The Dragons have come together in the last two weeks of the season, claiming the District Championship in Sulphur April 22. They defeated Plainview to open the event and knocked off the Arapaho Indians two out of three times for the title, advancing them to Regional play.

The Regional tournament was moved to Monday, April 28, because of Oklahoma’s spring weather.

District tournament

Purcell opened the tournament with a 12-7 victory over Plainview.

After polishing off Sulphur, 11-2, the Dragons were slow out of the gate where they dropped an 8-5 decision to Plainview.

However, the Dragons bounced back to win 10-2 in the finals to advance to the Regional.

In the four games, Ella Resendiz hit .667 going 8-12 with a home run and five walks.

KK Vazquez went 7-15 for a .467 average while Jasey Baker, Mack McKay and Miaca Martinez all hit .400.

Martinez was the RBI leader with nine including two home runs. McKay was right on her heels with seven RBIs and Hannah Whitaker had six.

“Everyone got hits on the day,” head coach Sarah Jones said. “Even though we made a few errors in the four games, we made some really good plays as well. Situational and clutch hitting came up big for us.

“We had two really good wins and then we started to slow down in the first five innings of our third game against Plainview,” the coach continued.

“We made some mental mistakes early on, but they absolutely played out of their minds and made the plays that normally would fall.

“We started getting a second life in the sixth inning and carried that into the last game to win the District Championship.”

Purcell had two good wins in the week before the tournament.

Jones’ club knocked off Lindsay, 7-2 and peppered Crescent on senior night, 16-4.

“ These last two weeks have been really good for us,” Jones confirmed. “Everything is starting to come together at the right time. Our record doesn’t dictate how competitive we are. Playing a tough schedule benefits us greatly and it is paying off now.”

Leading up to district play, Purcell played in the Big Cat Classic at Southmoore to get in some reps, defeating No. 16 Guthrie, 8-4, then falling to 6A No. 1 Mustang.

“What a day on Monday”, Jones said. Regional play was moved in efforts to beat the rain.

The Dragons dropped the first game, 5-1, against the No. 1 team in 5A and eventual  Regional Champion, Tecumseh.

Purcell scored one run in the first inning and held the lead until Tecumseh scored one in the third.

“We had multiple opportunities to break it open and take the lead back, but we just couldn’t get that clutch hit,” Coach said.

The Savages iced the game with three runs in the sixth.

Amazing, no error  defense and out-hitting No. 7 Chandler, is what coach Jones credits their 4-2 win to.

The Lions scored two runs in the second inning but the Dragons hung three on them in the fourth.

“Low scoring again, but we made it happen,” Jones said.

They pushed an insurance run across the plate in the fifth and neither team scored again after that.

Whitaker went 3-4 at the plate and Martinez was 3-3 with an RBI. Hits came from Ella, Jasey, KK, Kendra and Ava.

“One win down, one more to go,” Jones said.

Game three for the Lady Dragons was not decided until the top of the 6th inning when Jones pulled all three seniors in, hugged them and told them “this is not your last at bat.” They agreed and so did Mother Nature apparently because with Resendiz up at the top of our lineup, the wind randomly stopped and she sent one over left center field, making it 2-1. Whitaker then knocked one deep over left field fence, going up, 3-1.

“Chills! I can’t begin to explain how great our defense was in the outfield with KK, Jasey and Kendra.” Jones concluded. Holding them in the 7th, the Lady Dragons were able to punch their ticket to state!

Purcell will travel to Shawnee for the State slow-pitch softball tournament. It will be played at the Ballfields at FireLake May 6.