The Bartlesville Bruins will venture away from home to square off against the Deer Creek Antlers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
If Bartlesville beats Deer Creek with six runs on Monday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Bruins beat Coweta on Friday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 6-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bruins.
Cooper Swaim
Cooper Swaim spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on one hit and racked up six Ks. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Bartlesville is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 6-7 otherwise.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Sam Marcella, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double. Carl Silva also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Deer Creek ultimately got the result they hoped for on Saturday. They had just enough and edged out Edmond Memorial 9-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Antlers have posted against the Bulldogs since April 25, 2022.
Keagan Skluzacek tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over 5.2 innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Tucker Brown was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Dray Humphrey, who earned three runs and three stolen bases.
Bartlesville's record now sits at 9-7. As for Deer Creek, their record is now 11-6.
Bartlesville came up short against Deer Creek in their previous matchup back in May of 2017, falling 5-0. Can the Bruins avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
