Sequoyah is off to quite a start in defense of its Class 3A state championship.

Natosha Cummings already had a pioneering moment when she departed in late May for the African continent.

It’s the time of year where, with media days and the start of preseason practices, the same words phrases roll off the tongues of both coaches and players.

OKTAHA — For the host Lady Tigers, it was a different day altogether from their eight-inning opener on Monday.

For the visiting Lady Tigers, it was about seizing enough moments with a bit of an eye-opening lineup in their season opener.

Jordan Hayes cracked a two-run double with one out in the seventh and after Bayleigh James reached on a fielding error by pitcher Cayton Sloan, Nia Polzin doubled home a pair. The five-run inning erased a two-run deficit and then Courtney Hill retired Oktaha in order in the bottom of the frame to win 10-7.

Oktaha (1-1) was coming off an eight-inning win at Muskogee on Monday, one in which they played errorless ball while Sloan scattered four hits. In this contest, four of Fort Gibsons runs were unearned. Oktaha had four errors.

Oktaha posted a four-run first, highlighted by RBI singles from Brynn Surmont and Karli Ashing, and held that 4-0 lead until Fort Gibson answered with four in the third. Fort Gibson took a 5-4 lead on Polzin’s solo home run in the fourth. 

A three-run sixth put Oktaha back up up, all without the benefit of a hit. Karley Fewel reached on an error at short by Bayleigh James, an error at third by Erica Hornback followed with two outs off a grounder by Mya Allen. Back-to-back walks by Hill pushed across a run, Jocelynn Williams hit into a fielder’s choice to score run and Surmont scored on a wild pitch.

Hill redeemed herself with a single that pushed Hayes, the go-ahead run in the seventh, to third. It was one of two hits for the fourth-year pitcher who has seldom if ever picked up a bat as a high school player.

Outside of the cages, so says coach Joe Obregon.

So, hitting cleanup?

“Just doing what coach tells me,” said Hill, who added she doesn’t hit on her travel ball team either. “No pressure because I haven’t hit the past four years, ever.”

Polzin, meanwhile, looked like a cleanup bat in the seven hole with a team-best three RBIs. 

“On the home run ball I had to scoot up on the plate because my coach told me she was going to pitch outside. The (hit in the seventh) was inside. I just try and work hard for the team whatever spot Im in.”

Obregon didn’t mince words about Hill.

“I know she can hit. She’s in the cages, she does all the same drills as the others,” Obregon said.

Hannah Thouvenel was 3-for-4 in the two hole behind Gracie Williams, who was 2-for-4.

Oktaha coach Kia Holmes, whose squad looked early like a 2-0 start was coming its way, shrugged at the contrast between her team’s first two outings.

“Our bats went cold after that first inning. It was like we got satisfied,” she said. “Defensively I think we made mistakes at crucial times but overall didn’t play that bad.”

Hill scattered six hits and walked three, Four of her seven runs were unearned. Sloan gave up 10 hits, struck out five and walked two.

“Cayton has thrown a lot in two days, this early, and a good eight innings yesterday,” Holmes said. “I probably should have given her a break late. That’s on me. Even coaches make mistakes.”

Surmont was 3-for-3 and Ashing 2-for-3 to lead Oktaha.

“This is a good matchup for our area, playing a good team like Karli, and I think we’re going to be good,” said Obregon, who lost four starters off last year’s quarterfinalist in Class 4A.

“We lost four but we gained some good young players,” Thouvenel said. “I think we’ll be good.”

Fort Gibson is in the Broken Arrow Invitational later this week. Oktaha is in an early season Big Eight Conference tournament starting Thursday at Vian.

Hilldale head coach David Blevins leads the Hornets in a midnight practice Monday morning. Hilldale opens the season at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at Sequoyah. Gore, Haskell and Warner are among schools that begin their seasons on Aug. 30.

When Robert Stevenson interviewed for the Muskogee boys tennis job, there was one question that never went asked, even while assistant athletic director James Platter prodded him for it.

One reached the mountaintop last fall, others were close.

Some area prep volleyball teams had heavy losses, some coming off competitive seasons in 2018.

Warriors go down in finale

If you want to be inspired about the possibilities of rock and mineral collecting, you need to look no further than the Elsing Museum at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, referred to as “God’s Natural Art Museum”.

Former Muskogee Rougher Kamren Curl’s mettle as a Division I football player has had its share of test by fire.

Pitching has been the staple from which Three Rivers’ success has come in American Legion baseball this season.

Once upon a time, Dadrian Wilson was a renown stud as a defensive football player.

Chanse Sylvie couldn’t help but stand out in his blue vest. With the Oklahoma safety’s shoulders rolling out the top of his sleeves, he had to have been one of the most physically imposing employees working for Walmart this summer.

It’s been an unpredictable campaign, so an unpredictable finish seems appropriate for the Oklahoma Warriors.

Three Rivers pitching was on a roll coming out of the American Legion state tournament last week.

Bryan Howard is back in familiar territory, hired in July as the new softball coach at Connors State.

MOUNT VERNON, Texas (AP) — Art Briles was back at his roots Monday, coaching a high football team in Texas after a season in Italy and more than three years after the two-time Big 12 champion coach was fired by Baylor in the wake of a sexual assault scandal.

During the prep football media conclave hosted by Bravado Wireless with the Phoenix staff taking part in, I got some nice insight into the mind of one Jacob Barrett.

Mike Gundy has been trying to stave off the questions, but they just keep coming – typically with subtle differences in the iterations.

Oklahoma’s offense hasn’t just been prolific the past two seasons. It has been among the nation’s most responsible with the football.

Tracin Wallace will go down having made just one catch for one yard at the end of a blowout against an FCS opponent for his college career.

Oklahoma’s autograph-hungry fans made it easy to identify the most sought-after table at Friday’s Meet the Sooners Day.

Two locals will again take their shot at showing something to the guys from the Show-Me State that are dominating at the top of the Cash Money Late Model Series that makes its third stop of the season at Thunderbird Speedway.

STILLWATER – Mike Gundy wanted to make it easy on media members following Oklahoma State football’s fall camp opening practice inside the Sherman E. Smith Training Center.