Head coach Shane Coker and his Asher Indians set a pair of goals before the 2009 fall baseball season — win 20 games and make an appearance in the Class B state tournament.
They achieved both.
The Indians’ banner season came to an end Monday via a 12-2 loss to No. 1 Roff in the state quarterfinals at Yukon High School. Asher ends the fall run at 20-10.
“We had a good season,” Coker said. “We are really proud of our kids this season.”
Coker lauded a Roff crew that he believes is “the best team in any class.”
“They’re probably as tough to get out as any team. They have a lot of manpower,” Coker said.
The Tigers smacked five home runs while out-hitting Asher 11-2.
“They’re pretty good,” Coker said. “I don’t think they’re unbeatable, but you’re going to have to play the game of your life to beat them.”
Winning hurler Aaron Cornell went the distance for the Tigers, permitting two runs on as many hits while having three errors committed behind him. The Indians also had three miscues.
Starter Dakota Magby absorbed the loss — his first — to finish the season at 6-1 on the mound. Magby surrendered three runs on three hits while fanning a pair of batters and walking two more in the first two innings.
Rod Williams pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief and gave up four runs on as many hits.
Matt Palmer closed, striking out five batters and issuing a walk while giving up the last five Tiger runs.
Roff, playing as the visiting team, led throughout after going up 2-0 in the first inning. The Tigers led 11-0 before the Indians scored their only two runs in the bottom of the fifth frame.
Derek Claytor reached first on a single and later advanced courtesy of Matt Johnson’s base hit. Magby and seven-hole hitter Trent Boles were each credited with an RBI walk in moving Claytor and Johnson home.
The Tigers ended the scoring with a run in the top of the sixth.
The start of the Class B tournament, originally slated to start last week, was moved to Monday because of persistent wet weather. Coker said officials decided to go through with the Monday start despite damp grounds.
“It was a wet, cold, thick mist,” Coker said. “Ground balls were throwing up 8-inch rooster tails. It was brutal, brutal playing conditions.”
ASHER, Okla. —
