BARTLESVILLE INDIANS DROP TWO GAMES IN STAN MUSIAL TOURNEY; SIEMERS WINS AWARD
Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians Eddie Rice gets to third base during Stan Musial Tournament action against DBAT Tulsa last week in Bartlesville. The Indians dropped two games and now look to Thursday’s Oklahoma American Legion State Tournament in Ada.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians Liam Buchanan gets a lead off of first base during last week’s Stan Musial Tournament in Bartlesville. The Indians dropped two games and now look to Thursday’s Oklahoma American Legion State Tournament in Ada.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
July 22, 2025
By Mike Tupa
A lopsided start in favor of DBAT Tulsa proved to be more than enough to edge past the Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians during Stan Musial World Series college-age-and-younger baseball action last Wednesday at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium.
Unfortunately, things didn’t get much better Thursday for the Indians, who likely were rusty following only three games in the previous 10 days. Tulsa Sandlot downed the Indians — on a no-hitter — on Thursday at Rigdon Field in Doenges Stadium.
In Wednesday’s contest, DBAT wriggled out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings and held on to win, 8-6, in a gritty battle in what likely was the next-to-final home game of the season for the Indians (22-24). They were slated to play host Thursday night to the Tulsa Lookout in the final Musial pool game prior to the tourney switching to the finals’ site in Chickasha.
With Wednesday’s loss, the Indians suffered effective elimination from advancing to the semifinals.
They hoped to go out with a win Thursday in what likely was their final home contest of the summer — but it just wasn’t their evening.
The Indians, who are led by manager/head coach John Pannell and staff, are slated to travel this week to Ada for the Oklahoma American Legion Championship Tournament. There’s still plenty for the Indians to accomplish — Bartlesville has not won a state legion title since 1978.
They also came so close Wednesday to knocking off DBAT.
The Tulsa squad squirted out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, aided by a hit batsman. It might have been worse for the Indians if not for an inning-ending double play turned by Grant Clark to Kael Siemers to Brenden Asher.
In the bottom of the first, Indians’ two-hole batter Jaxon Zaun reached third base but found a closed sign at home plate.
In the top of the second, the first two DBAT hitters went down on strikes. But Tulsa rallied to score two times in the frame and go ahead, 4-0.
Shortly after the Indian offense sprang to life, sparked by Sam Marcella’s single to lead off the bottom of the second.
A few batters later, Zane Griggs delivered a RBI bunt single and Hunter Shea reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases for Bryce Luelf.
Luelf also lashed an infield single to plate Eddie Rice for Bartlesville’s second run. Siemers followed with a sacrifice fly to send Zane Griggs home to make it a 4-3 game.
Then it was Zaun’s chance to shine again. He ripped a single to drive home both Lathe Griggs and Luelf to push Bartlesville into the lead, 5-4.
The Indians went on to load the bases again but ended their rally when a runner was tagged out trying to score.
DBAT snapped back with three runs in the top of the third to reclaim the lead, 7-5.
A couple of errors in the fourth led to DBAT’s eighth run.
The Indians still had some juice left, however.
In the bottom of the fourth, Siemers reached on a fielder’s choice, advanced on Zaun’s single and scored on a steal and error. But for the second time in the game the Indians ran into the third out while trying to advance. DBAT maintained a two-run lead, 8-6.
Some drama remained in the final three innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Zane Griggs singled to fuel a comeback try. Siemers also reached base to put the potential tying run on base. But the Indians didn’t cash in.
Marcella singled in the bottom of the seventh for the Indians’ final hurrah.
Pitching wise, Lathe Griggs, Alan Covarrubias and Braelen Pippin all turned in some solid innings.
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Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians Zane Stricklin delivers a pitch during last week’s Stan Musial Tournament in Bartlesville. The Indians dropped two games and now look to Thursday’s Oklahoma American Legion State Tournament in Ada.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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THURSDAY: Tulsa Sandlot 10, Bartlesville Indians 1
Bartlesville just couldn’t rev up its offense while Sandlot slowly built its lead.
Through two innings the Tulsa squad led, 5-0.
The Indians found a creative way in the bottom of the third to put a run across the plate. Clark led off a walk, advanced on ground-outs, one of them by Liam Buchanan,
Moments later, Clark dashed home on a wild pitch to trim Tulsa’s lead to 5-1.
Clark would walk again in the fifth inning.
Meanwhile, Sandlot added two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Ryan Jones, Bryce Sickler and Zane Stricklin took turns pitching for Bartlesville.
Indians’ catcher Zaun threw out at least one would-be base stealer.
Tulsa’s starting pitcher was pulled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in favor of a closer that recorded the final out and sealed the no-hitter.
Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians Kael Siemers, right, received the RE/MAX Kevin Lynch Hard Worker Award during last week’s Stan Musial Tournament in Bartlesville. Lynch, center, gives the award to a player who embodies the qualities he had as a former Indians player in the late 1980s. Also pictured is Indians manager/coach John Pannell.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports