Memorial bites back on Mustang, clips Antlers along the way

Edmond Memorial scored three runs for the second straight time against the district-leading Mustang High School. But, this time playing in the initial rounds of the soon-to-be rained out Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference, three runs were enough for the Bulldogs to bounce the Broncos. Jill Dickson walked it off, too, hitting a two-run single to center field in the bottom of the final, fifth inning Friday afternoon. Dickson’s hit scored Caylor Cole and Beth McAnally, after the pair reached on a single and a hard-hit ground ball that troubled Mustang into an error to lead off the inning. Dickson also dominated defensively in Memorial’s win. Memorial scored her afternoon in the circle as a no-hitter, striking out four in five innings and walking three batters. Both of Mustang’s only two runs — which each came in the third inning — were ruled unearned. Dickson’s hit fed off an earlier score from Cole herself. Cole had crossed all on her own fruition in the bottom of the third, answering one of the two aforementioned unearned runs. Batting leadoff on an eventual, 2-0 count, Cole took her first seen strike out of left field for her first home run of the season. Emeresen Heron had the only un-mentioned hit in the win, singling with two outs in the bottom of the third. Heron and Mia Holliman also earned bases on four-ball at-bats. The win was payback in the truest form. Just four days earlier, on Monday of last week, Mustang slipped away from another three-run Memorial outing in the bottom of the seventh. There the Broncos had a walk-off sacrifice fly to prevent an extra-inning district clash. On Friday, Dickson’s winner saw her reach safely, too. From heroes to heartbreakers Memorial’s win last Friday put the Deer Creek Antlers tied in the loss column and just one win behind the Mustang Broncos. Already boasting a near 20+ run lead in district run differential, the Bulldog win meant that if Creek could win out for the rest of their regular season, then they’d hold the district title when it was all said and done. Deer Creek’s first opponent after the tie, ironically, was the same Memorial Bulldogs. And, on Monday, the Bulldogs ended Creek’s current plan with a 6-4 win west of town. Memorial’s Emersen Heron went 3-for-4 from the plate in Monday’s win, notching two RBIs and scoring herself on a one-out home run in the top of the third inning. She’d single in the sixth, too, scoring Beth McAnally and completing a trio of back-to-back-to-back run-producing at-bats after McAnally and Ryley Watkins each scored runs with their trips to the box. McAnally’s scoring of Mia Holliman tied it at four, before Watkins’ singled through second base to score Caylor Cole and give the Bulldogs Monday’s final lead change. Jill Dickson pitched in this one, too, and though the top of the order of Deer Creek’s potent offense all registered hits — with Caitlyn Wells homering for one of her two hits on a three-RBI day — Dickson held the damage there at the top. Instead, she’d strike out Creek’s five- through nine-hole hitters a combined 10 times. Dickson had 14 strikeouts in total, with only two Deer Creek batters — Terin Ritz and Taylor Smith — escaping Monday’s game without being retired via punch-out. Memorial head coach Janet Chartney said the team’s two wins have been great to see. “We got quality production up and down the lineup,” Chartney said. “We have had quality pitching in the circle. All-in-all they were great team wins. I’m so very proud of how they never give up in adversity. There’s a great Bulldog fight in these girls. They just keep attacking and executing.”

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Edmond Memorial High School Athletics

MEMORIAL BITES BACK ON MUSTANG, CLIPS ANTLERS ALONG THE WAY

AARON ALBERTSON

Edmond Sun | 9/24/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Memorial Athletics