OKLAHOMA CITY – Dale Head Softball Coach Andy Powell got a little choked up Saturday when asked about the completion of a career for his star pitcher Kinsley Hill.
After all, she had just fired a four-hit shutout as the Lady Pirates blanked previously unbeaten and powerful Pocola 1-0 in the Class 2A State Fast-Pitch Championship game on OG&E Field at Devon Park (Hall of Fame Stadium).
It was the second straight state fast-pitch title for Dale (42-1) which happened to edge Pocola in the 2023 finals and it was bittersweet for Powell, who saw her senior prized hurler pitch for the final time as a Lady Pirate.
“Kinsley is as tough of a competitor that you will meet. She’s a bulldog,” said Powell. “She has a screwball, riser and curveball and tried to keep them mixed up. The riser is her best. No one has been able to hit and it looks like no one (in high school) ever will.”
It was a pitching battle among pitching battles Saturday as Hill barely outdueled Lady Indian ace Allyssa Parker, who is headed to the University of Oklahoma to play for the Sooners next year.
“I told people that this game was going to be a 1-0 or 2-0 game because the two best pitchers in the state of Oklahoma went after each other,” Powell said. “It came down to whoever made the least mistakes and we were error free.”
Dale third baseman Teague Muncy says the Dale squad has relied heavily on Hill’s pitching talents this season.
“She’s a stud. Everyone leans on her. She never breaks down and is steady all the way,” said Muncy. The winning run came with the bases loaded in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh when Muncy’s grounder to second base was misplayed and Breeze Higdon, pinch-running for Kaylyn Solis, raced home for the thrilling winner.
“I was trying to square it up but I wanted to make sure I put the ball in play,” Muncy said.
Solis had led off by hitting a sharp ball to Parker which was ruled by the official scorer as an infield hit (it was the Lady Pirates’ second of two hits on the day). Khloe Jones’ 1-3 sacrifice bunt sent Higdon to second. With two outs, a walk and a hit batsman set the stage for Teague’s swing which led to the error and the contest’s only score.
Hill struck out seven batters and walked four as Parker drew three of those free passes, one of which was intentional.
All three games pitched by Hill in the 2024 State Tournament were shutouts.
Like Hill, Parker was magnificent in the circle as well for Pocola as she surrendered the two hits, struck out nine and walked only three.
“That girl (Parker) over there is a generational player,” said Powell.
Hill agreed.
“Allyssa does the little things right and she’s such a tough out,” said Hill, who will take her pitching talents to Rogers State University in Claremore next year. “This season has been really special. We knew it was going to take a lot to repeat. This is unforgettable.”
The Lady Pirates’ only other hit in the game came off a single through the left side of the infield by Kinley Patten with two outs in the bottom of the first inning which proved to be harmless to the Lady Indians.
Patten finished 1-for-3 from the plate.
Dale’s defense featured a couple of nice plays as Patten, playing catcher picked off a runner on a 2-3-6-3 play in the fourth inning and Muncy made a great play on fielding a ball from her knees for a 5-3 putout in the sixth.
It was the Lady Pirates’ seventh state fast-pitch crown. They also claimed titles in 2003, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2023.
Dale 2, Oktaha 0 (Friday Semifinals)
It was far from being a masterpiece from Hill in the semifinals Friday, but it was certainly dominating enough to pick up the win.
Hill allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked three in working all seven innings in the Lady Pirates’ victory over the Oktaha Lady Tigers on Integris Field at Devon Park.
Hill shook off two bases-loaded situations by Oktaha – one with one out in the second inning in which she got the Lady Tigers to line out to Solis at second base for out No. 2 and line out to Heartly Snyder
in left field for out No. 3 to wipe out threat.
Then with one out in the sixth, Oktaha placed two runners on with back-to-back singles before issuing a walk with two outs to load the bases. However, a hustling first baseman Kelbey Welcher snagged a short fly ball for the out in foul territory to end another threat.
The game was an offensive struggle for both teams as Dale managed just four hits with the Lady Tigers compiling five.
Both Lady Pirate runs came off sacrifice flies.
In the first inning, Muncy singled through the right side of the infield with one out, moved up to second when Patten drew a walk, reached third on Snyder’s single to left-center, setting the stage for Welcher’s sacrifice fly deep in right-field territory. Muncy raced home after tagging up.
Dale added an insurance run in the seventh when Welcher led off with a double to right-center. Higdon, running for Welcher, advanced to third base on a Solis sacrifice bunt. Jones then launched a fly ball to center field and Higdon tagged up and sprinted home on the sacrifice fly and the only other score of the game.
Madison Capps had a strong pitching effort for the Lady Tigers as she worked all seven innings, walked four batters and struck out two while giving up the four hits.
Kadence Strube was 2-for-2 from the plate while Capps, Shianne Dill and Hadley Branan each finished 1-for-3.
Dale 10, Howe 0 (Thursday, First Round)
Hill and Muncy combined for a one-hit shutout in five innings as the Lady Pirates defeated the Lady Lions in the opening round of the Class 2A State Tournament on Integris Field.
Hill worked the first three innings and allowed no hits and no walks while striking out eight. Muncy pitched the last two frames and gave up the one hit and no walks while striking out three.
Dale totaled just five hits and they came from five different players.
Patten went 1-for-3 with a double and three runs batted in. Muncy finished 1-for-2 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Snyder and Daley Lang were each 1-for-2 with one RBI as Lang scored a pair of runs. Welcher ended up 1-for-3 and scored once.
The Lady Pirates piled on seven runs in the second inning and added the other three in the third.
Dale committed only one error while Howe had three.
