Speed kills but in the case of the Muskogee fastpitch softball team, it’s also worth an extra base or two and has limited baserunners from being as aggressive en route to this week’s Class 6A state tournament.

It’s most telling when the Rougher-ettes are batting with runners on base.

“If someone hits a ground ball, we have enough speed to possibly beat it out,” first baseman Hannah Hamilton said. “We try to use our speed to beat people.”

And, the Rougherettes have used that speed to beat 22 out of 34 opponents this season. Two of those wins came against Hilldale.

“They’re the type of team that you can’t afford to give them an inch, they’ll take a mile,” Hilldale coach Matt Ross said. “They’re a great running team and are able to put pressure on you without putting the ball in play. They can take advantage of you without having to do a lot.”

Hamilton is part of the Terrific Trio on the basepaths. Along with center fielder Madison Reed and shortstop Jordan Clark, the junior threesome have a combined 37 stolen bases in 42 attempts this season — a success ratio of 88 percent.

“Every time we get on base, we thinking about taking the extra base,” Clark said. “Once we start running the bases aggressively, he wants to be the only thing that stops us.”

As a team, MHS has successfully stolen 60 out of 75 bases, or 80 percent.

The Rougherettes hope to use all of that speed Thursday when they play in the Class 6A state tournament at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. Muskogee, long a slowpitch power but making its first fastpitch state trip in the program’s 35 years of existence, plays top-ranked and top-seeded Westmoore at noon. Depending on if it wins or loses, MHS, the No. 8 seed and 12th in the final Okrankings.com poll, plays at 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. in the double-elimination tourney.

Opposing teams also have to think twice when they’re at the plate and trying to manufacture runs against the Rougherettes.

“If a ball is hit really deep, we know we have the speed to get there,” Reed said. “Another team won’t try for a triple because we can hold them to a double. If the ball isn’t hit deep, my teammates know we have the speed to back them up on plays.”

The team speed comes naturally and also with plenty of hard work.

“I’ve played a lot of sports. I ran track and played basketball at Alice Robertson,” Clark said. “If you are in those sports, you’ve got to have speed.”

Hamilton said countless hours are also used to develop the speed.

“We were up here at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday during the summer running and doing all kind of agilities,” she said. “We run around Bacone and hills. Coach Chambers runs with us.”