Buffs battle in district tilt with Sapulpa

Apr. 16—The Buffs never quit battling.

McAlester hosted Sapulpa Tuesday at Mike Deak Field in the second game of the district series, where the Buffaloes fought but fell 10-0 to the Chieftains.

A pitching duel set the tone early between McAlester's Ganon Mullins and Sapulpa's Braxton Jones, keeping the first two innings scoreless. The Chieftains broke the tie in the top of the third inning, scoring five runs to take the lead.

In the bottom half of the inning, McAlester began to gain some momentum as Jordan Clark and Ayden Shumway made their way on base — but would be held off by Sapulpa to retire the side.

McAlester kept Sapulpa off the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning, with Shumway on the mound earning a strikeout to retire the side. But the Chieftains added another pair of runs in the top of the fifth, extending its lead.

Sapulpa added another three runs in the top of the sixth, and held off the Buffs in the bottom half of the inning to seal away the win.

Clark and Shumway reached safely to lead at the plate for McAlester, while Mullins and Shumway combined for three strikeouts on the mound.

With the result, McAlester moves to 17-10 and 9-3 in district play. The Buffs will next wrap up the district slate with a home-and-home against Coweta April 22-23 — where a single win will lock up third place for McAlester.