OKLAHOMA CITY — All year Jenna Lynn has been the rock upon which the Moore fastpitch team was built. Whenever the junior hurler was needed, she always came through for them.
Lynn had expected to be able to do it one more time when her Lions took on top-ranked Edmond North Monday with the 6A state championship on the line. However, for the first time this year, she was not at her best as the Huskies battered Moore 11-2 at Hall of Fame Stadium.
“We definitely didn’t have our A game,” Lynn said. “It’s a bad time to not have it. We just didn’t have it. I don’t even know what it was. I thought we were pumped up. I thought we would execute, but we just didn’t make it happen.”
Edmond North pounded out 15 hits, which is the most Lynn has allowed this season.
But it was not just Lynn who didn’t play their best in the season’s biggest game. As a team Moore accounted for only two hits against the Huskies Jordan Dixon.
“Honestly, I couldn’t tell you why we didn’t get it going,” senior Tianna Guterrez said. “Jordan is a great pitcher. I’ve played with her previously. We couldn’t hit her. We couldn’t hit her rise ball. We’ve always had a problem with that and it showed tonight.”
Yet, Moore started the game like it did have Dixon figured out. Senior Hannah Lynch came to the plate with two runners on and one out in the top of the first. Dixon threw a wild pitch and Caitlin Hall scored easily.
Dixon fanned Lynch and Kristen Prieto to shut down the rally, but the damage had been done. The Lions had an early 1-0 advantage.
Against most teams that would have been all the cushion Lynn would need.
But the Huskies (34-2) didn’t take long to respond. Madison Nordyke smashed a high-flying double to centerfield to knock home Sheridan Bond and tie the game. Dixon then hit a pop fly to shallow centerfield, but centerfielder Brianna McArthur and shortstop Caiti Hall collided with each other as they both went for the ball. Neither was able to hold on to it and Nordyke scored.
The hits kept on coming in the second inning. Kourtney Tanner smashed an RBI double that hit the fence. That was the start of a four-run inning and gave the Huskies a commanding 6-1 lead.
Trailing 8-2 in the top of the fifth, McArthur came to bat with runners on first and second and only one out. Dixon hit her with a pitch to load the bases. They needed just one hit to knock in a couple of runs and put some pressure on the Huskies.
However, Dixon struckout Caitlin Hall and got Lynch to fly out to center to end Moore’s best and last scoring threat.
“It’s just one of those when it rains it pours,” Moore coach Stephanie Riley said. “She put more base runners on for us by walking so many. Why we weren’t not taking pitches that we needed to be taking and weren’t swinging at pitches, that’s in the books now. I can’t say that we weren’t ready because we were ready. We were mentally prepared and relaxed. But when we hit the dirt, everything changes.”
The Lions finished the year with a 34-3 record and a runner-up finish trophy. Both are great accomplishments for a team that was not expected to contend when the season began.
Yet, the Lions know they could have had a better showing in their final game.
“It’s rough,” Lynn said,. “especially when you know you had a really good season and it kind of just ended sour like that. It sucks”
Michael Kinney Follow me @eyeamtruth mkinney@mooreamerican.com
