A TIE AND A HAPPY SIGH: Doenges Boys open college league play with deadlock, runaway win

A heart stopper and an offensive whopper.

Bartlesville Doenges Ford Indian fans caromed between those two contrasts during an exciting night of Oklahoma College League baseball play at Rigdon Field/Bill Doenges Stadium.

In the opener, the Indians and the Jenks-based Marucci Midwest squads dueled to a 2-2 tie, based on the league’s time-limit rule.

The Indians led through six innings, 2-0. Marucci made a two-run rally in the top of the seventh and kept the Indians from crossing home plate in the bottom of the frame.

In the nightcap, Bartlesville boomed back to dissect the Diamond Dogs, 11-1.

The Indians improved to 6-4-1 on the season and to 4-2-1 at home.

Next up, they are slated to play this weekend in an American Legion tourney in the Branson (Mo.) area. The Indians eye five games during the weekend event.

Following are rallies of Wednesday’s battles.

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Indians 2, Marucci Midwest 2

This clash evolved into one those grind-it-out battles, not distinguished by flawless execution and graceful flair, but by the grit and grueling grind of raw, dusty determination.

Bolstered by the power pitching of Bradee Rigdon (eight K’s, no runs in four innings) and Josh Weber (three innings, four hits, two runs and three K’s), the Indians pounded on the door of victory until the final inning.

In the top of the seventh, Marucci lashed four hits and scored two runs.

The Jenks-based team nearly broke the play on a double-steal attempt, but the Indian defense threw out the runner at second to keep the score frozen at 2-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Indians pushed the potential winning run (Kael Siemers) on third base — but left him stranded.

The game was then called on the OCL time-limit rule.

Brenden Asher and Daniel Barham both drove in an Indians run in the bottom of the fourth to put the Indians ahead, 2-0.

That almost turned out to be enough in the spirited pitching duel.

Through the first three innings, Bartlesville’s Rigdon and Marucci’s John Keim scrapped to a 0-0 deadlock.

In the top of the second, Rigdon gave up a leadoff single — but then whiffed the next three batters.

Keim retired the side in order in the bottom of the second; Rigdon duplicated that feat in the top of the third.

Keim — an imposing presence at well more than 6-feet and with long, flowing dark hair — set the Indians down one-two-three in the bottom of the third, extending his string to eight-straight batters retired.

Marucci threatened to rev up an offensive rally in the top of the fourth - but Rigdon kept the lid on by getting the final batter to groundout to Barham at third for a force-out.

In the bottom of the fourth, Keim suffered a rare lapse in trimming the corners of the strike zone as he had done the first three innings.

He hit the first three Indian batters — Kaden Young, who had choked up about three inches to shorten his swing, apparently trying to connect on one of Keim’s fastballs, Harrison Clark and Karson Lee.

Keim’s control woes continued when he walked Asher to force home Young for the game’s first run.

Keim then bore down to retire the next three batters — but one of them was Barham and his sacrifice fly that drove home Clark.

In the top of the fifth, the MVD (Most Valuable Defender) was definitely Lee at catcher.

With the bases loaded, Lee blocked a couple of pitches in the first to keep Marucci off the scoreboard.

Weber got in trouble in the top of the sixth with bases loaded, but escaped unscathed by getting the final batter to swing at pitch out and low for strike three.

But — with time nearing expiration — Marucci broke out in the top of the seventh. Barrick Leu led off with a single and Blake Williams walked.

Austin Reams then lashed a hit, but the lead runner was tagged at home.

However, Daxton Hembree came up next and ripped a flaming groundball into center field to plate both runners.

To the credit of Weber and his defense, Bartlesville put a tourniquet on Marucci’s rally and stopped the bleeding with the score tied, 2-2.

Siemers and Evan McClendon both reach base in the bottom of the seventh for Bartlesville.

But relief pitcher Logan Isbell recovered from a 3-and-0 count to get the strikeout.

Earlier in the game, Clark had done just the opposite — coming back from a 0-and-2 count and earning a walk, including a smattering of foul balls.

This was the Indians’ first tie of the summer.

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Indians 11, Diamond Dogs 1

In second game, the Indians bolted to an early 4-0 lead and kept up the pressure.

Clark belted a double and drove in four runs to earn the Smokin’ Bat honor.

Barham added two singles and three RBIs, while Lee and Luke Fox each plated one run.

Cole Hancock added two hits and scored two runs.

The Indians staged a crime wave on the base path, stealing five passes in five attempts.

Kaeden Young and Jace Thompson were among the base thieves.

Ryan Jones made his summer pitching debut for the Indians, working four innings of two-hit ball with no walks and five K’s. The only run against him was unearned.

Hayden Catlin finished up with a perfect fifth inning on just seven pitches.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Focus on Bartlesville Doenges Ford Indians baseball DH