OKLAHOMA CITY — Oh-so-close, yet oh-so-far.
Seventh-seeded Bethel took second-seeded Fort Gibson to the wire before dropping a 6-5 heartbreaker Thursday afternoon at the Class 4A fast-pitch softball tournament.
Down 6-5 entering the top of the seventh inning, Bethel’s Jessica Simmons opened with a single to deep short and Taylor Cooper followed with an opposite-field line-drive single to right.
Kayla Brown’s sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out.
Katrina Brewer’s smash was collared by pitcher Hayley Jaynes, who threw to first for the second out.
Kami Adams then grounded out to second to end the game.
“Stepping up to 4A is tough,” Bethel head coach Tommy Block said.
“There are eight good teams here at state. This is really a strong class.
“We have been swinging the bats very well the past few weeks and we had our offensive chances today.”
Bethel shocked the Tigers with a four-run spurt in the top of the second for a 4-1 lead.
After a walk and a throwing error, sophomore Tessa Pierce lined a 3-run home run over the left field fence.
Then with two outs, Brittany Watson — playing with a severe hand sprain — stole second and third and scored on an Olivia Farris single to center.
Fort Gibson bounced right back in the bottom of the second on two singles and leadoff hitter Brennan Miller’s 3-run HR to dead center for a tie at 4.
In the bottom of the fourth, Fort Gibson got singles by Nikki Stone and Taylor Miles, along with an error, to go up 5-4.
With two outs, Jaynes delivered an opposite-field RBI single to right to make it 6-4.
Bethel got a run back in the sixth. Brewer blooped a single to right, advanced to third on two groundouts and scored when Watson beat out a bunt in the front of the plate.
Losing hurler Savanna Humphrey, a sophomore, permitted nine hits in a six-inning stint. She didn’t issue a walk.
Bethel almost pulled off the upset despite being without starting center fielder Michali Thompson, who missed nearly the last month of the season with a shoulder injury.
Brown was playing with a torn ligament in her right foot and Watson was in the 9-hole instead of her customary leadoff role because of her injury.
Simmons, Brewer and Watson finished with two singles apiece.
Bethel concludes the season at 25-6.
Block loses two fast-pitch senior starters in Farris and Brown.
