Three athletes of Jefferson County will compete in the Heartland Classic AllStar Game.
They will be playing this Friday through Sunday at Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma.
(l-r) Grayson Tomberlin Ryan High School & Hunter Wesberry and Austin Dyer Waurika HS.
Photo by Steph Wesberry
With the recent rain, ice and cold weather, it is hard to imagine the spring sports seasons are ready to begin.
However, that is exactly the case as Ryan is set to open its 2018 baseball campaign today, weather permitting.
The slow-pitch softball squad and track squads will open their seasons soon.
The Cowboy nine is scheduled to play host to Temple today at the Bob Givens Sports Complex. Action is scheduled to get underway on Larry Ninman Field at 4:30 p.m. and will feature both the junior high and high school teams against the Tigers.
Ryan will also host a junior high tournament Monday and Tuesday at the Bob Givens Sports Complex.
The Cowboy baseball squad will have a new coach for the first time in 11 years. Stan Mueggenborg, who has directed the Cowboys for the past 11 seasons, has stepped over to take the reigns of the Cowgirl slow-pitch softball squad.
Judd Matthes will be the coach for the Cowboys and will face somewhat of a rebuilding year on the diamond for Ryan.
Last season the Cowboys were 6-9 – only the second losing season in the past 11 years.
The Cowboys will return up to five starters from the 2017 club and will also get the talents of last year’s junior high standout – Grayson Tomberlin.
The Cowboy nine will be looking to post a winning season and possibly snag a district title.
The key will be finding a dependable pitcher as the Cowboys graduated their two top pitchers from a year ago – Sebastian Morales and J.D. Martin.
The Cowboys will be solid behind the plate with veteran Dawson Tomberlin returning for his senior season. Joseph Martin and River Williams will be counted on to also provide some fireworks at the plate.
The Cowboys will be competing in Class B again in the 2018 season, but will no doubt face a tough road to a deep playoff run as many of the Class B schools do not play football and enjoy the advantage of an extra 30 games or so from playing fall baseball.
The Cowgirl slow-pitch softball squad will be in action for their season-opener on Monday as Ryan will host Lawton Christian School. The first pitch is slated for 4:30 p.m. and will feature both the junior high and high school squads in action.
While slow-pitch softball has not been a highly successful sport since its inception in the 1998 season, the Cowgirls did post a 5-6 mark a year ago and were the district runner up for only the second time in school history.
And, in the fast-pitch season last fall Ryan managed a 16-13 record – the first winning season in fast pitch softball in the 18 years of competition.
Most of the contributors to the fast-pitch team will also be aiding the cause of the slow-pitch squad in Coach Mueggenborg’s initial season at the helm.
Abbie Bolin, Kenzie Lewis and Sadie Guzman, who were all-conference selections in the fall, will return to bolster the Cowgirl hopes.
Bolin, Lewis and Randi Linton are the three seniors on the squad and will be counted on to provide leadership to the rest of the squad which is consists of a number of sophomores.
The Cowgirls will return to action Tuesday when the host Grandfield.
Track will be the final spring sport to get started.
The Cowboy and Cowgirl thinclads will travel to Wynnewood on March 15 to compete in the Wynnewood Invitational. The two squads will compete as individuals as no team scores will be kept in the meet. Field events will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the track events beginning at 10 a.m.
The Cowgirls should be contenders in most meets they enter this spring.
Ryan’s girls won their first invitational meet title last season since 1990 and most of the contributors to the team scoring return for the 2018 season.
The Cowgirls finished fifth in the team race at the regional meet in 2018 and that tied for the second highest finish in a regional meet in school history.
All the girls who scored points for the Cowgirls in the regional meet will return for the 2018 season including Lily York, Samantha Good, Holland Carter and Juliet Spangler.
The Cowboy track squad may have limited participation but should have athletes that will score points at any meet they are able to compete in.
D. Tomberlin and Joseph Martin, along with River Williams, will be some of the Cowboys that return from seeing limited competition on the track in 2017.
