Michael Pineda
Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY – With the comfort of an early 1-0 lead, the Piedmont softball team made the timely plays that allowed it to lock down a reservation in the Class 5A State Championship game on Saturday.
Karissa Fiegener went 2-for-3 with a home run and three runs scored while Payten Schibbelhute locked down Carl Albert at the plate in a 5-0 win Friday.
The Wildcats will face Coweta at 2:30 p.m. at Hall of Fame Stadium. Coweta beat Guthrie 4-0 Friday.
Schibbelhute went the distance, earning the shutout with six hits and three strikeouts. The Wildcats also played some solid defense behind their right-handed to prevent Carl Albert from stringing hits together.
“I thought overall we pitched it well,” Piedmont head coach Keith Coleman said. “Schibbelhute did a great job, we thought she would. Defensively, I thought we did fine. I think we had one miscue on a tough play but overall, we played a solid game.”
Coleman said the Wildcats were focused on getting the early lead and settling into the game. The problem was Carl Albert pitcher Marissa Frolich was determined the keep the Piedmont batters off balance with off-speed pitches. Fiegener made solid contact for a single with one out and stole second, setting the plate for Taybor Moss. Moss hit to left field and a valiant defensive effort came up short as the ball fell to the ground on a diving attempt.
The Titans had an opportunity answer in the second. Kyla Davenport singled and advanced to third on a sacrifice with some heads up baserunning. The threat was erased as Davenport was caught between home and third on a bunt and was tagged out on a throw by Moss to third.
“Huge play,” Coleman said.” Huge play by Taybor Moss. That really shifted momentum. They had some momentum going and it was a big-time play by her.”
In the third inning, Piedmont gained some breathing room with Fiegener leading the way once again. The shortstop hit a towering fly over the left field fence. Two walks gave Piedmont another opportunity. Hannah Nieuwenhuis hit one of the longest singles in the state tournament as the ball hit the left field fence and was quickly corralled. The Wildcats had plenty of time score one for a 3-0 lead.
The game for all intents and purposes was put away in the fourth inning. In the second and third, the Wildcats had stranded runners on second and third to end the inning.
The third time proved to be the charm.
Moss struck again with a two-double with two outs to score two for what seemed a commanding 5-0 lead.
“This time of the season, whoever gets timely hits with runners on base usually wins,” Coleman said. “Luckily today, it was us.”
“I thought we would eventually settle down. The key was, we wanted to lead early so we could kind of settle down. Overall, it was just a great team win.”
With the 5-0 lead, it was clear sailing for Schibbelhute, who retired seven of the eight batters she faced in a stretch from the third into the sixth inning. Carl Albert put a threat together in the sixth with back-to-back singles with one out. With the four and five-hole at bat, Schibbelhute logged a strikeout looking and a snare by Tayvin Davis on a line drive ended the threat.
Frolich, settled down after the fourth inning and was tagged with five earned runs on six hits with one strikeout, four walks and a hit batter.
“We wanted to make her throw pitches,” Coleman said. She really likes to work up and she likes to get chases out of the zone. So, our plan was to see pitches, be patient, make her get into counts where we felt comfortable, we could get pitches to hit. We kind of got on them a little. She got a little rattled. But she is really good. And Carl Albert is a good team. We beat a really good team today.”
Piedmont reached the seminfinals with a 14-2 run-rule win over Duncan on Thursday.
Coweta has posted a 28-13 record and won District 5A-3 championship. Piedmont and Coweta faced off early in the second in the East/West Showdown. The Wildcats picked up a 9-6 win in a five-inning affair.
