Stratford upsets Class 3A No. 1 Tushka
Apr. 12—STRATFORD — The Stratford Lady Bulldogs bashed six home runs in a pair of victories Tuesday in their own festival.
Coach Tony Prichard's team shocked Class 3A No. 1 and host Tushka 11-8 before slipping past local rival Vanoss 9-8 in Game 2. The games were originally scheduled to be played at Tushka but due to wet fields, the festival was moved to Stratford.
Stratford won for the fifth straight time to improve to 10-11 on the season. The Lady Tigers dropped to 19-6 and Vanoss is now 4-13.
Stratford is now off until making a trip to Class A No. 3 Stuart on Monday. The Lady Wolves head to the Santa Fe Festival today where they'll face Community Christian School and Luther.
Stratford 11, Tushka 8
The Lady Bulldogs scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and led 5-0 heading into the fourth frame. Stratford still led 6-2 before Tushka scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning and three more in the sixth to surge ahead at 8-6.
However, Vanoss scored five times in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally for the impressive victory.
Ryleigh Ardery, Kennedy Layton and Launa Raymo all finished with three hits apiece in a 16-hit SHS offense. Ardery went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored from the top of the Stratford lineup. Layton finished 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored and Raymo went 3-for-3 with a walk, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored.
Jenesys Ware went 2-for-3 with a double and scored twice and Haylee Dickerson ended up 1-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Kyra Jones paced a 13-hit Tushka offense, going 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Kaylee Upchurch finished 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Kylie Lee and Rebekah Ridgway both clubbed home runs for the Lady Tigers and Beya Simon finished 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
Stratford 9, Vanoss 8
Senior Launa Raymo hit a walk-off, two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning, giving the Lady Bulldogs the dramatic victory.
Stratford had loaded the bases on back-to-back one-out singles from Jenesys Ware and Ryleigh Ardery and a walk to Tinley Dempsey before Raymo came up with her clutch hit.
Vanoss had built an 8-5 lead before Stratford scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth and then pushed across the two runs in the sixth to complete the comeback.
Raymo led Stratford at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, five RBIs and two runs scored. Raymo has six home runs this spring. Haylee Dickerson crushed two home runs in a 2-for-3 outing that also included three RBIs.
Ware and Briley Cantrell both had two hits apiece for Stratford and Kennedy Layton ripped a solo home run in Stratford's 14-hit outing.
Vanoss finished with nine total hits, led by RJ King, who went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Avery Wilson finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Vaeh Pierce ended up 1-for-2 with a walk, two RBIs and a run scored for the Lady Wolves.
