Baseball rolls to 12-0 record with 9-6 victory over Clinton

The Guthrie Bluejays found themselves down 3-0 and then 6-2 but found another way to win another game.

The Jays scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning to down Class 4A Clinton 9-6 in six innings. With the win, Guthrie improves to 12-0 on the season and 1-0 in the Kingfisher Festival.

Clinton, now 9-7 overall, scored three runs in the first and three runs in the third and held the lead for the first four innings.

Senior right-handed pitcher Willy Clymer, who has pitching wins over defending 5A state champions Duncan and Class 2A powerhouse Dale this season, did not have his best stuff on the cloudy, breezy afternoon by giving up six earned runs and walking six.

In relief, freshmen right-hander Owen Wilder (2-0) pitched two solid innings by giving up no runs and two hits for the win. Junior Hayden Calvert, who appears to be the team’s closer on the bump, pitched a scoreless sixth inning to secure the save.

On offense, there were plenty of accolades to go around.

Senior Cale Evans delivered a two-RBI double down the right field line in the prestigious fifth inning that turned the momentum around to Guthrie’s dugout for the first time in the game.

Seniors Carson Wilder and Josh Dement delivered two hits each while fellow senior Zac Henry provided a double and two RBIs.

Perhaps, providing the biggest splash in the lineup came from freshman designated hitter Kellen Hirzel.

In his first true meaningful varsity game, Hirzel looked comfortable in the left-hander’s box as he went 2-3, including a double, with three RBIs.

Guthrie collected a hit from six of the nine batters who came to the plate and outhit the Red Tornadoes 9 to 5.

Next up for the Bluejays will be a Friday doubleheader with Kingfisher (8-10) and Heritage Hall (9-1) at 12 and 2 p.m. scheduled starts. The festival will end on Saturday when Guthrie goes up against Class 6A’s Putnam City West (1-9) at 12:30 p.m.