By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
OKLAHOMA CITY – For Piedmont’s Aubrey Pyle, six years of hard work culminated in one at-bat Saturday afternoon at Hall of Fame Stadium.
Pyle delivered the game-winning single that scored two runs in the top of sixth as top-seeded Piedmont rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Coweta 5-3 for its second straight Class 5A state championship.
“It’s what everyone wants to do with their senior season, but not everyone gets to,” Pyle said. “I’m so glad it was us.”
Pyle’s hit propelled Piedmont to its third state title in four seasons as PHS beat No. 2 Coweta in the state championship game for the second straight season.
“It doesn’t get old. That feeling of absolute joy when the last out is made or that last run scores…it’s the best feeling in the world,” head coach Keith Coleman said.
Pyle said Piedmont’s dugout stayed confident, even as Coweta pulled to within four outs of its second state title in three years.
“We trust everyone on the field. They’re there for a reason,” she said. “We banded together.”
Piedmont scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to pull within 3-2, then the Lady Wildcats put together their decisive rally with two outs in the sixth.
Paislee Clark singled to keep the inning alive and Hannah Nieuwenhuis followed with a walk. With runners on first and second, Peyton Gray sent a single to center to tie the game and set the stage for Pyle.
“It was all about my teammates,” Pyle said. “But it was exciting to be the one who drove in those runs.”
Pyle batted eighth Saturday, but the senior catcher is a clutch hitter, particularly with two outs and runners in scoring position, Coleman said. She’s never come through in a situation with more on the line.
“She just finds a way. I’ve seen her do it time and time and time again,” he said. “It didn’t surprise me to see her do it today.”
Piedmont starting pitcher Payten Schibbelhute got off to a rocky start, allowing three runs on five hits through two innings, but the junior right-hander didn’t lose her composure and wound up posting yet another solid outing postseason outing.
“I just told myself to keep fighting and not give up,” Schibbelhute said.
She retired 15 of the last 17 Coweta (28-14) batters she faced and got the last six outs in order, including the top of the Tigers’ lethal lineup in the bottom of the seventh.
“That’s what makes her special. The bigger the situation, the better she is,” Coleman said. “She’s a really good pitcher.”
Piedmont (40-3) finished 12-1 in games decided by three runs or less this season. The Lady Wildcats won Saturday despite the top of their order going a collective 1 for 15. The bottom three batters in the lineup delivered three hits, two RBI’s and two runs scored.
“We talk all the time, the strength of our team is our team. We’re not the most talented bunch out there,” Coleman said. “But our kids fight through adversity and understand that it’s a seven inning game. We knew it would be tough. That’s the way state championships are.”
No team in any class has proven to be tougher to beat this season than Piedmont. The Lady Wildcats finished with the best record in Oklahoma and won a program-record 40 games.
“There’s a lot that goes into it. Our administration at Piedmont is the best in the business. We have great parents and I have great assistant coaches,” Coleman said. “Finally, we have great kids. We have great kids. We aren’t the most talented in the world, but gosh dang, I haven’t found (a team) tougher than us yet.”