For both the Cowboys and Cowgirls to compete for any team titles, some depth will have to be added to the squads.
Coach Steve Spangler will begin his second year as the coach of the Cowboy and Cowgirl track squads.
Ryan Baseball Schedule
March 1 Temple
March 8 at Turner
March 9 Waurika
March 12 Comanche
March 13 at Grandfield
March 26 at Thackerville
March 27 Turner
March 29 at Comanche
April 3 at Big Pasture
April 5-7 Ryan Invitational
April 10 at Waurika/Dickson
April 12 Grandfield
April 13 Alex
April 16 at Geronimo/Waurika
Ryan Slow-Pitch Softball Schedule
March 5 Lawton Christian
March 6 Grandfield
March 13 at Temple
March 15 Big Pasture
March 26 Comanche
March 29 Geronimo
April 2 at Big Pasture
April 3 at Geronimo
April 5 at Grandfield
April 10 Temple
April 12-13 Fletcher Tournament
Ryan Track Schedule
March 15 at Wynnewood Invitational
March 27 at Alex 8-Man Invitational
April 6 at Stratford Invitational
April 13 at Waurika Southern Oklahoma 8-Man Invitational
April 21 at Waurika Red River Invitational
April 24 at Velma-Alma Comet Invitational
Ryan’s slow-pitch softball team has faced a couple of hurdles in getting the 2018 season into full swing.
The Cowgirls of coach Stan Mueggenborg have inherited quite a bit of extra practice time from having scheduled opponents back out of games because they did not have enough players.
The Cowgirls are slated to get back in action Monday with a game against Comanche on Larry Ninman Field at the Bob Givens Sports Complex.
Ryan’s first game was cancelled because of previously schedule school conflicts.
And, Temple and Big Pasture, who were both on the Cowgirl slate for last week, do not have enough players to field a slow-pitch softball team.
That means the Cowgirls have only played one game – an 11-10 loss to Grandfield.
In addition to the contest with Comanche, the Cowgirls are scheduled to take on Geronimo at home one week from today.
Two Ryan graduates and one Waurika graduate are set to compete in the annual Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Association’s all-star game in Miami which will feature nearly 80 of the top eight-man seniors from all parts of Oklahoma.
The contest kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s Red Robertson Field. Game tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the gate. Concessions and game day merchandise will be available for purchase.
This annual event was designed to recognize and honor the finest eight-man football players throughout Oklahoma. Around 3,000 fans from across Oklahoma are expected to attend the game.
Dawson Tomberlin and Tate Kimbro of Ryan along with Waurika’s Seth Cathey will be competing for the Gold team in the annual showcase of eight-man football talent in Oklahoma.
In addition two Ryan cheerleaders, Holland Carter and Laken DeBoard will be part of the cheerleader squads for the game.
Serving as a counselor for the week-long all-star game preparation is Ryan assistant coach Tony Tomberlin.
Coaches for the Gold team include Tipton’s Travis White, Shane Weathers of Coyle, Gus Overstreet of Pioneer, Josh Been of Dewar and Cave Springs’ coach Tom Osburn.
The other participants from District B-4 of which Ryan and Waurika competed this past season are district champ Central High’s T.J. Birdwell and Hayden Cooper.
The Gold team is made up of all-stars from the even numbered districts in both Class B and C, while the Green team is comprised of players from the odd numbered districts in the two eight-man classifications.
This is the 16th year for the city of Miami to host the game. Prior to 2003, the game had been held in Alva since its inception in 1973. The first state champion for eight-man football was crowned in 1959.
Sponsors of the game include the City of Miami, the Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and the Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Coaches Association (OEMFCA).
The players and coaches from around the state arrived in Miami on Tuesday and participated in a full schedule of activities that will lead up to Saturday’s game.
Those activities include a night at the night at the Historic Coleman Theatre, a cook-out in Riverview Park and swimming at the state’s largest municipal pool as well as an evening with hypnotist Joe Comet. The players will team up with the Ottawa County Boys & Girls Club on Friday for an afternoon of bowling at PlayLand Lanes.
