Lex to State

The Lexington fast-pitch team is headed to the Class 3A State tournament today for the first time in school history. 

The Lady ‘Dawgs have made the slow-pitch tournament in the spring on five occasions – winning the state title in 2008 with a 9-4 win over Blanchard.

The 2019 Lady ‘Dawgs are 17-5 and ranked No. 5 in Class 3A. 

They will play the No. 4 Washington Warriors (29-11) at 4 p.m. Thursday at The Ballfields at FireLake in Shawnee. 

“It is so exciting!” Lexington pitcher Kaylee Fink said. 

“It’s not every day that we get to do this. It’s the first time so I’m really excited about it.”

Lexington hosted a Regional tournament last Thursday and the Lady ‘Dawgs clobbered Heritage Hall, 23-3. Fink was the winning pitcher with five strikeouts and one walk.

Maddy Pack was the big stick for Lex with a 4-for-4 performance, including four runs batted in, three runs scored, two doubles and a triple. Hannah Robbins and Ryli Harmon both went 3-for-4.

Later on Thursday, Lexington beat Marlow, 7-4, as Fink went seven innings for the victory. She struck out four, walked three and allowed nine hits.

Anna Sample, Lauren Beason, Robbins and Fink all had two hits against Marlow. Sample’s two hits (a double and a triple) drove in two runs. Robbins had three RBIs.

Lexington scored once in the first inning and once in the third last Friday. That’s all they needed to beat Newkirk, 2-0, to advance to the State tournament. 

Sample had two hits in the clincher and Fink was nearly unhittable, allowing two hits while striking out two Newkirk hitters.

“We just got our heads right and focused,” Fink said. 

“We really wanted to make it to the State tournament. I’ll be nervous but I know that our girls have my back so I’m not worried.”

Lexington started the year 3-3. But the Lady ‘Dawgs have now won 11 in a row and 14 of their last 16 ball games.

“It feels amazing,” Beason said last Friday. 

“Lexington has never been there before and we’re all very excited. We were fired up today and we were very loud in the dugout. We were just smacking the ball. We had a lot of energy.

“You could just tell that it was a great game to watch. We’re going to be nervous but we just need to come out and play how we know how to play.”