BASEBALL: McAlester opens season with win vs. Sallisaw

Mar. 5—McAlester started a new season with new turf, a new coach, and a win.

The Buffaloes used a four-run third inning and a three-run homer in the fourth to get a lead and hung on for an 8-6 win Saturday against Sallisaw at Mike Deak Field.

Buffs baseball coach Justin Mullins said he liked what he saw from his team in the opener and wants to keep building momentum.

"We're going to take it one game at a time, we're going to strive to be better the next game," Mullins said. "We're not looking down the road obviously we want to be a state tournament team and we feel like we have the guys to do that but right now we got to get better. We're a long ways from where we need to be, but man we're progressing. We're were we want to be right now and just have to work to get better."

Mullins also got his first win at the helm as the Buffs' head coach, but credited the players and staff for the victory.

"I'm happy for the kids, not me — I mean it's not about me, it's about them," Mullins. "I'm the guy with the HC on the front but I'll tell you what, I've got great assistant coaches, a great group guys, so kudos to them."

McAlester was playing for the first time on its new turf at Mike Deak Park that wasn't available before the preseason.

Mullins said adjusting to the turf and first-game nerves brought challenges in the opener, as did playing a Sallisaw team that played in the state tournament two of the last three years.

"I'll tell you our kids are resilient and our motto is 'we're not going to make any excuses,' we're just going to go with the hand that's dealt us," Mullins said.

Sallisaw struck first with a run scoring on an error in the top of the first inning.

Lleyton Bass got the first McAlester hit on the new field with a grounder up the middle. He quickly stole second before moving to third on a passed ball, but was left stranded.

McAlester got out the top of the second quickly before looking to score with Trent Boatright reaching on a walk then moving to third on a steal and a passed ball.

Boatright went on to score the Buffs' first run of the season on a passed ball to tie it at 1-1 through the second inning.

Sallisaw tacked on another run on a sacrifice fly in third to reclaim the lead heading into the bottom of the third.

But the Buffs answered with Ethan Gillespie's line drive to center bringing in Bass to tie it again.

Gage Mullins hit a liner to left that brought Gillespie to give McAlester a lead and he later scored on a balk. Gage Dollins later stole third and a wild throw sent him home to take a 5-2 advantage through the third.

Sallisaw came back with a two-run double off the centerfield fence to pull back within one.

McAlester threatened to sore again with two runners in position before Gillespie mashed a tater over the left field fence for an 8-4 lead through the fourth.

Sallisaw put runners in scoring position in the fifth, but Mullins laid out to catch a throw to first base to get the Buffs out of a jam.

The Black Diamonds added a run in the sixth on a double, then another run on a sacrifice fly to pull within two, but Mcalester hung on for the win.

Contact Adrian O'Hanlon III at aohanlon@mcalesternews.com