Tomorrow night (Friday), the players, coaches and cheerleaders will participate in the annual awards banquet. The OEMFCA and the local organizing committee will award some $11,000 in scholarships for 10 players. The OEMFCA awards an additional $1,000 in scholarships for two of the all-star cheerleaders.
There is an old saying that goes something like this: “You have to beat the best to be the best.”
That will certainly be true of the Ryan and Waurika basketball squads if they hope to make a deep run into the Class A basketball playoffs.
Every high school basketball team in Oklahoma gets to begin post-season play – regardless of a team’s regular season record.
District assignments were released last weekend by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association and the tourneys are set to get under way the weekend of February 14 and 15.
Brackets for the tournament are set to be released today after district meetings were held earlier this past week.
The district champion and district runner up will advance to the regional tournament the following week.
Waurika will be traveling to Alex for the Area 3, District A-8 tournament. Joining the Eagles will be the host school and Fox.
The favorite for both the boys’ and girls’ side of the bracket in the district will be Fox. After last weekend’s play, the Fox boys were undefeated at 19-0 and ranked 14th in Class A. The Lady Foxes held a 13-5 mark after last weekend’s action.
The Eagles and Lady Eagles will need a first-round win to guarantee a spot in the Class A Regional Tournament slated to be held at Central High and Alex.
Ryan has been assigned to the Area 3, District A-5 tournament at Cyril. Joining Ryan is the host school and Central High.
Cyril will be the overwhelming favorite in both the boys and girls tournament. The Pirates are the top-ranked squad in Class A through last weekend, while the Lady Pirates are 15-4 and ranked 12th in Class A.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will also need a first-round win in order to extend their seasons by another week and advance to the regional at Central High and Alex.
Looking forward into the regional tourney, the boys’ side features two ranked teams in Cyril and Fox.
The girls’ regional will potentially feature the second-ranked Canute girls and Cyril, which is ranked 12th.
Only five of the 12 boys teams sport winning records, while on the girls’ side of the region eight of the 12 schools have winning marks.
Three schools from each regional will advance to the area tourney which is slated to be held at Chickasha. The regional champion, regional runner up and the regional consolation bracket champion will advance to the area tourney.
Assigned to the Area 3 are three other ranked boys teams – Vici, Arapaho-Butler and Southwest Covenent.
The girls’ side of the area features three more ranked teams – Vici, Arapaho-Butler and Cheyenne. Plus, Fletcher girls who finished third in the Comanche County Tournament last weekend will be among the possibilities for the area tourney.
It is possible that both Ryan and Waurika teams could advance to the regional tourney, but it would take some late-season improvement for the four squads to see success in the regional tourney or advance to the area tournament.
All four teams could use your support in the district tourneys at Cyril and Alex.
Juliet Spangler exploded for 31 points to lift the Ryan Cowgirls over Oklahoma School for the Deaf, 46-29, at Sulphur Tuesday night.
In the boys’ game Oklahoma School for the Deaf broke out to a nine-point lead early and fought off a Cowboy rally to claim a 54-50 victory over the Cowboys.
Spangler’s scoring spree for the Cowgirls was the most points scored by a Cowgirl since Alana Martin poured in 38 points against Grandfield in 2009.
In the first quarter Spangler, a sophomore, scored eight of the Cowgirls’ 10 points as Ryan took a 10-6 lead over the Lady Indians heading to the second period.
The Cowgirls needed every point by Spangler in the first half as OSD hung tough and trailed, 24-18, at intermission.
In the third quarter, the Cowgirls buckled down on defense holding the Lady Indians to only a single point, while the Cowgirls were putting up 16 points to extend the lead to 40-19.
Spangler had only four points to finish out the contest, but she had 12 two-pointers, one trey and connected on four of nine free throws to account for the 31 points.
Lily York also scored in double figures with 12 points for the Cowgirls who are still short-handed because of the injury bug.
