BlueJays are living on Tulsa time

Their backs were against the wall and now Guthrie Baseball is back in the state tournament.

The Bluejays are going back to the tournament for the first time since 2005.

The BlueJays needed two wins on the final day of regional play, at Squires Field, and that is exactly what they got with 7-5 and 15-5 wins over Bishop McGuinness to advance to state for the first time since 2005.

Regional photo gallery.

The Jays dropped their first two decisions of the year to McGuinness, but won the two that counted and did it with the unusual suspects. Landry Chappell and cousin Jacob Chappell on the mound.

Head coach Jon Chappell started the 215 pound 5A state wrestling champ Landry Chappell for just the second time this season in game one with their season on the line. In fact, Chappell had pitched just three innings all season heading into the regional start. He responded by tossing six innings, allowed five runs on five hits and drew even on strike outs to walks ratio with three each.

Jacob Chappell came in the final inning to collect the save as he did walk two, but kept the Irish off the score board. For the freshmen, it was his second save of the season, but he was not done as he got the starting call for the do-or-die second game.

Jacob Chappell, much like his cousin, responded in the pressure situation by pitching four and one-third inning before Bryan Dutton came in to retire the last two outs in the five inning run-rule to send the Jays into a dog pile on the infield grass.

In the first game, the BlueJay offense was led by guess who? Landry Chappell. Chappell was 2-for-3 with four RBIs and a towering no doubt about it shot for his seventh home run on the season. In addition, Dutton found the other side of the fence for his eighth of the year and finished 2-for-4. Luke Davis collected two singles in his four at bats to join the multi hit game.

There were numerous big plays for the Jays, and Scott Pickle added his with a two-RBI double in the crucial fifth inning when the Jays put a five-spot on the board to take their first lead against McGuinness after trailing 3-1 and being shut out yesterday 6-0.

Bryan Dutton is surronded by his teammates as he cleared the wall with his homerun.

In the second game, the BlueJay offense took over by scoring six runs in the third and seven more in the fourth. Guthrie (27-11) has now won 18 of their 27 wins via the run-rule.

Again it was the sophomore Dutton, who holds all the major school passing records on the gridiron, along with becoming the 5A 140 pound wrestling champion this past season, helped lead the charge by going 3-for-3 with a single, triple and a grand slam (9), and six RBIs.

Joining Dutton with a multi-hit game was, Davis, Landry Chappell, John Clark, and Reed Roberts. Roberts was second high as he brought in three runs himself with two singles.

State Tournament Preview:

It appears when the brackets are released on Sunday that the Jays will meet up with Bishop Kelley (24-7) in the first round and will play the winner/loser between Carl Albert (30-8) and Shawnee (20-14). The games will either be played at Broken Arrow, or Tulsa Union in the double elimination format.

Bishop McGuiness Irish at Guthrie Bluejays Box Score