by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — An era came to an end for the Oxford baseball program in the Udall regional championship. The Wildcats lost to defending state champions Leon-Bluestem 9-8 in 11 innings Tuesday night.

Bluestem, the defending Class 2-1A state champion, would score three runs in the bottom of the 11th to put an end to an outstanding three-year run for the Wildcats. Oxford had just broke a 6-6 tie after three scoreless innings to take an 8-6 lead going into the final half of the inning. It was not enough.

“What a ball game,” said Kyle Green, Oxford head baseball coach. “It was a back and fourth baseball game. Both teams battling. We had our chances to win the ball game and I absolutely loved the way we fought all night.”

Oxford opened the tournament by knocking out Central-Burden 11-0 by run rule. Camren Clements was the winning pitcher allowing three hits, no walks, and striking out five. Oxford scored five runs in the first and five more runs in the second to sustain a 10-run lead the rest of the way. 

That set up the championship game against Bluestem- a team that was looming large ever since the KSHSAA had announced the two teams were in the same regional. Bluestem had defeated Oxford in the first round of the state tournament last season, and Oxford was eager for revenge.

The two teams were scoreless for two innings, but Oxford opened with three runs in the top of the third. But in sign of things to come, Bluestem would fight back almost immediately. The Lions scored two runs in the bottom of the third.

Oxford would build up a 5-2 lead but Bluestem scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth, sending the Wildcats to bat in the top of the seventh, needing to score one run to survive. It did just that. The two teams then went into extra innings, setting off an excruciating four innings of extra baseball that ended in heart-breaking walk-off fashion.

“Losing to the defending 2-1A state champs is nothing to hang your head about,” Green said. “We had some Wildcat Magic tonight on three different occasions. Kids just making some great plays and having AB’s. It was just amazing to watch. We just couldn’t quite close the deal.”

Oxford used three pitchers in the game. Dakota Mitchell pitched for 5 2/3 innings, allowing four hits, walking no one, and striking out three. Dalton Silhan would follow and pitched for 3 1/3 innings, striking out four, walking two, allowing two runs. But four runs under his watch made him the losing pitcher in the game.

Offensively, Silhan was 3-of-4, including two triples and two RBIs.

While it may have been a bitter pill to swallow for Oxford, Green could not be prouder. He stated about the season as a whole:

We had another great year. We were 17-6 on the season. 11-3 in the WJL. We won another league championship. Eight seniors are leaving us: Dakota Mitchell, Camren Clements, Cal Shimkus, Neil Terry, Dalton Silhan, Henry Carter, John Mraz, and Dylan Hills. What great careers they have had. They won back to back WJL championships. They went to state in 2015, finishing fourth. They went to state in 2017. They played in four straight regional finals. They are multiple all league and all state players. They have had great careers as players.

But they are even better young men. Each one of these kids I hugged tonight for the last time. It was emotional. I said I love you to a lot of them. I’m not afraid to say that to them and they aren’t afraid to say it back. It’s the culture of Oxford High School athletics. It’s the culture of family. These kids lived it and loved it. I’m so proud of them. I will miss them. The community will miss them. But they are going to go on to be great fathers, husbands, and members of society and that is what I’m the most proud of! I wish them all the best!

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