BARTLESVILLE INDIANS GO 1-1 AT OKLAHOMA AMERICAN LEGION STATE TOURNEY; PLAY 10 A.M. FRIDAY TO STAY ALIVE
Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians Brenden Asher tries to keep his balance after a play at second base in an earlier season game. The Indians went 1-1 in the Oklahoma American Legion State Tournament in Ada on Thursday. They must win three games Friday to advance their hunt for an American Legion World Series title.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
By Mike Tupa
July 25, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
(Note: Friday’s 10 a.m. Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians’ game is set to be broadcast on KPGM (1500-AM, 99.1-FM) and shown online on KWON-TV. If the Indians were to win, they would play again in the afternoon.)
An amazing rally early Thursday afternoon bolstered the state title hopes of the Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians.
But later on Thursday afternoon the Ada Braves made a game-changing comeback to send the Indians into the losers bracket at the Oklahoma American Legion Championship Tournament being held in Ada.
However, the Indians still are alive in the hunt for a crown.
The task is a tough one. They’ll have to win three times on Friday in order to win the team’s first Legion state title in 48 seasons — back before current Indians’ manager/head coach John Pannell was napping in kindergarten.
At least the Indians still have a chance on Friday to win it all
Following are summaries of Thursday’s exciting action.
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Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians Hunter Shea congratules Sam Marcella on scoring in earlier game. The Indians play at 10 a.m. Friday in the Oklahoma American Legion State Tournament. Shea recently committed to play baseball at Southwestern Christian University in Bethany.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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BARTLESVILLE INDIANS 12, ADA A’s 4 (run-rule)
Understand this — for five-and-a-half innings Bartlesville appeared like it was about to slip down to the loser’s bracket.
But the Indian offense caught fire in the bottom of the sixth to score 11 runs and flay the A’s.
Brenden Asher’s three-run double powered the Indians into the lead. They kept on piling on runs until they ended it on a run-rule.
Up until that sixth inning, the A’s had pretty much been in control. They pounced out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and carried an advantage through five complete innings.
Bartlesville’s offense, meanwhile, remained colder than chilled lobster. The Indians kept setting the table with base runners but left most of them standing. They scored their lone run in the first five innings on Jaxon Zaun’s double to plate Zane Griggs. Griggs reached base on a single and advanced on Bryce Luelf’s sacrifice bunt.
Ada, meanwhile, kept threatening to break the game open — leaving the bases loaded in the top of the fifth and having placed runners on third and second in the top of the fourth. Bartlesville turned a key doubleplay to squash another Ada rally.
In the top of the sixth, Ada added a run and again left multiple runners on base.
Then it all came together for the Indians in the bottom of the sixth.
Eddie Rice started it off by being hit with a pitch and advancing on Grant Clark’s grounder. Griggs then walked. That set up the revolving door at home plate for the Indians, started when Luelf singled home Rice.
Other big hits included Zaun’s RBI single, Asher’s bases-loaded two-bagger, Sam Marcella’s RBI hit and two-run singles by Hunter Shea and Luelf.
Shea picked up the pitching win in relief after starter Lathe Griggs had turned in a gritty and successful stint the first several innings.
With the win Bartlesville improved to 23-24 on the summer.
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ADA BRAVES 4, BARTLESVILLE INDIANS 3
This one followed almost the opposite script.
The Indians sprang out to a sizable lead — but watched the Braves claw back and spoil their hope.
Bartlesville opened up the game with consecutive singles by Kael Siemers, Zaun, Asher, Rice and Marcella to score three runs.
Zaun delivered a hit-and-run that led to Siemers scoring all the way from first. Zaun was tagged out on the play in a rundown.
Rice ripped a double to put two men on base with Marcella coming to the plate in the five-hole.
Marcella mashed a single to score both Asher and Rice to put the Indians ahead, 3-0.
Unfortunately that would be all of Bartlesville’s scoring for the game.
The Braves scored one run each in the first, second, fourth and sixth innings to slowly overtake the Indians.
The Indians, meanwhile, squandered chances to tack on more runs. Shea singled in the fourth and sixth, respectively, but the Indians didn’t cash in.
After the Braves went ahead in the bottom of the sixth, 4-3, the Indians went down in order in the top of the seventh.