Brewbaker Tech outlasts weather delay, sweeps Ardmore for first Class 5A title

Brewbaker Tech outlasts weather delay, sweeps Ardmore for first Class 5A title

What can Brown do for you?

Hit, pitch and field, it seems.

The sister duo of Taniyah and Khamiyah Brown combined to do all three in helping lead the Brewbaker Tech softball team to its first championship, doing so with two complete game efforts and timely hitting.

The second-ranked Rams survived a lengthy weather delay of almost seven hours before sweeping Ardmore, 3-2 and 4-0, in Thursday’s Class 5A championship series at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park.

“A really good group of kids who’ve been working together a long time and had a goal in mind,” Brewbaker Tech coach Chris Steiner said. “They’re committed to that goal and they did everything they could to work every day towards that. We had a goal the first day I took over the program and they bought it. I’m so proud of them today.”

Brewbaker Tech (46-10) was not as efficient at the plate as in the first game, earning only four total hits, and broke out into a pitcher’s duel with five straight scoreless innings before the Rams put two on the board in the final two frames.

Gabbie York stroked a one-out single and JaQuayla Jarrett moved the former over on a sac bunt, setting the table for a two-out intentional walk of (Taniyah) Brown and a two-run single from (Khamiyah) Brown to score both York and her sister.

“I told myself to stay calm and do my job,” (Khamiyah) Brown said. “I’ve prepared for this all my life and we’ve had conversations about it being on me. I know I was prepared and I delivered.”

The Rams got two more on base in the final inning, both on errors with the latter bringing in Kyra Wallace for a run, and York drove an RBI single down the right-field line to score Taliah July.

(Taniyah) Brown was credited with the complete-game shutout, allowing six hits and walking two and striking out four. She was named tournament MVP for her efforts in pitching four games in a single day (28 innings) and allowing eight runs — one earned — off 16 hits while striking out 17.

“It was really an entire team effort,” (Taniyah) Brown said. “I couldn’t really do anything without my outfield and infield working behind me. It shows up as me but it was really a team effort all the way around.”

Along with Brown receiving the MVP award, York and (Khamiyah) Brown were named to the all-tournament Team. Ardmore’s Sara Sanders, AG King and Ella Singletary were also selected to the Class 5A all-tournament team.

Singletary started both title games for Ardmore and was tagged with both losses after allowing seven earned runs off 12 hits and striking out 12.

In Game 1, Brewbaker Tech grabbed a 2-0 advantage in the opening frame on a two-run single from Khamiyah Brown, scoring Gabbie York and JaQuayla Jarrett. Following an almost seven-hour weather delay, play resumed in the top of the sixth and (Taniyah) Brown pelted a solo homer into center field to give the Rams a 3-0 lead. She also earned the win on the mound by allowing two runs — one earned — off two hits and striking out four.

“They (Brown sisters) are the heartbeat of this team and so humble,” Steiner said. “When I tell you humble, I mean humble. They don’t want anything but what’s good for the team. They dedicated their lives to this game and just wanted a chance.”

Ardmore (35-20) managed to cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the sixth, AG King scoring with Ella Singletary reaching base on an error, and came within a run of tying the game on an RBI groundout from Ragan Brownlow in the final frame. Following a lead-off double by Ashlyn Mullins, the Tigers were sat down in order to end the game and force the winner-take-all scenario.

Singletary was tagged with the loss in allowing three earned runs off eight hits and striking out seven.

The Rams clinch their first state title in program history in only their second trip to the state tournament. Brewbaker Tech was eliminated last season in a second-round losers bracket game but returned this year and won four straight elimination contests before clinching the title in the winner-take-all title game.

“It feels wonderful,” (Khamiyah) Brown said. “That’s been our goal all year and we stuck by it all year. Everyone did their role and executed. I’m really proud of the whole team.”