Lady Indians' season ends against State Runner-Up

Oct. 8—The Comanche Lady Indians had high hopes going into the Class 3A State Tournament for softball and they held a 4-0 lead through five innings before State Runner-Up North Rock Creek took over and won 5-4.

Playing as the home team, the Comanche Lady Indians went on defense first. They got a fly out and a neat double play after a one single put a runner on the base paths.

Right fielder Jaelyn Reed caught the fly ball for out number two and threw it in to first baseman Jentry Whaley, who tagged the base for the third out to end the top half of the first inning.

Whaley came up big in the bottom half of the first inning to give Comanche the 1-0 lead after a lead-off walk from Bre Gill. A sacrifice bunt moved Gill to second and brought up the clean-up hitter.

Getting the count to 2-2, Whaley hit a single right up the middle to score Gill to take the 1-0 lead. The Lady Indians held North Rock Creek to another zero in the top of the second.

Senior Gracee Miller led off the bottom of the second with a single to right before Mykayla Slovak hit a sacrifice bunt to move Miller over to second with one out in the inning.

Kamrey Rendon, who got the start in the circle, helped her own cause by singling up the middle to drive in Miller and put Comanche up 2-0.

Reed, trying for a sacrifice bunt, laid down a perfect bunt that alluded the fielders. She reached safely at first to put two runners on and the leadoff hitter in Gill back up to the plate.

Gill decided also to bunt and reached on an infield single of her own to load the bases with one out and Raylee Chaney coming up trying to extend the lead.

Getting the count full and fouling off several pitches, Chaney hit the ball deep to left field for a sacrifice fly to drive in Rendon and put Comanche up 3-0 over North Rock Creek.

In the circle, Rendon struck out the first two batters in the top of the third and got one final out to keep North Rock Creek to zero runs through three at-bats.

A little controversy happened in the top of the fourth when it looked like North Rock Creek got on the scoreboard, but the home plate umpire ruled a no pitch which erased the RBI hit and kept the score at 3-0.

Comanche tight roped out of danger with two strikeouts and a ground out to keep the score at 3-0 before the Lady Indians took advantage later in the game.

A lead off walk in the bottom of the fifth put Josey Harris up after a sacrifice bunt move Brighton O'Connor into scoring position.

Harris delivered a single up the middle to drive in O'Connor and put Comanche up 4-0 after five innings of play.

North Rock Creek put up a big inning in the top of the sixth by getting three doubles in a row to tie the game up at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly making the difference in the top of the seventh.

Comanche Lady Indians Head Coach Aaron Minor felt the sting of the big inning that led to the game tying and knows they had a chance to win and move on to the semi-finals.

"Obviously it was disappointing and we had the game in our hands I thought, going into the sixth inning when we needed six outs," Minor said. "The obvious statement is — you know the defense, we had some blunders in the field during the sixth inning. We also missed some opportunities at the plate early in the innings and we were a hit away from maybe opening it up or scoring more runs maybe to where those errors don't hurt us."

Minor gave credit to the No. 2 team in the State and said his team was ready going into the game. He said despite the result, the girls should be proud of a second state tournament appearance in a row.

"It is something to be proud of. That is what I told them. I know this sucks right now, I know it does, and there is no making any bones about it," Minor said. "But 10, 20, 30 years from now, it is something to be proud of and maybe probably less than that when they have time to put this away and reflect. This is especially for the seniors, mainly it will be something they will be proud of. Making back-to-back years to the State Tournament, it is something to be proud of and they will understand that someday."

Comanche had five seniors in Gracee Miller, Aspen Loafman, Brighton O'Connor, Ashlyn Jobe and Grace Kincade and will return everyone else to the 2023 team.

With two State Tournament appearances in a row, Minor believes the expectation is now there to make a run at the State Tournament each season.

"With what we've got coming back next year, we could still be pretty good. Going to the State Tournament is not guaranteed and you have to scrap and claw and things have got to go your way," Minor said. "That is kind of the standard direction of every year we want to be. So hopefully we come back with that mindset ready to grind out again next year."

Comanche's season ends with a record of 28-9 and the Lady Indians finished as the No. 7 seed in the Class 3A State Tournament.