Sandites Pummel Edmond Santa Fe 9-3 in State Quarterfinals

It was a fitting first-round assignment for Charles Page High School Thursday morning in the 6A State baseball tournament.

The last time Sand Springs played at State, it was Edmond Santa Fe who sent the Sandites packing in 2011, prevailing 9-7 in a loser’s bracket game of the old double-elimination tournament.

This time around the tournament is single-elimination and it was the Sandites (28-11) who sent Santa Fe (27-11) home in a 9-3 beatdown at Norman North.

Arizona State-committed senior Eli Buxton (6-3) went the distance on the mound, fanning eight while surrendering only four hits and three walks.

Meanwhile Oklahoma-committed sophomore Savion Sims struggled with ball control early in the game, issuing nine walks, despite striking out eight Sandites and only allowing one hit in his 3.2 innings.

Sims walked four in the first inning, giving Jace Arnold a free run. Buxton walked three and gave up a two-RBI double to Cole Britton before dialing things in for the remainder of the game.

Sims walked the bases full once again in the second, setting up Wyatt Rutledge for an RBI single, then Arnold scored on a passed ball for the 3-2 lead.

Santa Fe tied it again the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice hit from Jorge Balcazar but that would be the last run for the Wolves.

Teddy Doe took over on the mound for Edmond and surrendered a walk and three singles in the fifth, putting Sand Springs firmly out front.

Alex Dudley plated Rutledge on a bunt, Miller Tavaglione stole home, and Dudley scored on a ground ball from Easton Webb to make it 6-3.

The Sandites combined for five singles in the sixth, including an RBI hit from Tavaglione, and Rutledge tagged up on a sacrifice fly from Dudley for the five-run lead.

Gatlin Gunn and Arnold hit back-to-back doubles in the seventh with the latter scoring the former for the final run of the game.

Buxton stayed potent in the seventh, striking out two to end the game.

Sand Springs will take on Owasso Friday at 1:30 p.m. at Norman North High School in the State semifinals. It will be a rematch of the Sandites’ last trip to State, when the Rams won 6-1 in a 2011 winner’s bracket game.

Owasso (35-6) won both meetings with the Sandites in the regular season this year, 5-0 and 8-3 in district play. The Rams have won nine in a row and 21 of their last 22, including a 7-1 thrashing of Edmond Memorial (25-10) in their quarterfinal.

The last time the Sandites made it to the State semifinals was 1988 with a 5A victory over Edmond. Sand Springs is in pursuit of its first finals appearance since 1978 and first-ever championship.