It’s tournament time, and that’s when the Ardmore Cardinals are at their best.
Despite an 8-17 record, Ardmore has recorded half of its wins this Legion season in tournament play. The Cardinals kicked off the Durant Fourth of July Tournament Thursday with a 4-3 mark in tournaments. In the Bo Raney Festival, June 12-13, the Cardinals went 1-2. The team reversed its fortunes a week later at the Texarkana Tournament, winning its first three games against Shreveport, La., Southwest Arkansas and the Dallas Titans before falling to hosts Texarkana in the final.
Each of those four tournament victories has come against out-of-state competition. Is the Legion game tougher in Oklahoma? Ardmore coach Jake Melton didn’t go that far, but didn’t discredit his players or a daunting schedule.
“Oklahoma teams are better than some teams we’ve played out of state,” Melton said Thursday. "It’s been tough, but we’ve been right there in just about every ball game. Josiah Custar and Cody Sewell have played well and Ryan Miller and Layton Hawkins have given us a chance to win every time they pitch.
“What we were able to do in Texarkana is avoid the big inning.”
The big inning Melton spoke of has popped up on more than one occasion for the Cardinals. After getting outscored 24-4 in a doubleheader sweep by Lawton Wednesday, Melton thought the team hadn’t yet recovered from conceding an 11-run fifth inning to Ada last Friday. The Cardinals lost to Ada 19-11 after leading 11-4.
Melton and Co. hope to have a better showing this weekend. The Cardinals play consecutive games against Dallas Titans teams today (Blue, 4 p.m.) and Saturday (White, 2:15 p.m.), and finish pool play with Durant High School (4:30 p.m.) on Saturday.
Durant 9, Ardmore 3
Tournament hosts Durant plated six runs in the sixth inning to complete the comeback against Ardmore Thursday.
The Cardinals (8-18) missed numerous chances to take or extend the lead. In the top of the fifth, ahead 3-1 with no outs, Ardmore left runners on second and third to end the inning. Tied 3-3 in the top of the sixth, the Cardinals left two men on again before Durant’s big inning, a six-run bottom half.
“All the momentum changed when they stopped us in the fifth,” Melton said. “Ryan Miller threw the ball well; we just got unlucky. That big inning I’m always talking about killed us and we didn’t get many big hits.”
Colton McKenzie (fielder’s choice) and Jonathon Gannon (sacrifice fly) drove in runs for Ardmore.
With the win, Durant went ahead 3-2 in the season series.
Erik K. Horne
221-6522
