By Mike Moguin
mike.moguin@news-star.com
OKLAHOMA CITY — Dale’s Pirates were dominant as they shut out Oktaha 6-0 to win the Class A state championship of fall baseball Saturday afternoon at Dolese Youth Park.
The Pirates, who finished the season at 31-4, were led by the pitching of Trace Dilliner, who was also a factor with the bat.
Dilliner, one of six seniors on the team, limited the Tigers to three hits and one walk and forced eight strikeouts in getting the shutout.
“Throwing strikes was the key,” Dilliner said. “The worse thing you can do in a big game is throw balls and start walking people, so I had to come in here and give us a chance to win.
“In a way, the pitcher always has to be in control of the game,” Dilliner said. “But then again, (Oktaha) put a lot of balls in play and my teammates made some plays behind me. I have to give credit to everybody.”
Dilliner also hit a three-run long ball to account for half of Dale’s runs and finished 2-for-4 at the plate.
“I was trying to boost our spirits,” Dilliner said of his home run. “I honestly didn’t think I was going to do it.”
Ty Flewallen led Dale with a 3-for-4 performance and Tyler Holton was 2-for-3.
“This is great,” Dale coach Jerry Sanford said. “The kids played really well in the whole tournament. I got six seniors who worked their hind ends off and did what’s required to win ball games. They did a wonderful job all year. They are great kids who have played since they were in little league.”
The Pirates got their first run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Holton hit a lead-off single into left field then stole second base. He advanced to third as teammate Dalton Streber got a sacrifice bunt. Tanner Goodwin flew out to center field, but Holton scored afterwards and it was a 1-0 game.
In the third inning, Turner Coon and Namath Farriell led off with singles. Coon had stolen second before Farrell’s hit. Flewallen doubled in Coon and it was 2-0. Then with the bases loaded, Dilliner hit his three-run homer across the left field fence and it was 5-0.
“We really hit the ball well the whole tournament,” Sanford said. “We’ve also played pretty good defense and got good pitching from our senior pitchers.”
The Pirates picked up their last run in the sixth when Goodwin drew a lead-off walk before scoring on an RBI single by Flewallen.
Oktaha had its best chances to get some runs in the sixth when Cale Elam singled with two outs and Jon Hayes walked. But the next batter flew out and the side was over.
After the out, the Pirates ran to the left side of the infield for the dog-pile celebration.
“Euphoric,” Dilliner said when asked how it felt. “I can’t explain it right now. It hasn’t sunk in yet.”
The state title marks Dale’s fifth in 10 years and seventh all-time in fall baseball. The program also has titles from 1975, 1979, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2005. Overall, Dale has 16 state baseball championships for fall and spring combined.
This is also the second under the tenure of Sanford. The Pirates won the Class 2A title in the spring of 2007.
It is also the third team Sanford has coached to a state championship this decade. He led Sulphur to a title in the spring of 2004.
