BETHANY — Broncho softball coach Booker Blakley hopes his team learns how to fight through adversity early in this season.

“(The last couple of days), it’s been nothing but fights.”

The Bronchos (3-5, 1-2) dropped an extra-inning contest to Woodward Monday (Aug. 17) and followed that up Tuesday with a 10-9 comeback win over winless Clinton for their first District 4A-3 win of the season.

The Lady Reds came out swinging, taking an early 5-2 lead. For the game, Clinton had 11 hits and took advantage of seven Bethany errors.

The outburst chased Broncho senior starter Jules Barger from the circle after 1 1/3 innings, but only two of the four runs charged to her were earned.

Sophomore Avery Bibbs came in and things stabilized a bit.

“(Avery Bibbs) did what she needed to do,” Booker said. “She’ll be an important piece for us everywhere, especially in the circle.”

The Bronchos punched back in the fourth inning, scoring six runs.

The inning started with a walk to Avery Bibbs. Autumn Graham added pinch-hit single to score Avery Bibbs. Senior Emma Geissler lined a double and fellow senior Grey Williamson tripled to tie the game.

The barrage knocked Clinton starter Emma Ray out of the game but it Bethany didn’t stop. Senior Ella Davis added an RBI-single. Sophomore Dani Williams followed suit and Avery’s twin sister Macy Bibbs drove in Williams to give the Bronchos an 8-5 lead.

Bethany would need all of those runs and more.

Clinton responded with two runs in a two-out rally in the fifth, aided by a pair of hits and an error.

The Bronchos answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, keyed by Barger’s 2-run single to make it 10-7.

The Lady Reds made one more push in the seventh. Clinton scored two runs with help from Bethay miscues to make it 10-9.

With two outs, Clinton sophomore Madison Walker singled to right field but freshman Izzy Melton fired the ball to third base, throwing out Lady Red sophomore Paisley Ruyle to end the game.

“Even there at the end, we kind of try to make life a little harder for ourselves,” Blakley said. “But, finding ways to make plays, to win ball games is really in the end all that really matters.”

Both teams combined for 24 hits and each team had four players with two hits in the contest.

Blakley thinks the early adversity this season will teach his teams valuable lessons.

“Stuff like this is gonna help them later on down the road. We’re gonna be in tight ball games, and whether it’s in districts or in playoffs down the line. Hopefully, it prepares us and gets us ready for that moment when it comes.”

UP NEXT

The Bronchos (3-5) will compete in the Jacie Cochran Memorial Tournament at Cashion Thursday through Saturday (Aug. 20-22).

On Thursday, Bethany meets 3A Heritage Hall (1-2) at 5:45 and host 2A Cashion (3-4) at 7 p.m.

Friday’s games include Bethany versus 2A Crescent (6-0) at 11:40 a.m. and host Cashion at 2:20 p.m.

On Saturday, the Bronchos take on 2A Luther (4-2) at 3:40 p.m. The Bethany JV plays the Edmond Santa Fe JV at 5 p.m.

Photographs courtesy of Kristie Escoe of Life in Action Photography.

W: A. Bibbs. L: Ray.

2B: Ruyle. SB: Anderson, Pugh. E: Rodebush.

2B: Geissler, Williams. 3B: Williamson. HBP: Sydnes. SB: Graham, Davis, A. Bibbs. E: A. Bibbs (2), Williamson (3), Sydnes, Barger.