BARTLESVILLE LADY BRUINS BATTLE PAST EDMOND MEMORIAL TO ADVANCE TO STATE TOURNAMENT
Bartlesville Lady Bruins Paisley Bryant (6) and Kennedy Price (8) get ready for Thursday’s Class 6A regional softball tournament at Bartlesville. The Lady Bruins are regional champs and head to the state championship tournament next week.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
The Bartlesville Lady Bruins pose with their Class 6A regional plaque Thursday after winning the regional championship and a trip to the state tournament.
STAFF PHOTO/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
Bartlesville Lady Bruin Londyn Bond holds up the Class 6A regional plaque Thursday afternoon. The Lady Bruins are returning to the state championship tournament.
STAFF PHOTO/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
By Becky Burch
Oct. 9, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
It took 14 grueling innings in the circle Thursday afternoon, but Bartlesville pitcher Alison Rosson ultimately willed the Bruins back to the state tournament.
Rosson pitched back-to-back complete games, shaking off a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in the opener to power Bartlesville to a 9-2 victory over Edmond Memorial in the deciding Class 6A regional championship game.
With the win, the Bruins secured their spot in Oklahoma's state bracket, earning first-year head coach Holden Yoder his first appearance at the state tournament. While this may be Yoder’s first trip, this Bruins team has been there before — making this the program's third appearance at the state tournament. The Lady Bruins claimed the regional championship victory on their home field in front of a packed crowd.
“Coach Kyle Minton built an incredible program and I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to step in and try to continue building on his work,” Yoder said.
The Bruins were forced to fight with their backs against the wall after the first game went down to the final frame. The Bulldogs managed to plate a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 1-0 win, despite a stellar opening performance from Rosson, who, with her defense behind her, gave up just seven hits and struck out three.
Rather than force immediate lineup adjustments after the shutout loss, Yoder trusted his team's maturity.
“We had some opportunities in the first game; things just didn’t go our way,” Yoder said. “To the girls’ credit, they stayed the course and continued to be persistent. Things started to go our way in the second game and they were rewarded for that persistence.”
The offense rewarded their pitcher early in the second game, jumping out to a 5-2 lead by the fourth inning.
Jazmyne Campbell ignited the bats in the first inning with a two-run fly-ball double to center field, driving in Erin Bridendolph and Londyn Bond.
In the top of the fourth, Bond ripped a ground ball double to center, scoring Lydia Daniels. Bridendolph followed with a two-run single that scored Bond and Paisley Bryant to push the lead to 5-1.
Bartlesville put the game entirely out of reach late. Savannah Alden drove in Bridendolph with a sixth-inning single, and the Bruins exploded for three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Maddie Nachbor anchored the lineup, finishing the game with three hits and two RBIs.
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Bartlesville Lady Bruin Alison Rosson (4) throws to first base for a double play during Bartlesville’s first game against Edmond Memorial Thursday. The Lady Bruins are Class 6A regional champions and head to the state tournament next week.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
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But the afternoon belonged to Rosson. In the second game, she limited Edmond Memorial to just five hits and two runs. She threw 93 pitches, an incredibly efficient 62 of them for strikes, to finish out the grueling double-header.
“Alison had a huge day in the circle for us,” Yoder said. “Throwing two complete games back-to-back is incredibly tough to do, but she went out and gave her teammates phenomenal effort every single inning.”
Yoder also praised the offensive depth that kept the pressure on Edmond Memorial all week, following a Wednesday sweep of Lawton Eisenhower and the Bulldogs to set up Thursday's final.
“Maddie Nachbor, Londyn Bond, and Erin Bridendolph were tough to get out at the plate all tournament long,” Yoder said. “Jazmyne Campbell had a couple big hits in the final game to get us going offensively.”
The OSSAA Class 6A State Tournament will take place Oct. 15-17 at FireLake Ball Fields in Shawnee.
Bartlesville Lady Bruin second baseman Lola Redington (20) stretches for a grounder during Thursday’s first game against Edmond Memorial. The Lady Bruins are Class 6A regional champions and head to the state tournament next week.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
Bartlesville Lady Bruin shortstop Erin Bridendolph (5) catches a pop fly during Thursday’s first game against Edmond Memorial. The Lady Bruins are Class 6A regional champions and head to the state tournament next week.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report