BARTLESVILLE LADY BRUINS PUNCH TICKET TO 6A STATE TOURNAMENT WITH REGIONAL TITLE
Bartlesville Lady Bruin Maddie Czaja (center) and fellow teammates celebrate a home run during an earlier season game. The Lady Bruins are headed to the Class 6A tournament after winning their regional tournament in Bartlesville on Wednesday.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Becky Burch
April 30, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
For the third straight slow-pitch season—and the fifth time in a row across both fast and slow pitch—head coach Kyle Minton has led the Bartlesville Lady Bruins to a regional title and a spot in the state tournament.
The Lady Bruins secured their trip to the Class 6A state tournament with two run-rule victories in their regional tournament held in Bartlesville on Wednesday.
Despite an opening loss, the Lady Bruins bounced back to dominate their final two games.
The tournament began with a 12-11 loss to Muskogee in a game that started Tuesday but was suspended until Wednesday due to a thunderstorm that dropped rain and hail on the field.
The game was neck and neck, with the Lady Bruins leading 11-10 in the bottom of the seventh when Muskogee’s first baseman hit a walk-off double to plate the winning run. Bartlesville had taken the lead in the top of the seventh on a Lola Redington grand slam to left field—a feat she would repeat later in the tournament.
“It was good to see the girls battle back after losing game one,” Minton said. “They have played with a lot of confidence throughout the year, which showed in bouncing back the next two games.”
The Lady Bruins took care of business in the second game, defeating Sand Springs 12-2. Bartlesville’s bats came alive in the third and fourth innings, putting the Lady Bruins up 11-2. They added one more run in the fifth to end the game early via the run rule.
Erin Bridendolph smacked two home runs against Sand Springs, while Kenzie Denny and Savannah Alden added one apiece. Karmandy Marschek added a double in the win. Senior Maddie Czaja delivered a dominant two-way performance, going 2-for-2 at the plate and earning the win in the circle.
In the championship game, the Lady Bruins dominated Muskogee 17-2. Redington set the tone with a grand slam to left field in the first inning, plating Jasmine Campbell, Josie Childers and Marsheck. Bartlesville scored eight more runs to go ahead 12-1 after the first frame and ended the game after three innings.
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Bartlesville High School’s second baseman, Lola Redington (20), turns a double play during an earlier season game. The Lady Bruins are headed to the Class 6A tournament after winning their regional tournament in Bartlesville on Wednesday.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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The Bruin defense remained solid, finishing the tournament with only four errors.
Redington ended the tournament with three home runs and 10 RBIs. Bridendolph went 7-for-9 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs, while scoring six runs. Czaja pitched all three games and hit 5-for-8 with a double, four RBIs and four runs scored.
“It’s always a good thing to see the girls accomplish a goal they set out to do every year, but this team is special because of how they go about things,” Minton said. “ It really shows how much they believe in each other when their back is against the wall and what they can accomplish.”
The Class 6A state tournament begins next Tuesday at Firelake Ballpark in Shawnee.