove in two runs for Tupelo with a base hit with one out in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 4-4. Crites followed with a run-scoring hit and Gaylor raced home on an RBI single by Kayle Watson that pushed the THS advantage to 6-4.

The Lady Tigers scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when freshman Rebecca Dailey led off with a double and raced home on a base hit by Bailey Battles.

Asher didn't go down quietly.

The Lady Indians loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sammie Williamson and Makenah Templeton got the comeback attempt started with back-to-back base hits and Kailey Trump then reached on an error.

However, Tupelo recorded an out at home before Johnston flew out to right field to end the game.

Gaylor and Jaycee Stringer had two hits each in a 10-hit Tupelo offense. Gaylor finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs and Stringer went 2-for-4 and scored two runs.

Asher came up with seven total hits, led by Peyton Taylor who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. The Lady Indians committed six errors in the contest.