C1D2: Oran advances to district final with win over Oak Ridge

ADVANCE, Mo. — Oran continued its postseason run with a 5-1 victory over Oak Ridge in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 2 Tournament semifinals on Monday, May 6 at Westfield Park.

The Lady Eagles (13-6) struck early, with Kendall Burger's RBI double in the bottom of the first inning giving them a 1-0 lead. They extended their advantage to 3-0 in the second inning, as Molly Spane's double brought home Sophie Bryeans and Bralynn Morgan.

“We ran the bases extremely well,” said Oran Jim Eftink. “We put a lot of pressure on their defense and it paid off. [Burger’s] RBI double boosted the confidence of the whole team. [Spane’s] two-run double to right center gave us some insurance.”

The Bluejays (13-6) refused to go down without a fight, narrowing the lead to 3-1 in the top of the third inning with Kinsley Bogenpohl's RBI double that scored MaKayla Rangel.

Oran responded decisively in the bottom of the third inning. Kollie Morgan's single drove in Ava Forehand, and a groundout by Bralynn Morgan brought Kollie Morgan home, extending the lead to 5-1.

The pitching duel between Spane and Bogenpohl was a highlight of the game. Spane earned the win, throwing a complete game with an impressive 13 strikeouts while allowing only one earned run on three hits.

“[Spane] came out and set the tone,” Eftink said. “She got ahead of batters and kept them off balance.”

Bogenpohl, despite the loss, also delivered a strong performance, striking out 12 batters over six innings.

Oran now prepares to face top-seeded Advance with Bell City (19-2) in the championship on Tuesday, May 7 at 4:30 p.m.

__ORAN 5, OAK RIDGE 1__

Oak Ridge 001 000 0 — 1 3 4

Oran 032 000 x — 5 4 0

W—Molly Spane. L—Kinsley Bogenpohl. 2B—Oak Ridge: Bogenpohl. Oran: Kendal Burger, Spane.