NORMAN — Bethany pounced early on Elk City and let senior Charlie Tolle do his thing in a 4-0 win Thursday (May 15) in the first round of the Class 4A Baseball State Tournament at Norman North.

Tolle scattered seven hits in a complete game shutout. He struck out eight batters and didn’t issue a walk.

The Elks threatened in the third inning with three straight singles to load the bases. Tolle struck out the next two batters and coaxed a ground ball to junior shortstop Karter Thomas for a force out at second base to end the inning and the threat.

Over the next four innings, Tolle allowed two hits en route to the win.

“Tolle was a great, once again,” Bethany coach Robert Lee said via text. “He pitched out of that jam by just making pitches … one at a time.”

The Broncho offense started early. In the first inning, junior Judson Gilliland singled and then stole second. Thomas tripled to right field to score Gilliland. Sophomore Cooper Willis followed with an infield single that scored Thomas to make it 2-0.

In the second inning, senior Layton Reither singled to center. Reither moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by fellow senior Brock Cross. Gilliland singled to left field and Reither moved to third base.

Reither later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 3-0.

Bethany picked up an insurance run in the sixth inning. Sophomore Brody McLaren reached on an error and ended up on second base. Senior Andrew Taber moved him over to third with a sacrifice bunt.

Reither drove him in with a single to right field and the Bronchos led, 4-0.

“Super proud of our guys,” Lee said. “We had some great at bats early, scored late by manufacturing a run. Excited to see our guys compete (against Blanchard)!”

Gilliland went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Reither added a 2-for-3 day with a run scored and a run batted in. Thomas and Willis each went 1-for-3 with a run batted in. Thomas also walked twice.

Tolle also went 1-for-3 at the plate.

The win marks the first time the Bronchos earned a win in the state quarterfinals since 1959 when Bethany (then in Class B) beat Buffalo. The Bronchos then beat Jenks before losing to Mangum in the finals.

Four years earlier, Bethany rolled through Shattuck and Antlers before beating Hobart, 2-1, for its lone baseball state title.

The Bronchos also won in the quarterfinals in 1950 (over Alex) before losing to Byng in the semifinals.

In recent history, Bethany exited in the quarterfinals in 2004, 2006, 2014 and 2016.

The Bronchos have now made 11 appearances in the state tournament with their first in 1949.

UP NEXT

The Bronchos face Blanchard (33-1) in the semifinals at Norman North. First pitch is at 11 a.m.

The Lions beat North Rock Creek, 8-2, Thursday. Blanchard’s lone loss this season was on March 19 against Pensacola (Fla.) Catholic in the Aggie Classic in Florida.

Photographs courtesy of Kristie Escoe of Life in Action Photography.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Elk City (26-5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	1
Bethany (29-5)	2	1	0	0	0	1	X	4	7	0