Steve Spangler’s club improved to 5-10 on the year and the Cowgirls hold a 9-0 lead in the series with OSD that began in 2013.
The Cowboys fell behind early, 14-5, after the first frame, but narrowed the gap to 21-15 by halftime.
Thanks to some pin-point shooting from the outside, the Cowboys knotted the game at 29 after the third quarter.
The Cowboy rally was aided by three treys – one each by Dawson Tomberlin, Grayson Tomberlin and River Williams.
The fourth quarter turned into a real dog fight.
The Cowboys scored 21 points in the final quarter, but OSD managed to put 25 on the board behind Dylan Evans’ 16-point outburst.
Poor free throw shooting doomed the Cowboys as they hit only three of 10 attempts from the charity stripe. OSD was not much better but had nearly three times the opportunities. The Indians finished 14 of 28 for the game.
Evans finished with 28 points for the Indians, while G. Tomberlin led the Cowboys in scoring with 14 points. Joseph Martin added 12 points for Coach Judd Matthes’ squad.
The Cowboys fall to 3-12 on the year and it was the first loss to OSD in 10 meetings with the Indians on the hardwood.
The Waurika girls’ and boys’ basketball squads traveled to Velma-Alma last week to compete in the 87th annual Stephens County Tournament.
It was a tough week in what has become a tough season for the Eagles and Lady Eagles.
The Eagles finished sixth in the tournament after falling to Davis, 70-38, in the consolation finals last Saturday.
The Wolves jumped out in front of the Eagles, 14-3, after one quarter and extended the lead to 27-10 at the intermission.
The two squads played on even terms through the second half of play, but Waurika was unable to cut into the deficit.
The Eagles did have an advantage in scoring inside with 20 points, but suffered 18 turnovers in the contest.
Waurika shot only 27% from the field and was only 13 of 26 from the free throw line.
Turner Mora led the Eagles with eight points, while Gatlin Black and Edwin Garcia each added seven tallies.
Waurika earned the right to play for the consolation title with a come-from-behind 43-41 win over Central High last Friday in the consolation semifinals.
Central High dominated the first quarter as the Bronchos jumped out to a 17-10 advantage.
The Eagles still trailed at the half, 26-19, but were able to cut into the lead in the third quarter by outscoring Central High, 10-6, to trail 32-29 heading into the final frame.
The Bronchos held the Eagles at bay until the final moments but Coach Joe Masoner’s crew outscored Central High, 14-9, to secure the win.
The Eagles got the win despite shooting only 41% from the field and hitting only 43% of their charity tosses.
Waurika was able to stay in the contest by getting 19 points over turnovers and holding a 24-0 advantage on scoring inside.
The Eagles pounded the boards throughout the game resulting in a 30-15 advantage in rebounds.
Aaron Nitka shot 60% from the field and led the Eagles in scoring with 15 points.
In the first-round game on January 16, the Eagles fell to eventual tourney runner up Comanche, 59-31.
The Eagles suffered another dismal shooting night as they connected on only 28% of their field goals and converted only four of nine free throw attempts.
Comanche jumped out to an 18-9 first quarter lead and then extended the margin to 32-18 at the half.
The Indians continued the onslaught with a 16-5 scoring advantage in the third quarter to lead 48-23 heading to the final frame.
Comanche took advantage of 23 Waurika turnovers during the contest and held a 22-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Nitka set the pace for the Eagles in scoring with eight points.
The Lady Eagles dropped both of their games during the tournament.
Waurika fell in the consolation semifinals to Empire, 70-37, and lost to eventual tourney champion, Comanche, 68-20, in the first round.
In the first round contest with the Lady Indians, Waurika fell behind, 25-0, after the first quarter.
Madison Roberson managed a single free throw early in the second quarter, but the Lady Eagles had too big a hole to climb out of and trailed 45-11 at the half.
No other details on the two games were available.
The Waurika squads were to have traveled to Walters last Tuesday.
