Sports

Hampered by what head coach Keith Hill called a “steady dose of secondary pitches,” El Reno High School’s baseball team struggled at the plate in losses to Comanche and Bridge Creek in the 2023 Chickasha Invitational.

El Reno went 1-2 in the event, dropping a 3-1 game to Comanche and an 8-1 decision to Bridge Creek. The Indians went a combined 5-of-42 (.119) in the two setbacks with nine walks against 21 strikeouts.

Hill said the pitchers faced in the two losses had average speed.

The inability to avoid big innings by opponents once again haunted El Reno High School’s baseball team as the Indians were swept by the Guthrie Bluejays in District 5A-1 play.

El Reno opened the series on the road with a 6-1 setback, before losing 9-1 at the Hub Reed Complex.

The sweep dropped the Indians to 3-7 on the season and 0-4 in the 5A-1 standings, for a tie for fifth with three other squads.

Gusting winds played havoc with pitching on both offense and defense last week for Calumet High School’s slow-pitch softball team as the Chieftains split games with Geary and Sentinel.

Calumet defeated the Bison 18-10 with 18 of the combined 28 runs being scored in the first inning, which took over 52 minutes to complete. There were just three base hits in the frame between the two schools but more than a dozen walks due to the wind.

The Chieftains were shut out a day later by Sentinel 8-0, to drop their season record to 2-4.

Bragging rights in the Canadian River baseball rivalry between Union City and Minco will stay on the north banks for another season following the Tigers 12-3 win.

In their only scheduled spring meeting, Class A’s 15th-ranked Tigers used a 10-hit attack to extend their current win streak to three games. Union City moved up two spots in the latest poll and takes a 7-1 record into its own Wooden Bat Tourney.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives gave the stamp of approval to legislation to legalize sports betting and potentially bring in over $9 million a year to the state budget.

Rep. Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City, filed House Bill 1027, which adds in-person and mobile sports betting as a supplement to the state-tribal model gaming compact. The state would receive a percentage of gaming revenue.

“Right now, Oklahoma is missing out on a huge financial opportunity for both our state and our tribes,” Luttrell said.

Six El Reno players were named to various lists on the 2023 Boys All-Suburban Conference squads after helping the Indians through one of the most challenging schedules in recent history.

Carter Roman Nose earned a first-team selection, followed by a second-team pick for James Reveles.

Alex Elizondo earned a third-team nod, while Evan Roman Nose was selected for both the All-Defensive Team as well as honorable mention.

Diante Palmer and Matthew Tofpi both earned honorable mention status.

El Reno High School’s baseball team battled cold weather, high winds and a tough pair of small schools to split two games in the 2023 Union City Spring Break Festival.

The Hub Reed Complex was one of the host sites for the event as El Reno defeated Granite 8-7 before dropping a 5-0 game to Wister. The split left the Indians with a 3-5 overall record.

El Reno scored six runs in the first inning against Granite before the Panthers rallied with seven unanswered runs.

The Indians then rallied with a two-run fourth inning to secure the win.