Swing of Destiny: Tyner Wilson's late magic prevails Stillwater past Choctaw in State Quarterfinals

May 10—Bases loaded. Final inning. Two outs. Down by two. Season on the line.

Stillwater Senior Tyner Wilson found himself in a position most kids dream of. He made his dream a reality in the State Tournament.

Wilson recognized a high-and-inside fastball out of the hand of Choctaw lefty pitcher Drake Fittro and didn't miss it. The ball soared down the left field line and cracked off of the aluminum outfield wall.

In pandemonium, Ethan Holliday cruised home all the way from first, and just like that Stillwater had the lead on Wilson's go-ahead, three-RBI double.

The swing from Wilson was the exclamation point that capped an unimaginable Stillwater rally, ultimately pulling off the stunning five-run comeback and beating Choctaw 6-5 in the State Quarterfinal in Norman late on Thursday night.

"You can't even make it up," Wilson said. "I've been dreaming of stuff like this since I was a little kid and it's amazing I got an opportunity to do it with my brothers."

Holliday was given a sign of respect with an intentional walk with Wilson on deck. That put the go-ahead run on base, and the Pioneer shortstop knew that the bat was in good hands.

"I had no doubt he'd deliver," Holliday said. "Tyner's a stud. He's humble, he's a baller, he's everything you'd want."

A lot changed over the course of two innings. Five innings into the game, it looked like Stillwater was nearly hopeless. Choctaw starting pitcher Easton Teel had the Pioneer lineup in knots, striking out 11 of the first 15 outs he recorded. Stillwater was hitless through five and faced a 5-0 deficit.

"Their pitcher was very impressive," Holliday said. "We all knew we had a challenge in front of us."

The results weren't there early, but disciplined at bats, like the 12-pitch at bat from Brady Holliday in the third inning, steadily drove Teel's pitch count up. Something had to give eventually.

"Best guy we've faced all year," Stillwater head coach Marty Lees said. "You have to grind him out. We grinded him out to 115 pitches."

It was in the final stretch of those 115 pitches that finally things clicked. The first hit came from Landon Littau on a line drive single to right center field with one out in the sixth. Then Parker Jeffery sent a flare to left field a batter later.

The momentum was shifting and Ethan Holliday sent the comeback into motion.

Holliday dug a low slider below his knees out of the massive Norman North ballpark, making it 5-3 Choctaw. There was life in the Pioneer dugout. Teel got pulled from the game and that setup the final push in the seventh.

"We scored some runs on him, that was huge," Lees said. "Ethan Holliday's home run was huge...We knew that if we could get to another guy, we felt pretty darn good about it."

Pioneer starting pitcher Blake Aziere struggled with command in his 2.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on five walks before being pulled for sidearmer Chase Berger. It was ultimately Isaiah Smith that closed out the final three innings, and he was fantastic.

Smith missed a stretch of the season due to injury, but his presence was felt on Thursday night. The junior right hander allowed just two base runners from the fifth inning on, and he kept the door open for Stillwater to claw its way back.

After Wilson's go-ahead double, Smith needed to record the most important three outs of his life. No thought in his mind other than to "just go out there and throw strikes," He did, and he sealed the deal.

"It was great to come back here and come in a clutch moment and show out," Smith said. "It's a little emotional, but we're ready to go. It's not over yet."

"He should get more credit," Wilson said of Smith's performance. "To dominate like that, there's nothing better."

The comeback victory now advances Stillwater to the State Semifinals against Westmoore. The Jags knocked off fan-favorite Enid with a dominant 10-0 win on Thursday, so another tall task is in order.

"I think this is the same intensity we're gonna have to bring to the next two," Ethan Holliday said. "We're not satisfied."

Stillwater's experienced team got the job done in theatrical fashion today, and it is now one step closer to securing the title.

"They don't panic," Lees said. "We've got older kids and they don't wanna lose. That's why we're winning."

"Never count us out," Wilson sais. "We're the hardest fighting team in the state. We have the best lineup, the best hitters. Never count us out, no matter what the score is."

Stillwater and Westmoore will face off at 4 p.m. CT on Friday afternoon from Norman North High School. The winner will advance to the State Championship game at Bricktown Ballpark on Saturday afternoon.