Waurika returns home Friday to battle rival Ringling and then will travel to Cyril on Saturday. Waurika stays on the road Tuesday as they will travel back to Velma-Alma.
Game time is 6:30 p.m.
The Waurika girls took a 5-9 mark into the meeting with Walters, while the Eagles are 4-11 on the year before the matchup with the Blue Devils.
Waurika used a smothering defense and a powerful offense to claim a second straight 60-0 victory – this time over Bray-Doyle last Friday Night on Norman West Field.
The win, coupled with an Empire loss, gave the Eagles their second straight district title and the third overall since beginning eight-man competition.
The Eagles will travel to Empire tomorrow night (Friday) for the regular season finale and Waurika will try to earn a second straight undefeated season among District B-4 foes. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on the Bulldogs’ home field.
The Eagles, now 8-1 on the year counting a forfeit win from Temple, were no match for the hapless Donkeys that are now 2-7 for the season and winless in district play on a near perfect night for football.
It did not take the Eagles long to get the first score of the night as they drove 53 yards in five plays. Gabe Jenkins got the touchdown and Turner Mora added the two points on the ground to give Waurika an 8-0 lead just a little over one minute into the game.
The Eagles forced Bray to punt and this gave Waurika the ball at the Eagle 49. In just two plays the Eagles covered the 51 yards with Hunter Wesberry getting a 37-yard scoring strike from Mora. Jordan Watkins ran for the two points and Waurika held a 16-0 lead with 6:34 left in the first quarter.
The Donkeys could not make a first down on their next possession and the Eagles took over on downs at the Donkey 46. Mora scampered 46 yards for the score and this gave Waurika a 22-0 advantage with 4:40 left in the first quarter.
The Waurika defense continued its impressive play as Bray-Doyle’s next possession netted only one yard and Waurika took over on downs.
This time it took Waurika three plays to get the final score of the first quarter. Kevin Garcia swept around the right side and then zig-zagged across the field to score from 31 yards out. Mora ran for the two points giving Waurika a 30-0 lead with 2:07 left in the second quarter.
It was nothing doing for the Donkey offense as Bray-Doyle turned the ball back over to the Eagles at the Donkey 36.
After a 15-yard run by Mora, the talented senior quarterback found Garcia for a 21-yard touchdown pass. Watkins ran for the two points and with 11:10 left in the second quarter, Waurika was in command with a 38-0 advantage.
An interception on Bray’s next possession by Treyton Torrez put the Eagles in business at the Waurika 46. In two plays Waurika traveled the 54 yards for a score. Garcia picked up 37 yards on the scoring play and Watkins added the two points for a 46-0 lead with 8:50 left in the half.
Another interception – this time by Travis Etheridge – gave Waurika the ball. Trent Arellano capped the drive with a 25-yard scoring run to put Waurika in front, 52-0, with 6:17 left in the first half.
Following a Bray punt, the Eagles launched their final scoring drive of the night from the Bray 18. Torrez scored from 18 yards out and Seth Waid carried the ball over the goal for the two-point conversion to give the Eagles a 60-0 lead with only 1:51 left in the half and the game.
The quick scores and excellent field position did not allow for many impressive numbers, but the Eagles did manage 265 yards rushing on just 15 attempts. Mora led all Waurika rushers with 71 yards on only five carries.
The Eagle defense had one of its most impressive performances of the season limiting Bray-Doyle to minus-seven yards on 19 carries. The Eagles also forced a pair of interceptions.
It was Senior Night for the Eagles and nine Eagle seniors were recognized before the start of the contest.
Donning the red and white for the final time in a regular season game at Waurika were Mora, Edwin Garcia, Wesberry, Waid, Watkins, Payton Fletcher, Bryson Hernandez (who has been injured most of the year), Etheridge and Colby Mead.
