The Guthrie Lady Jays saw their softball season come to an end Friday, October 16, with a 7-4 loss to Carl Albert in the opening round of the Class 5A State Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament at FireLake Ball Park.
Guthrie, which had defeated Carl Albert twice during the regular season, was unable to complete the season sweep as the Titans used a pair of home runs from AJ Bennett to advance.
The Lady Jays finished the season with a 23-11 record, highlighted by district and regional championships and a sixth consecutive appearance in the state tournament.
After three scoreless innings, Carl Albert broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runs, giving the Titans a 2-0 advantage.
Guthrie answered in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of a Carl Albert error to tie the game at two.
However, the Titans responded in the bottom half of the inning when Bennett delivered a three-run home run to left field, putting Carl Albert back in front, 5-2.
Bennett struck again in the sixth inning with a two-run inside-the-park home run, extending the Titans’ lead to 7-2.
The Lady Jays continued to battle and scored twice more, but the comeback fell short.
Guthrie collected 10 hits in the contest, led by Lola Brown, who finished 3-for-4 at the plate.
Brylan Shephard added two hits in three at-bats, while Ryn McCormick drove in two runs to lead the Lady Jays offensively.
Carl Albert finished with 11 hits, including a 4-for-4 performance from Bennett, who drove in five of the Titans’ seven runs.
Season highlighted by district and regional championships
Despite the disappointing ending, Guthrie put together another successful season under head coach Kara Tarrant.
The Lady Jays went undefeated in district play with a 10-0 record, capturing the district championship and completing their first perfect district season in more than 15 years.
Guthrie also claimed the regional championship dominantly, outscoring its opponents by a combined 42-0 over three games to secure another trip to the state tournament.
The regional title extended the program’s streak to six consecutive state tournament appearances, continuing one of the most consistent stretches in Guthrie softball history.
Tahlequah claims first state championship
Carl Albert’s tournament run continued with a loss to Tahlequah in the semifinals.
Tahlequah went on to capture its first Class 5A fast-pitch softball state championship, defeating Pryor 4-0 in the championship game.
For Guthrie, the first-round loss marked the end of another season that included a district title, regional championship and a return to the state’s final eight teams.
The Lady Jays will now look toward next season as they work to continue their run of postseason success.
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