bhs softball improves to 15-5; bruins split with muskogee
Bartlesville High School’s Chloe Robbins (4) heads to third base during earlier season action. The Lady Bruins are now 15-5 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Bartlesville High School’s Damien Niko heads home during an earlier season game. The Bruins split with Muskogee on Monday and Tuesday,
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
April 9, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Following are reports from Bartlesville High School baseball and slowpitch softball this week.
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SLOWPITCH SOFTBALL
Offense, thy name is Lady Bruin plate power.
For the 14th time in just 20 games Bartlesville scored 10-or-more runs after crushing Muskogee, 18-4, and Porum, 13-3, during Bixby Festival action Monday.
The Lady Bruins (15-5) are 14-0 when scoring double-digit runs and 15-0 when putting at least nine runs on the board.
The OSSAA ranks Bartlesville No. 7 in Class 6A in the state. Kyle Minton serves as Bartlesville’s head coach.
BARTLESVILLE 18, MUSKOGEE 4 — Five different Lady Bruin batters drove in two-or-more runs and four blasted homers during an overwhelming assault. Bartlesville came on strong at the end by scoring 14 runs in the final three innings.
Erin Bridendolph clobbered a homer and a single and drove in four runs to pour gas on the rising flames.
Savannah Alden slammed a homer and two singles and plated three runs.
Lexi Durao added a circuit clout, a single and three RBI while Isabell Daniels delivered a double, three singles and three RBI.
Maddie Czaja contributed three singles and two RBI.
Jazmine Campbell belted a solo homer.
Kenzie Denny and Karmandy Marsheck each drove in one run.
Marsheck also pitched the complete-game six-hitter with just two earned runs. Madie Nachbor was on the receiving end at catcher.
BARTLESVILLE 13, PORUM 3 — Once again the Lady Bruins poured on the assault in the latter innings, scoring five times in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Durao and Campbell homered for the second time on the day and Daniels walloped a homer and a double.
Daniels finished with three hits and two RBI while Campbell plated three runs.
Down in the nine-hole Chloe Robbins finished 3-for-3 at the plate with one RBI.
Marsheck snapped off her second complete game of the day, scattering 10 hits with one earned run. She issued only one walk and struck out one batter.
The Lady Bruins eye four games on Friday at the Chelsea Festival. Their next home game is next Monday against Preston.
RANKINGS: Following are Bartlesville’s 14 wins with 10-or-more runs. (Note: The opponent’s state ranking is in parentheses.)
Bartlesville 12, Haskell 1 (No. 6, 4A)
Bartlesville 13, Bixby 12 (No. 5, 6A)
Bartlesville 20, Owasso 2 (No. 20, 6A)
Bartlesville 10, Owasso 9 (No. 20, 6A)
Bartlesville 11, Chelsea 2 (No. 14, 4A)
Bartlesville 15, Tulsa Union 6 (No. 19, 6A)
Bartlesville 20, Sand Springs 4 (No. 17, 6A)
Bartlesville 10, Tulsa Union 3 (No. 19, 6A)
Bartlesville 14, Oktaha 6 (No. 4, 4A)
Bartlesville 14, Tahlequah 3 (No. 16, 6A)
Bartlesville 11, Broken Arrow 9 (No. 4, 6A)
Bartlesville 15, Claremore 1 (No. 20, 6A)
Bartlesville 18, Muskogee 4 (No. 9, 6A)
Bartlesville 13, Porum 3 (No. 10, 3A)
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Bartlesville High School’s Erin Bridendolph (5) gets a hit during an earlier season game. The Lady Bruins are now 15-5 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Bartlesville High School’s Cooper Swaim (2) catches a foul ball during earlier season action. The Bruins split with Muskogee on Monday and Tuesday,
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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BARTLESVILLE BASEBALL
Just call it the Night of the Bounce Back for the Bruins.
After feeling a close loss hangover Monday against Muskogee, 7-6, in extra innings, Bartlesville answered with a 7-0 mulching of Muskogee on Tuesday.
In Monday’s nerve-twister, the Bruins rallied in the fifth inning from a 6-2 deficit to tie the score, 6-6, and send the game into extra innings at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium.
The scrappy Muskogee squad rallied to win, but Bartlesville (14-8) nearly squeezed it out despite three errors and 15 runners left stranded.
In Tuesday’s rematch in Muskogee, pitcher Barrett Merciez twirled six innings of shutout ball before Sterling Kroh closed out in the seventh and preserved the blanking.
Meanwhile, the Bruin offense started with a thunderous statement when Merciez led off in the first inning with a double, advanced on a passed ball and came home on Jaxon Zaun’s base hit.
A few innings later, Damien Niko got on base, advanced to second and then scored on a combination of a stolen base and error.
Through five innings the Bruins led, 5-0. They added a run apiece in the sixth and seventh innings.
Bartlesville amassed 10 hits, led by Merciez, Cy Rigdon, Zaun and Kaden Romesburg with two apiece. Cooper Swaim earned three walks and Zaun registered three RBI.
Once again the Bruins left several runners stranded, a pattern Price hopes the team will get past although he’s happy with how the offense has perked up during the past few games.
“We have to have some more timely hits,” he said. “But I was happy with the win. Tonight was a good response.”
Next up, the Bruins are scheduled to play at 1:30 p.m. Thursday and 1:30 p.m. Friday at Claremore. They face some solid tests in Chickasha and Marlow, respectively.