EAGLE FLIGHTS: Even with a loss to Empire and a Wilson win against Bray-Doyle, the Eagles would have the tie-breaker over Wilson with the win earlier this season…The first round playoff opponent for the Eagles will be determined tomorrow night in the contest between Snyder and Cyril….Waurika will take on the loser of that game in Waurika….Waurika is now a perfect 10-0 against Bray-Doyle with the first meeting between the two schools coming in 2008…The 60 points ties with the 2016 team for the most points scored against the Donkeys….The 60 total points is the third most points scored by both teams in this 10-game series….The win was the third straight shutout for Waurika and that has been done only 12 other times in the past 100 years of football at Waurika….The longest shutout streak by the Eagles is eight recorded in the 1933 season that included one tie….This was the fifth consecutive game the Eagles have scored 50 or more points….The 60-point wins against Central High and Bray-Doyle mark only the second time in school history Waurika has scored 60 or more points in back-to-back games….Waurika held down the sixth spot again this week in the Class B poll by The Daily Oklahoman.
BDHS WHS
First Downs 2 13
Yards Rushing 19-(-7) 15-265
Yards Passing 1 84
Passes 1-4 3-6
Passes Int By 0 2
Fumbles Lost 0-0 0-0
Punts 2-31 0-0
Penalties 1-5 2-20
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Bray-Doyle 0 0 x x—0
Waurika 30 30 x x—60
FIRST QUARTER
WAURIKA – Gabe Jenkins 10 run (Turner Mora run), 10:44
WAURIKA – Hunter Wesberry 37 pass from Mora (Jordan Watkins run), 6:34
WAURIKA – Mora 45 run (run failed), 4:40
WAURIKA – Kevin Garcia 31 run (Mora run), 2:37
SECOND QUARTER
WAURIKA – Garcia 21 pass from Mora (Watkins run), 11:10
WAURIKA– Garcia 37 run (Watkins run), 8:50
WAURIKA – Trent Arellano 25 run (run failed), 6:17
WAURIKA – Treyton Torrez 18 fun (Seth Waid run), 1:51
Cowboys get one win in tourney and one regular season win.
The fifth annual Cowboy Classic baseball tournament had to make a last-minute switch from pool play to a five-team, double-elimination format after Temple dropped out of the tourney.
Thackerville claimed the tournament title with a 14-4 victory over Waurika in the championship game.
The tournament was played last Thursday and Friday which was a wise move considering last Saturday’s frigid weather.
For the Ryan Cowboys it was a one-day appearance in their own tournament.
The Cowboys opened the tournament with a 7-5 loss to Big Pasture but managed a 10-3 victory over Grandfield in an elimination game.
In the next round, however, Waurika eliminated the Cowboy nine with a 10-3 victory.
The Eagles advanced to the championship game by defeating Big Pasture, 6-4, after Thackerville had handed Big Pasture its first loss of the tournament.
For the Cowboys, the loss to the Rangers was a tough won considering Ryan had managed a 15-13 victory over Big Pasture earlier in the week.
In the tournament contest with Big Pasture, the two squads ended the first inning tied at 1-1. The Rangers, however, exploded for six runs in the top of the third inning to take a commanding 7-1 lead.
The Cowboys were able to hold Big Pasture scoreless the rest of the way, while picking up two runs in the fourth and one run each in the fifth and sixth inning to draw within 7-5, but the time limit ended the game after six innings.
The victory over Grandfield was also shortened by the time limit, but the Cowboys scored in every inning to secure the win.
A double by Joseph Martin and a walk by Grayson Tomberlin helped give the Cowboys a 1-0 lead after one inning.
In the second inning, Andrew Villerreal reached on a walk to open the inning and after two were out, Walter Snider got an RBI-single and he eventually came around to score giving the Cowboys a 3-0 advantage.
Grandfield cut the margin to 3-1 with a single tally in the top of the third inning, but the Cowboys answered the modest Bearcat rally with three more runs in the bottom of the third.
G. Tomberlin and Tate Kimbro led the inning off with a pair of singles and them Dawson Tomberlin picked up a two-run double. Tomberlin came around to score after a Grandfield error to extend the Cowboys’ lead to 6-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, G. Tomberlin tripled after one out and then scored before the Bearcats could retire the Cowboys. Ryan now led, 7-1, heading to the fifth inning.
