By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
A trip to the class 6A state tournament will be on the line as Yukon hosts the Region IV tournament beginning Wednesday at the Millerette Softball Complex.
The Millerettes, 19-6, will look to another trip to the state tournament, but does face a tough road to reach state.
YHS, the No. 2 seed from District 6A-2, will host the No. 3 seed from 6A-1 in Mustang, 15-10, No. 6 seed from 6A-2 Edmond Santa Fe, 14-11 and No. 7 from 6A-1 Edmond Memorial, 9-21 in the two-day tournament.
YHS will open the tournament against Memorial at noon, with Mustang and Santa Fe meeting at 2 p.m. The losers of the first two games will play an elimination game at 4 p.m. and the winners bracket game will be played at 6 p.m.
The winner of the elimination game and the loser of the winners bracket game will be played at noon. The regional championship game will be played at 2 p.m. and an if necessary game will be played at 4 p.m.
“We know we have a challenge in front of us,” Millerette coach Katy Hoke said. “When you get to the regionals, or even state, you have to be focused every game and play your best. We had that happen in the state tournament last year in the opening round.
“We need to make sure we clean up our mistakes and if we do that, we know we can play with anyone,” Hoke said. “We have done a better job of that the last few games and we know we will need to continue that into the regionals.”
The Millerettes did sweep their games with Santa Fe in district play 5-2 and 9-0. YHS lost to Mustang 5-3 in the Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference Tournament, but have not played Memorial.
Memorial has gone 3-3 in the last six games, but are 3-10 in their last 13. The Lady Bulldogs lost to Santa Fe 4-3 in their last outing and lost twice to Mustang.
The Millerettes finished the District 6A-2 season with a 9-0 win over Santa Fe on Monday night at Yukon. YHS finished 12-2 in the district race.
Yukon took control of the game in the opening inning on a 3-0 home run by Bree Johnson. Johnson also worked the first four innings on the mound to collect the win. She allowed two hits and struck out six batters.
Kaylee Bradley came on in the fifth and finished the game giving up two hits and not allowing a run.
Johnson’s home run came after Hannah Hurtz beat out a ground ball and Ashley Bruce was hit by a pitch. Johnson drilled a 1-0 pitch over the left centerfield wall.
The Millerettes added two more runs in the second inning. A.J. Rayburn and Hurtz both singled to start the rally. Brooklyn Mathers’ sacrifice fly drove in one run and Bruce hit into a fielder’s choice to second base to drive in the second.
Yukon added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to open the 9-0 lead.
The rally came with two outs and after the Millerettes loaded the bases.
Bruce and Amanda Davis were hit by pitches around a Johnson single. Rayburn singled to right field that drove in one run and two more scored when the ball rolled past the Santa Fe rightfielder.
Schlarb drove in the fourth run of the inning, lining a single to left field. YHS had a chance to add to their lead with runners in scoring position,, but saw the inning ended on a ground out to the pitcher.
Hurtz and McKenna Johnson led the Millerette hitting going 3-for-4 at the plate. Bree Johnson went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in.
