Okarche’s first-year softball Head Coach Skye Tilley says she thinks the Lady Warriors can win the Ninnekah girls softball tournament that starts Friday and continues Saturday with games to be played in Chickasha and in Ninnekah.
But her team lost their first game of the tournament, dropping a 2-0 game to Rush Springs at the Chickasha sports complex. Then the Lady Warriors beat Ringling Friday night, 10-4. Their record was 5-3 after two games into the tournament. Games Saturday were in Ninnekah.
The Lady Warriors downed Rush Springs 8-5 Saturday afternoon, and then faced Empire. Okarche lost 10-9 in a game that was shortened by time.
The team had strong pitching performances from Madison Nance and Brittney Darst.
“There were some things that could have gone better but I want to focus on the positives.”
Positives came in the hitting department. The team showed offensive spark, and a fire to win with temperatures outside hitting about 110 degrees.
The Okarche Lady Warriors left fielder Harper White makes a play Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 in a fastpitch game against Binger-Oney, a 9-1 loss.
Tilley said she believes the sport of softball is under development and growing in Okarche. And for the Lady Warriors in the fall playing fast pitch, they are talented enough to win the Ninnekah tournament and a lot more games ahead, she said.
“I’m really excited about this tournament,” Tilley said Friday.
She said the Lady Warriors players worked hard in camps during the summer and had two practices a day and worked hard. Their first game was a 20-0 win over Ninnekah. The team faced a tough Binger-Oney squad on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at home and lost 9-1. She said she thinks the girls are much better than that performance showed.
“Are we good enough? I think we are.”
The hard work from the summer is paying off already, she said.
“I’m really proud of how it has been going,” Tilley said. “It’s just been really great to see the improvement in skill and the confidence and team chemistry. It makes me really excited for the season.”
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