SPARTANS SOFTBALL SURGING

partans surging District 6A-3 has been solid at the top this season, including Bixby, the third-place finisher, finishing the regular season at 27-8. The Spartans continued their superb play against non-district foes by going 5-0 at the Tahlequah/NSU tournament over the weekend. The Spartans began the tournament with a 6-5 win over Checotah, and then followed with shutout victories over Fort Gibson, Jay and Edison. To close out the tournament, Bixby took down the reigning Class 5A champion Pryor 2-1 in the finals. “We were flawless defensively during the tournament, but we were able to work around a few mistakes,” Bixby coach Joy Marie Galliart said. “They didn’t end up being game-changers.” Galliart pointed to contributions from Sarah Tyree and Kat Taylor on offense during the tournament. In the pitching circle, Galliart credited the trio of Meredith Iden, Chylee Ridge and Betsy Bales for seasonlong success and dominant performances throughout the tournament. “At one point or another this weekend,” Galliart said, “they all threw very well.” For regional play, Bixby will take part in the Sand Springs Regional, which begins Tuesday. The Spartans will be going after their first state tournament berth since joining the Class 6A ranks. “The key for us is going to be two things,” Galliart said. “The first is consistency in doing the little things that ultimately become big things. The next is going to be our mental approach. We have to believe that we can compete at the highest level and win games when it counts.”

SPARTANS SOFTBALL SURGING

Photo Credit: Bixby Athletics

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