The Tahlequah Lady Tigers scored six runs over the final three innings, rallying from a 5-2 deficit to hand the Grove Lady Red an 8-6 defeat in a District 5A-3 softball matchup at Grove High School Tuesday.
Grove (5-20, 1-7 in District 5A-3) scored four times in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by a bouncing two-run single by starting pitcher Emilee Iverson through the middle of the infield that gave the Lady Red the lead.
Two bunt singles and a walk loaded the bases for Grove before Iverson drove in Kaitlynn Smith and Paige Miller. Kaylee Dozier drove in another run with a bunt single and Iverson scored on an errant pickoff throw before Tahlequah starter Morgan Tarrance was able to get out of the inning.
“We hit the ball well, moved runners and did a good job with the short game,” head coach Jeremy Collins said.
But where the Lady Red used small ball, the Lady Tigers (26-1, 9-0) used their power, getting a two-out RBI double from Randee O’Donnell followed by a two-run home run from Kirsten Chase to tie the game at 5. Lindsay Wade also had a solo home run during the second inning that gave Tahlequah a 2-0 lead at the time.
“That’s why they’re going to compete for a state championship,” Collins said. “They’re definitely the best team on this side of the state in my opinion. Their hitters are good. Emilee pitched well in spots and kept them off-balance.”
But the Lady Red were as much undone by their own mistakes as they were by Tahlequah’s hitters. Grove committed six errors on the day, beginning with the first batter of the game when Marisa Girdner’s infield grounder was mishandled. Girdner eventually scored the game’s first run. Another error in the sixth led to two Tahlequah runs.
“Sometimes you take the simple things for granted and we do that way too much,” Collins said.
The Lady Tigers would have their own problems in the field. Taylor Rupe got a one-out base hit in the bottom of the third and eventually scored on an errant throw to first.
After Tahlequah took stretched their lead to 7-5 with the two unearned runs in the top of the sixth Iverson doubled to centerfield in the bottom of the inning and later scored on a passed ball to cut the lead to one. Tahlequah would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh for the final margin.
Rupe finished the day 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot, while Iverson finished with two hits and two runs batted in.
Grove will play on Thursday at home in another District 5A-3 matchup beginning at 5 p.m
