Tigers suffer disappointing loss on walk-off single

STERLING – Sterling suffered a disappointing 5-4 loss Monday when Fort Cobb-Broxton tallied a run off a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Sterling had a chance in the top of the seventh when a base running error cost the Tigers a chance to take the lead. At the time, the score was knotted at 4-4.

“Yes, it’s disappointing but they’re kids and they mess up sometimes,” Sterling head coach Brett Holmes said.

The loss dropped Sterling’s season record to 17-8. A game scheduled for Tuesday against Okarche was cancelled due to sickness and injury.

Fort Cobb took the lead 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run single. However, Sterling bounced back with four runs in the top of the third. The Tigers tallied those runs on a two-run double by Riley Lile. A sacrifice fly, a Fort Cobb error and two hit batters accounted for two more runs.

Fort Cobb tied the score with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Sterling’s Khaiden Gardner had a solid night at the plate with two hits in four at-bats and one RBI.

The pitching trio of Gardner, Alec Jay and Kayden Wilson allowed four earned runs on seven hits while walking 10 batters and striking out five.

“We’re trying to tune up for district, which is next week,” Holmes said. “We’ve been playing pretty good. We’re hitting well and pitching has been good all year. It’s going to be tough from here on out.”

District action is set Sept. 22-23 at Sterling.

During last Saturday’s Elk City Festival, Sterling split of games by defeating Vici 6-4 and losing to Byng 13-9.

Sterling jumped out to a two-run lead against Vici in the third inning as Tyler Pierce hit a RBI single and Gardner clobbered a run-scoring double. Sterling added three runs in the fifth inning as Wilson hit a two-run single and Lile smashed a triple that scored Wilson from third base.

The game was far from over when Vici tallied a single run in the fifth, two more in the sixth and another single run in the seventh. Sterling scored a run in the top of the seventh to take a 6-3 lead.

Both teams finished the game with seven hits.

Sterling’s Nate Anderson started on the mound, allowed one earned run on four hits while walking five and striking out six Vici hitters.

Sterling wasn’t nearly as fortunate against Byng, which scored early and often in the festival game. Byng notched a single run in the first inning and exploded for 11 more in the second inning. Sterling tallied three runs each in the second and third innings as Byng led, 12-6.

The Tigers scored two more runs in the fifth inning and added a single run in the top of the seventh, but it was too little too late.

Sterling’s Nate Anderson was one of the bright spots at the plate with three hits in four at-bats and one RBI. Pierce had two hits and three RBI.

Sterling used four pitchers in the loss including starter Jayden Huitt who allowed eight runs on four hits while walking five hitters and striking out two Byng batters.

Sterling will play at the Amber-Pocasset Festival Sept. 16-17 and at Leedey on Sept. 19.