In the top of the fifth inning the Bearcats produced three singles coupled with an error and three stolen bases accounted for two runs cutting the lead to 7-3.
The Cowboys ended all hopes of another rally by Grandfield by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning. Those runs came without the benefit of a base hit thanks to two walks, three stolen bases and two Grandfield errors that put the final score at 10-3.
This set up an elimination game between Waurika and the Cowboys.
The Cowboys got off to a good start in the top of the first inning as D. Tomberlin and Martin led off by reaching base to give Ryan a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles responded in the bottom half of the inning, however, striking for six runs. Bryson Hernandez, Hunter Wesberry, Zachary Brown and Gatlin Black led off the inning by reaching base and all four came around to score.
Austin Dyer and Michael Bryant got on base after one out and eventually scored before the end of the inning to give the Eagles a 6-2 advantage.
After a scoreless second inning, the Eagles added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning sending eight batters to the plate.
Jordan Watkins and Dyer led off the inning by getting on base and Colton Bryant got a two-run single to put the Eagles in front 8-2. The Eagles left two men stranded before the end of the inning.
The Eagles were not finished, however, sending eight more batters to the plate in the fourth inning. Watkins and Dyer both got one-out walks and eventually came around the score to give the Eagles a 10-3 lead after four innings.
In the fifth inning, the Eagles scored three more runs and scored a run-rule victory over the Cowboys. Brown, Black and Dyer scored runs for the Eagles to seal the victory.
Dyer finished the game with four runs scored after reaching base three times on walks.
This set up another elimination game for the Eagles and Waurika responded to the challenge by scoring a 6-4 victory over Big Pasture earning a spot in the championship game against Thackerville.
The Wildcats were too much for the Eagles and earned the title with a run-rule victory. It was the second invitational tournament the Wildcats have won this season.
Earlier in the week the Cowboys picked up their second win over the season at Big Pasture.
Ryan got off to a 2-0 lead after one inning when Martin reached base and after a G. Tomberlin single and an error, Martin put the first run on the board for the Cowboys.
G. Tomberlin eventually scored on a two-out, RBI-single by River Williams.
Things got really interesting in the bottom of the third inning as the Rangers scored five runs with only one hit. A Ryan error and three walks helped the Rangers snag the lead.
The Cowboys regained the lead in the top of the fourth exploding for eight runs to hold a 10-5 lead.
Singles by Martin, C. Villerreal and A. Villerreal along with four bases on balls and an error accounted for the five Cowboy runs.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Rangers cut into the lead with three runs of their own. Two errors and two walks helped the Rangers cut the Ryan lead to 10-8 heading into the fifth inning.
Big Pasture took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three more runs. An error, a fielder’s choice, a walk, a single and a double contributed to the rally that put the Rangers in front, 11-10, heading to the sixth inning.
Ryan answered with four runs in the top of the sixth with three walks and a single by Martin helping produce the go-ahead runs. The Cowboys also left the bases loaded but Ryan held a 14-10 lead.
After holding Big Pasture scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, the Cowboys managed another run in the top of the seventh inning. Martin was hit by a pitch and eventually scored giving the Cowboys a 15-10 lead.
Big Pasture tried to rally as the Rangers scored two runs with one out, but the Cowboys were able to get the final two outs.
D. Tomberlin and A. Villerreal each paced the Cowboys at the plate with two hits apiece. Martin scored four runs for the Cowboys in the contest which ties the school record for most runs scored by an individual in a game.
Ryan was to have met Waurika and Dickson on Tuesday on the Eagles’ home diamond.
Today the Cowboys travel to Grandfield for a contest with the Bearcats and on Friday the Cowboys are scheduled to host Alex on Larry Ninman Field at the Bob Givens Sports complex.
The Cowboys close out the regular season Monday at Geronimo with a three-way matchup with the Blue Jays and Waurika.
