Doenges Toyota INDIANS GO 3-3 IN MISSOURI TOURNAMENT
Bartlesville Doenges Toyota’s Zane Stricklin gets ready by bat during an earlier season game. The Indians went 3-3 in the Bobcat Showcase Tournament in Branson, Mo. over the weekend.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
June 9, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Even in defeat the Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians proved their competitive character last weekend during a successful stint in the Bobcat Showcase Tournament in Missouri.
The Indians rampaged to a 3-1 record in their first four games to win their pool title and advance to the championship series hosted by the College of the Ozarks (Branson, Mo.).
They fell twice in championship round robin play to finish 3-3 in the tourney and to improve to 4-8 on the season.
Next up, the Indians — who are led by manager/head coach John Pannell — will be back in action on Monday (June 9) in Claremore at Rogers State University. The first pitch is set for 5:45 p.m.
The doubleheader will be covered live by Bartlesville Radio (KWON-AM 1400, KWON-FM 93.3, FM 95.1 and also shown on KWONTV.
Later this week, Bartlesville will travel to Arkansas to play in the Mountain Home tournament.
Following are details from last weekend’s games:
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FRIDAY — BARTLESVILLE INDIANS 5, OKC EVOLUTION 3 (9 inn.)
Creative offense is not a lost art.
The Indians proved Saturday night they are the Da Vinci’s of manufacturing runs, the MichaelAngelo’s of nearly immaculate offense.
With the score tied 1-1 through eight innings, the Indians erupted for four runs — with only one hit — in the top of the ninth and held on.
The resourceful rally began with Sam Marcella standing on second (via the international tiebreaker rule in extra innings) and Jaxon Zaun at the plate.
Zaun reached safely on a fielder’s choice, which sent Marcella to third base. Hunter Shea then walked to load the bases for Kael Siemers.
Siemers also grounded into a fielder’s choice — driving home Marcella to put the Indians ahead, 2-1 — and resulting in Siemers being safe at first and bases still loaded.
Two batters later, the Evolution pitcher uncorked a wild pitch to Owen Dum, which scored Zaun for an insurance run, 3-1.
With the count full, Dum grounded out to third to drive in Shea and stretch the lead to 4-1. Three runs so far and no hits.
Bryce Luelf stepped to the plate next. He delivered a double to push Siemers home for a 5-1 lead. The next batter grounded out to end the inning.
But the gritty Evolution proved to be a tough team to put away. With runners on third and second and a run already across the plate, Pannell called on Siemers as his closer.
The Indians recorded the final two outs by a catching a runner trying to steal (Adrian O’Dell applied the tag) and Siemers getting the last batter to pop out to Rice.
The Indians had led most the way — thanks to a first-inning homer by Brett Eaves, his first of the season. After fouling off a 2-and-2 pitch, Eaves launched the ball over the centerfield wall.
Bartlesville’s 1-0 lead held up for four innings, thanks to Grant Clark’s clutch pitching. He opened up the game by retiring the first four batters and nine of the first 10 he faced.
In the bottom of the fifth the Evolution managed to take advantage of a hit batsman to score the tying run. Pannell relieved Clark with Zane Griggs going into the sixth inning.
Bryce Sickler would take over in relief in the eighth inning. He worked his way out of a big jam by striking out a batter to leave a runner stranded at third.
The 1-1 score would remain unchanged in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Finally in the ninth the innovative Indians found a way to produce four runs and all but clinch their spot in the championship series.
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FRIDAY — FORSYTH (Mo.) 11, BARTLESVILLE INDIANS 4
Unfortunately the Indians came up short of going 4-0 in pool play and to settle for 3-1.
This game was much more fiercely competitive than the final score indicated.
The score stood tied, 1-1, at the end of the first inning. Bartlesville scored on a single by Eaves.
Forsyth grinded out a run in the top of the second to inch back ahead, 2-1. But Zaun sapped a two-run single in the bottom of the second to reverse the lead, 3-2. The Indians threatened to add to the lead when they put runners on third and second with no outs. But, they didn’t cash in.
However, Eddie Rice scored in the bottom of the third to add to the lead — but Marcella was tagged out trying to score on the same play.
The Indians carried a 4-2 lead into the fourth inning. Then things turned around.
Forsyth scored four times in the top of the fourth to hi-jack the lead back, 6-4.
The Indian offense kept setting the table the next couple of innings but left the plate empty.
Forsyth erupted for six runs in the top of the sixth — aided by two walks, a hit batsman, a balk and an obstruction call on an Indians’ defender.
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SATURDAY — WILLARD 9, BARTLESVILLE INDIANS 5
After spotting Willard a 7-0 lead the Indians made a valiant uprising to get back within three, 8-5.
But they simply ran out of time to make it all the way back.
Brenden Asher and Rice opened the rally with back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the fourth.
Two batters later Marcella stepped up and ripped a base hit to bring home Asher. Siemers followed with a two-run single to plate Rice and Marcella to close the gap for four runs, 7-3.
After Willard went up 8-3, the Indians stormed back with two runs in the top of the fifth, highlighted with a RBI double by Asher and run-scoring hit by Rice to trim Willard’s lead to three, 8-5.
But that’s as close as the Indians would get.
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SATURDAY — MOUNTAIN HOME 19, BARTLESVILLE INDIANS 4
Okay, one of these happens now and then.
Mountain Home powered to a 5-0 lead in the opening frame to take control.
Not really.
The gritty Indians battled back with two runs in the bottom of the first, set up by singles by Zaun and Rice, sandwiched around Eaves being hit with a pitch.
Rice poked a two-out single to drive home Zaun. Moments later Marcella plated Eaves to narrow Mountain Home’s lead to 5-2.
An inning later Buchanan drew a walk, advanced on Clark’s sacrifice bunt and dashed home on Zaun’s safety to make it a two-run game, 5-3.
But the top of the third saw Mountain Home catch fire, scoring six runs and never looking back.
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ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
By the time they wrapped up play Saturday the Indians had played 12 games in 12 days, mostly against high-quality competition.
The Indians’ pitching staff boasts some solid experienced arms and some young guns in need of seasoning. Considering that reality, several of the Indians’ newer pitchers have turned in some solid innings.
Several different batters have delivered clutch at-bats as Pannell continues to try to put together the most effective lineup. The Indians also have displayed some very good — and at times — brilliant defensive play.
As the pitching depth progresses and the hitting continues to improve throughout the lineup, the Indians could become a superior team. They’ve already displayed signs of that during the first 12 games:
Kansas Curve 9, Indians 2
Kansas Curve 7, Indians 0
Dallas-Fort Worth Ravages 12, Indians 3
Dallas-Fort Worth Ravages 12, Indians 6
Indians 5, Tulsa Sandlot 4
Tulsa Sandlot 22, Indians 12
Indians 4, Kickapoo 0
Indians 12, Clever 4
Indians 5, OKC Evolution 3 (9 inn.)
Forsyth 11, Indians 4
Willard 9, Indians 5
Mountain Home 19, Indians 4