The Checotah Wildcats (1117) delivered a jaw-dropping finish Tuesday night, walking off the Eufaula Ironheads (515) in a heart-pounding 6-5 victory at Checotah. With the score tied at five in the bottom of the eighth, a costly error by Eufaula opened the door and Checotah kicked it open for the win.
Eufaula jumped ahead early in the second when Luke Hodgins was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in the first run. Baylor Bohannon kept the pressure on in the third with a sharp RBI single to push the Ironheads up 2-0.
But Checotah wasn’t backing down. Logan Crawford launched a solo shot to right in the bottom of the third, igniting the home crowd. Then Bryce Marshall smashed a double to left in the fifth to tie the game at two.
In the sixth, Traegan Duvall came through in the clutch, singling home a run to give Checotah a 3-2 edge. But the Ironheads answered right back, capitalizing on back-to-back errors in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead.
With the game slipping away, Cale Thompson stepped up and delivered a rope down the left field line on an 0-2 count, tying things again at 4-4. Eufaula briefly reclaimed the lead in the eighth behind a clutch double by Hayden Robinson, but it wouldn’t last long.
In the bottom of the eighth, Camden Ferguson laced a line drive down the right field line, and the Ironheads’ defense crumbled once more. Two runs crossed the plate and it was game over.
Pitching performances Dalton Carter was solid in relief for Checotah, tossing 4.1 innings while giving up just two hits and one earned run. Charles Collins started the game and battled through three innings. Eufaula’s JP Hicks put on a show of his own; striking out 10 over six innings, but defensive miscues overshadowed his strong outing.
Offensive standouts Bryce Marshall led the Wildcats, going 2-for-5 with two RBI. He and Logan Crawford (also 2-for-5) formed a dynamic duo in the heart of the lineup. Ferguson showed patience at the plate with two walks, and the Wildcats as a whole worked eight walks in total.
For Eufaula, Dawson Hughes and Carson Luna each racked up two hits. Hodgins, Robinson, and Bohannon each tallied an RBI. On the bases, the Ironheads were electric with six stolen bases between Hughes and Robinson helped keep them in the game.
Both squads turned slick double plays in a game full of twists, tension, and dramatic swings. In the end, it was Checotah who made the final move, sealing a walk-off win to remember.
Checotah rolled to victory in game two of the doubleheader with rival Eufaula earning a 12-4 win. Checotah scored seven runs on four hits in the top of the seventh inning. Mason Rainbolt hit a solo home run for the Wildcats. Eufaula collected nine hits in the game while the Wildcats had 10.
Muskogee defeated Checotah on Monday 9-6.
