District sweeps of Antlers and Atoka early last week wrapped up the third place slot in District 3A-5 for the Kingston Redskins in baseball playoff positioning later this week.
The Redskins are set for Class 3A regional action and will join Keys and Heavener at Adair for the four-team event at a time that will likely be dependent on the weather.
Coach Darren Henson’s unit had a busy couple of days with back-to-back doubleheaders while winning all four contests to end with a 9-3leaguemark.Theyopened with an 11-10 nailbiter over Antlers before dispatching the Bearcats by a 9-5 count in the nightcap. Things went a little smoother against Atoka with10-1and15-0winsgoing to the Redskins.
They wrapped up the week’s action with a 5-1 loss to Colbert on Thursday.
Kingston looked in dire straits in the week’s opener, trailing 10-2 in the sixth inning and on the brink of a run rule when the Redskin offense came alive.
They plated five runs in the bottom of the fifth, cashing in three walks while also capitalizing on a Hayden Seeney two-run double and Lander Burkhalter single.
Brock Rumer then twirled a scoreless top of seventh to give the Redskins a chance, which they fully took as Rumer walked and Brady Greene singled. They then cashed in two Antlers errors andabuntsinglefromSeeney to tie the score.
Kingstonkeptthemomentum going into the eighth inning as Jaksyn Martin walked and Rumer singled ahead of a walkoff hit by Greene.
It wasn’t quite as dramatic in game two but three tallies by the Redskins broke open a tight game, giving them a comfortable edge in the top of the seventh.
Blane Henry pitched a complete game, scattering five runs on five hits, struck out eight and walked four. They meanwhile made the most of five offensive hits, two of which came from Martin.
The Redskins found their offensive stroke against Atoka, bashing out nine hits in the opener as Greene led the charge by going a perfect four for four at the plate. He hadadoubleanddroveintwo.
Ewan Weaver, Henry, Seeney, Ethan Mowles and Martin each posted one hit as Burkhalter fired a gem on the mound, giving up one unearned run on four hits. He fanned nine and walked just one.
The 15-0 blistering ended early on the rule as Kingston plated five runs in the third, four in the fifth and sixth in the sixth.
That was plenty of support for a dazzling pitching performance by Slyder Hill, who twirled a four-hit shutout, striking out four and walking two.
Rumer paced the offensive eruption with two doubles and five runs batted in. Weaver contributed two hits with two RBI and Reid Patterson also posted two hits. Bridgman contributed ahitandknockedintwo. The Redskins only managed two hits in the Colbert loss with one apiece by Greene and Martin.