Owasso Adds 10th State Title, Bixby Captures 5A Crown

Class 6A Some things just never change and if you're a baseball player or fan in Owasso you would want it just that way. The Rams continued their stranglehold in Class 6A baseball by defeating Moore 5-2 in the state championship game at the University of Oklahoma's L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman. The win gives the Rams their second straight title and 10th in school history. It was also Owasso's fifth state crown in the last eight years under head coach Larry Turner. The Rams, which finished the season at 34-3 overall, overcame a one-run deficit and some shaky defense with a three-run fourth inning. Austin Kirk and Jarrod Huneryager both doubled and scored, while James Stanfield walked and later crossed home plate to put Owasso on top for good. Kirk was the only player on either side with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. Turner's club added a pair of runs in the top-half of the seventh to go up by three runs. Reliever Brandon Bargas pitched a perfect seventh, including a pair of strikeouts, to earn the save. Hard-throwing left-hander Brian Flynn, a Wichita State signee, earned the win and finished the season at 9-1 on the mound. In six innings of work, Flynn recorded five strikeouts, allowed just four hits and did not issue a walk. Moore scored once in the first and added another run in the sixth off Flynn. Class 5A Behind a strong pitching performance from sophomore starter John Furlong, Bixby brought home its first state championship since 1978 and the second overall in school history by defeating top-ranked Chickasha 4-1 in Norman. Furlong tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing only five hits and one earned run in seven innings. Furlong collected eight strikeouts and issued just one free pass. He finished the season with a 10-2 won-loss record. Furlong had more than enough run support as the Spartans scored once in the second inning, added one run in the fifth and tacked on two more during the sixth. Ricky Grinstead got the offense started in the second when he tripled and eventually scored on a Kennedy Winn wild pitch. Jacob Inbody delivered an RBI single to plate Ryan Williams during the fifth, and Williams drove in the final run in the sixth with a double. Class 4A Oklahoma City Bishop McGuinnes claimed its second Class 4A state championship in seven years as the Irish defeated Tuttle 4-1 in Shawnee. Andrew Boaz proved to be the ultimate weapon for McGuinnes. Boaz gave up just two Tiger hits as the starting pitcher and also came through with the bat when he whacked a two-run double to score both Andrew Murphy and Kyle Ahmad during the fourth inning. The Irish also picked up a run in the fifth when Sam Crabtree walked and later scored on a wild pitch. During the sixth, Braden Klein knocked in Shane O'Hean with an RBI single. O'Hean started the scoring threat with a double. Tuttle pitcher Kyle Ebert allowed only three hits, but was handed the loss. The Tigers scored their lone run during the home-half of the seventh. Class 3A Sperry dominated from the opening pitch, collecting 20 hits and receiving another stellar pitching performance from Bobby Bundy, to crush Beggs 15-2 in the 3A state championship game in Shawnee. It was Sperry's second state title in three years and the fifth overall in school history. Ten different players finished with at least one hit, including a four-hit performance from Byron Teel and three hits each by Shane Bay and Bundy as the Pirates jumped all over the Demons for six runs in the top-half of the first and never looked back. Bundy, Teel and Bay also drove in three runs apiece. Bundy was just as effective on the hill as he was with the bat. The University of Arkansas signee allowed five hits over five innings with eight strikeouts. Both of Beggs' runs came during the fifth off Bundy when Nick Grimmett came through with a two-run single.