The Class 6A-4A Oklahoma high school slowpitch softball state championships were held on Tuesday at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. Here are recaps from each game:
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Eden Anderson strived for vengeance as she prepared for a state tournament run.
She sought to relive the troubling times as motivation, never forgetting Mustang's three regular-season losses. Moore and Choctaw refunded their early-season wins over the Broncos in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Class 6A tournament.
Yet, one opposition remained. Anderson took the plate and completed her cycle, embracing her disdain for Southmoore with a game-changing grand slam in the bottom of the fourth.
"I just really wanted my redemption," Anderson said following Mustang's 14-3 win over Southmoore for a second straight title. "I saw each game as its own kind of revenge game after losing to those teams early this year. And to just see how we all approached the day and winning another title, I'm so proud of all the things we did this year."
Anderson's home run was the nail in the coffin. The Southern Nazarene signee's hit sent fans into a frenzy, catapulting Mustang to a seven-run lead.
With the win, the Broncos became the first Class 6A team to capture back-to-back slowpitch titles since Westmoore in 2003.
"The mindset today was to just play with our hearts on the line," Broncos sophomore Alexis Kierstead said. "I know if they walk Eden, I'm going to hit her in and vice versa. None of this would be possible without having strong confidence in each other like we always do."
Sophomore Alexis Kierstead initiated Mustang's dominant efforts with a grand slam of her own in the third inning for a three-run lead. Then, a walk-off, three-run home run from senior Shaye Rowe triggered the run rule in the fifth inning to secure the win.
Mustang started its season struggling. Frustrations rose as a 2-2 start stifled expectations shortly. But soon after spring break, the Broncos sparked a 15-game win streak and dropped just one game to end the season.
Head coach Lacy Darity views the early season bounce back as a testament to her team's toughness.
"Our girls battled through adversity all year, so it's great to see them rewarded for their work," Darity said. "I want them to leave a legacy here that'll be special and for future classes to aspire to be. I couldn't be more proud of them for representing this school with their play all season long. It's been a pleasure to coach them."
Perry Wilson turned to hug his assistant coaches while grinning ear to ear.
Players expected the display of emotion by the Savages' 28-year head coach. Next, a sea of fans donning black and yellow roared with approval simultaneously as the team hopped around in celebratory fashion.
For the first time in program history, Tecumseh is the Class 5A slowpitch state champion.
"This is a feeling I'll never forget," Wilson said following Tecumseh's 9-6 win over Washington. "I've been to 23 state tournaments and eight finals, so finally getting one means the world to me. This says a lot about our program and how we have such a great group of girls. It took each and every one of us to do it."
Trailing by three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Tecumseh kicked into high gear.
The Savages broke the game open in their next inning, erupting to score six runs. Junior shortstop Katie Overstreet spearheaded the much-needed spark for Tecumseh during the stretch. She hit two home runs on the day while scoring twice after being walked.
Overstreet feels her efforts helped "break the curse" surrounding the Tecumseh program.
"We didn't like coming here twice before and finishing as runner-ups," Overstreet said. "I think our comeback was just inevitable. We're fighting every ending, and it's bound to happen. We've prayed that this would happen, and I truly believe that it was all God."
Above all, Tecumseh's run is a testament to the adversity endured throughout Wilson's tenure.
The Savages spent 15 years battling with the heavyweights of Class 6A before dropping down to Class 5A. In that time, the program inched closer toward championships, or what Wilson calls the "pinnacle of success" in Oklahoma high school softball.
Wilson is hungry for more now.
"This trophy just builds our program, and I think it's going to make us even stronger next year," Wilson said. "I couldn't appreciate these girls more for their togetherness and approach to the game every single day. It means the world to them and me."
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Silo will always decline to dim its confidence on the bright stage.
The most significant moments exemplify the Rebels' fearlessness — so much so that they capped off their season on a 13-game win streak while battling through district, regional and state tournament action.
Silo remained assertive on Tuesday, capturing its first-ever slowpitch state championship.
"In the offseason, I think we knew that we had a strong chance to win it all," Silo head coach Mike Lawless said. "We didn't start off playing great, but we just kept our focus on doing what needed to be done to get a step better every week."
Silo outlasted its long-time rival Dale 13-4 for a Class 4A state title after defeating Oktaha and Pocola in the first two rounds.
Dale jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the third inning following back-to-back home runs from Teague Muncy and Heartly Synder. However, those runs would be the final time that the Pirates would cross home plate.
The Rebels then scored 11 points unanswered runs for the run-rule win. Silo sophomore Connie Tubby drove in five runs, including a three-run home run in the sixth inning.
Silo kept the bats hot for the remainder of the sixth inning and finished the night with 17 total hits.
"Our mindset since we got into the month of April has been to make history," Tubby said. "The feeling is unreal. I feel like after we fell short in fastpitch, it made us really want to win and slowpitch. To see it all pay off is just hard to put into words."
The win gives the Rebels its third state championship in softball, winning two fastpitch titles in 2019 and 2021.
Lawless knew Silo had a tough road heading into the postseason but says his trust in the group led him to believe that it would have nothing to worry about in the end.
"What we do for kids is try to change their lives," Lawless said. "Investing in their beliefs and motivating them are the meaningful things that we try to do to get the best out of them. Everyone was pushed to their best these past few weeks, and it's beautiful to see the results."
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_ . Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school slowpitch softball: Mustang, Tecumseh, Silo win Class 6A-4A titles
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