SAND SPRINGS — The Charles Page Sandites have discovered momentum.
And once they found it, they started weilding it like Yoda with a light saber.
Sand Springs is riding a fourgame streak that has included two beatdowns of Bartlesville, a controlled dismantling of Edmond Santa Fe, and a comfortable thumping of Victory Christian.
It started against Edmond Santa Fe, who briefly looked like they might spoil the party when Zak Tucker doubled home a run in the third. That lasted about five minutes.
Jaxon Wadley tied things up, then the Sandites got to work. Kayden Worthington ripped a double, Tatum Wells punched a single, Wadley worked a walk and suddenly Sand Springs owned the scoreboard.
On the mound, Gus Clark turned Santa Fe batters into spectators. The right-hander punched out eight across five innings while allowing just three hits. When Clark left, Cashen McEntire stepped in and gently shut the door. Meanwhile the Sandites piled up nine hits, with Wells, Worthington and Landon Joice collecting two apiece. Jayden Bussel handled everything hit his direction and the Sandites didn’t boot a single ball.
Then came Bartlesville. Game one Monday turned into the kind of tense, late-inning scrap that makes coaches chew through an entire sleeve of dill-flavored sunflower seeds. The Bruins hung around until the seventh inning, when Sand Springs decided it was time to end it.
Wells smashed a double that cleared the bases, and moments later Wadley uncorked a triple that basically told Bartlesville to start cleaning up the dugout. Sand Springs took the 4-3 win. No apologies.
Skylar Luce was steady for six innings on the mound, allowing just two hits before Boston Kissee came in to finish it.
If Bartlesville hoped Tuesday would go differently, that idea lasted about as long as a slice of Minuteman Pizza.
The Bruins jumped out early, but Sand Springs responded with a relentless offensive. Alex Dudley sparked a rally in the second, Worthington pushed the Sandites ahead in the third, and then Worthington set off a two-run homer bomb in the fifth that ended the debate.
Sand Springs racked up 10 hits. Worthington drove in three runs from the nine spot. Tatum Wells again piled up hits, while the defense turned two double plays just to remind Bartlesville the Sandites were going to control everything.
Landon Joice handled six innings on the mound and McEntire once again cleaned up the final frame.
On Thursday, Victory Christian found that out quickly that the Sandites had clearly decided the streak wasn’t over.
Sand Springs blew the game up in the second inning when a defensive mistake opened the door. Boston Kissee drew a bases-loaded walk, Wells doubled home two runs and Sutton Cook lined a single that plated two more. It was a rout.
Clark started the game and struck out five in three innings before the bullpen parade began. Cooper Droz, McEntire and Trenton Crittenden all tossed scoreless innings to finish the night.
At the plate, Cook, Wells and Bussel each collected two hits while Joice and Wells drove in two runs apiece.
What makes the streak impressive isn’t just the wins. It’s the fact that the Sandites are getting contributions from the entire lineup.
Wadley and Wells are tearing through opposing pitching. Worthington is delivering big swings from the bottom of the lineup. Clark, Luce and Joice are controlling games on the mound. McEntire has turned into the bullpen’s quiet closer, and the defense — led by Bussel — has been nearly flawless.
In other words, the Sandite Baseball Express has a broomstick on the throttle. Next up is Cherokee Trail, which has the unenviable task of trying to stop them.