MANNFORD — If you’ve been anywhere around Mannford this week — the gas station, the Sonic, or the church potluck — odds are somebody’s already told you about Cambri Casey. And if they haven’t, check their pulse.
Tuesday at McLoud: fireworks before the fair
It wasn’t a skeet shooting contest you hear in McCloud this weekend, It was Casey staging her own variety show against McLoud. She tripled in the first inning like she was trying to dent the outfield fence — boom, boom, boom; then doubled twice more just because she could, boom, boom. By the time the Lady Redskins got their cleats tied, the scoreboard read 9–1 Pirates. Oh, and Casey struck out 13. Thirteen booms! That’s not pitching, that’s teaching a master class in “sit down and try again.” Folks in McLoud may still be untangling themselves from those swings.
Thursday at Adair: runs tighter than grandma’s Tupperware lid The Pirates packed up for Adair and found themselves in a good oldfashioned pitcher’s duel. It wasn’t flashy — more like a chess match with dirt, duct tape and softballs. Casey doubled in two runs, and that was about all the Lady Pirates needed. Final score: 2–1. You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from the visiting bleachers when that last out dropped.
Friday at Collinsville: sails get clipped
Well, every pirate ship hits a coral reef now and then. Collinsville stole home early and never looked back. Mannford tied it up in the fourth with some good old scrappy play — McCrackin grounding out for an RBI and Lovekamp sneaking a single through. But the Cardinals pushed back in the fifth, and the Lady Pirates had to pack the bus with a 5–2 loss. Let’s just say the ride home was a little quieter than usual.
Saturday at Claremore: Cleveland gets clobbered
But the Lady Pirates had the ship off the reef and under full sail, Saturday, against Cleveland, and oh boy, were they sailing smooth waters.
In the circle, Casey spun up five innings of “don’t even try” — 10 strikeouts, no runs, and three lonely hits for the Lady Tigers. Meanwhile, the Mannford bats thundered like cannons. Lovekamp and Gilbert doubled, Maxville drove one in, and by the end of the second inning, Cleveland looked like they were ready to get back on their own bus. Pirates rolled, 10–0.
The week in plain English:
Three wins, one stumble, and a whole lot of Casey. The Lady Pirates are hitting like it’s church league slow itch, but it’s the defense and the pitching that’s making the difference. And let’s be honest — when the Lady Pirates are rolling, the whole town’s got something to talk about on the porch at Steer Inn.