By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
Not too many freshman pitchers in high school softball even throw 105 pitches on the varsity squad.
But in Okarche, for fall fastpitch softball, Lawson Geheb, a freshman, has thrown a lot more than that. She has struck out 105 batters at the plate.
Geheb nabbed her 100th strikeout in a game against Burns Flat Dill City on Saturday, Sept. 21.
As an eighth grader she had 103 strikeouts.
It was her last game in September 2023 when she struck out batter number 103 against Dover, in a 10-2 victory. In the game, she slid feet first into second base, jamming her back so hard she had fractures on both sides.
There were fears the serious back injury would keep her from ever playing in high school, said her mother Jaci Geheb.
And there were doctors who said she should not even play again, Jaci Geheb said.
Jaci Geheb, a music teacher at Okarche Elementary School, said her daughter Lawson
fractured both sides of the L5 disk on her spine. She needed 10 months to heal.
“We didn’t think she was going to be able to play. She had two doctors tell her she should never play sports again. But two doctors were determined to help her, and she was able to overcome it and play again and then to reach the record of 100 Ks as a freshman is amazing for her along with her six out of the park homeruns,” Jaci Geheb said.
Lawson’s first return to softball after the injury was a practice with the high school team at the end of July.
From September to July, she couldn’t pitch or hit at all. But it did not take long to become the starting pitcher for the fall. She picked up where she left off in eighth grade, sitting down the batters at the plate with faster pitches.
In the recent Sayre Classic, the high school team the Sayre Junior Varsity squad 10-3, then lost to the same team 5-3. The team beat Hennessey 6-1 and the combined school teams of Burns Flat Dill City, 13-2.
The Lady Warriors lost to Sayre varsity 5-4 in the semifinals. In the Burns Flat Dill City game, the freshmen phenom collected the special one, 100th strikeout of the season.
As of Tuesday, Sept. 23, Lawson had 105 strikeouts. The team record stood at 20-11 after a win over Hennessey 3-2 on Monday, Sept. 23. Lawson did not pitch in that game. Brittney Darst got the win on the mound in the last home game of the season before the district tournament.
Coach Scott Tahah, who is in his first year in Okarche, has been impressed with her fortitude and mental toughness.
“She’s come in and had a lot of confidence and has really been working hard. She also hits three-hole for us. She does a fantastic job for us on the mound but besides that, her stick has really gotten our offense going. She is all around a very good player, and as a freshman that is huge. We can’t wait to see how she grows,” Coach Tahah said.
Time for district
The district tournaments started Thursday, Sept. 26 for softball and baseball.
The baseball team, with a 17-6 record as of Tuesday, Sept. 23, was slated to play in a two-team district tournament, hoping to win the best two out of three games with Geronimo.
The first game was scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at Okarche High School, 632 W. Oklahoma Ave. at the baseball field.
The second game of the series was scheduled for 1 p.m. Game three, if necessary, could be played at 3 p.m. Thursday if both coaches agreed, or would be played at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 if necessary.
For softball, Okarche was scheduled to play at 11 a.m. Thursday against Calumet at Carnegie. The winner faces the host school Carnegie in game two.
Here is the Warriors baseball and softball remaining schedules for the fall:
Baseball
Sept. 26-27, District tournament, at Okarche.
Sept. 30, Fort Cobb-Broxton, 4:30 p.m., home.
Oct. 3-5, Regional tournament, TBA.
Oct. 10-12, State tournament, TBA.
Softball
Sept. 25-28, district tournament, at Carnegie.
Oct. 2-5, Regional Tournament, TBA.
Oct. 9-12, State Tournament, TBA
