It’s hard to believe, but Zoie Griffin wasn’t happy with her first two days at the OSSAA 5A State Championship.
Over two days, she had two wins on the mound, had only given up three combined runs and four hits to two tough teams, and had 21 combined strikeouts. Despite this, she thought she had left something on the table.
kAmr@>:?8 @FE 😕 E96 7:?2=D[ D96 5:5?’E =62G6 2?JE9:?8 E@ BF6DE:@?] x? 96C 7:?2= 82>6 2D 2 {25J %:86C[ D96 @?=J 2==@H65 E9C66 32D6 CF??6CD @77 EH@ 9:ED 2?5 2 H2=< 😕 2? “\DEC:<6@FE[ D9FE\@FE A6C7@C>2?46 E@ =625 E96 H2J E@ E96 7:CDE $E2E6 r92>A:@?D9:A 😕 AC@8C2> 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAm$96 6?565 96C 9:89 D49@@= 42C66C 😕 2 7:EE:?8 H2J[ E@@ – H:E9 2 42==65 E9:C5 DEC:<6 E@ D6?5 96C E62> :?E@ 2 7=FCCJ @7 46=63C2E:@? – 2?5 2?J E9@F89E @7 E96 7:CDE EH@ 82>6D H2D 72C 😕 E96 A2DE]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 2H6D@>6j x H@F=5?’E H2?E ,>J 9:89 D49@@= 42C66C E@ 6?5. 2?J @E96C H2J[” vC:77:? D2:5] “%96C6 2C6?’E 2 =@E @7 H@C5D E92E 4@>6 E@ >:?5j x’> DA6649=6DD]”k^Am
Tahlequah’s Zoie Griffin throws her glove and face mask and yells in celebration after securing a spot in the title game.
Jake Sermersheim | Daily Press
kAm(9:=6 E96 A=2J6C H2D?’E 92AAJ H:E9 E96 A6C7@C>2?46 😕 E96 7:CDE EH@ 82>6D[ >2?J H2E49:?8 H@F=5?’E @H E96 5:776C6?46] x? 82>6 @?6 GD] r@H6E2[ D96 C6E:C65 E96 7:CDE `b 32EE6CD D96 72465]k^Am
kAmp D:?8=6 7@F?5 D@>6 EFC7 2?5 7@C465 2 %w$ 6CC@C[ AFEE:?8 2 CF??6C @? E9:C5] p D24C:7:46 7=J 3C@F89E 😕 E96 =@?6 CF? @7 E96 82>6[ F?62C?65 @? E96 DE2E D966E]k^Am
kAmv2>6 EH@[ vC:77:? 8@E C@F8965 FA 2 3:E 62C=J 3FE D6EE=65 😕 E@ =:>:E E96 52>286] p7E6C 8:G:?8 FA 2 A2:C @7 CF?D 😕 E96 7:CDE :??:?8[ vC:77:? 9:E 2 76H 32EE6CD 3FE 5:5?’E 92G6 2?@E96C E9C62E 😕 E96 6:89E\DEC:<6@FE A6C7@C>2?46]k^Am
kAm%96 82>6 4@F=5 92G6 8@EE6? @FE @7 92?5 27E6C E92E 7:CDE :??:?8[ 3FE E96 246 D6EE=65 😕 2?5 5:5?’E =62G6 2?JE9:?8 E@ BF6DE:@? 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96 82>6] z66A:?8 96C >:?5D6E[ E96 D2>6 H2D E96 <6J E@ >2<:?8 DFC6 E96 CF?D 5:5?’E A:=6 @?]k^Am
kAmz66A:?8 2 =6G6= 9625 2?5 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ 2EE24< 32EE6CD H2D 4C:E:42= E9C@F89@FE ?@E @?=J E92E 82>6[ 3FE 2== E9C66 😕 E96 E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm“p7E6C E92E 7:CDE :??:?8[ D96 ;FDE D6EE=65 😕 2?5 E@@< 42C6 @7 3FD:?6DD[” %w$ 9625 4@249 r9C:D #2J D2:5 27E6C 82>6 EH@] “|2J36 D96 H2?E65 E@ 86E :?E@ E96 492>A:@?D9:A 82>6 D@ 325 D96 H2D 2 =:EE=6 3:E E@@ 2>A65 FA[ 3FE D96 D6EE=65 😕 ;FDE 7:?6]”k^Am
kAm~FE @7 E96 82E6 😕 E96 7:?2=D[ vC:77:? 96=A65 96C @H? 42FD6[ 5C:G:?8 😕 E96 7:CDE CF?] (:E9 2 =625 E@ H@C< H:E9[ vC:77:? 925 2 G:?E286 A6C7@C>2?46] {:<6 D96 925 5@?6 >2?J E:>6D E9C@F89@FE 96C 9:89 D49@@= 42C66C[ E96 C6:8?:?8 ~<=29@>2 v2E@C256 !=2J6C @7 E96 *62C C64@C565 DEC:<6@FED 7@C 7:G6 @7 E96 7:CDE D:I @FED @7 E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 ?6IE D:I :??:?8D[ vC:77:? DECF4< @FE 2?@E96C 7:G6[ H9:=6 =6EE:?8 96C 5676?D6 E2<6 42C6 @7 E96 C6DE]k^Am
kAm“x 42?’E D2J H92E x E@=5 4@249 #2J 27E6C E96 7:CDE EH@ 52JD[” vC:77:? D2:5] “qFE x 42>6 😕 =@4<65 😕 2?5 H2D C625J 7@C E96 7:?2=D] p== >@C?:?8 x H2D DFA6C\?6CG@FD F?E:= x 8@E 96C6[ 2?5 2== E96 H6:89E ;FDE =67E 2?5 x H2D C625J E@ 8@]”k^Am
Zoie Griffin and Lilly Garcia celebrate in game one of the 5A State Championship after Garcia scored.
Jake Sermersheim | Daily Press
kAm!:E496D H6C6 4@>:?8 @77 vC:77:?’D 92?5 ;FDE 7:?6 😕 E96 7:CDE 76H C@F?5D[ 3FE 😕 E96 7:?2= C@F?5[ D@>6E9:?8 D66>65 5:776C6?E] %96 32== H2D ;F>A:?8 @FE @7 96C 92?5 @? 96C 72DE 32== 2?5 H2D >@G:?8 2== @G6C E96 A=246 @? 96C @77\DA665 2?5 3C62<:?8 A:E496D]k^Am
kAm“w6C 32== H2D ;FDE >@G:?8[” %w$ 42E496C p55:6 s2G:D D2:5] “$96 😀 C62==J 8@@5 2?5 D96 42? ;FDE DA:? :E]”k^Am
kAmxE H2D?’E =:<6 vC:77:? =:>:E65 2 E62> E92E H2D DECF88=:?8 2E E96 A=2E6] w625:?8 :?E@ E96 492>A:@?D9:A[ !CJ@C H2D 362E:?8 FA @? E62>D] x? E96 7:CDE 82>6[ E96J D4@C65 `c GD] q:D9@A z6==6J 367@C6 F?=@25:?8 E96 4=:A 😕 2 a_\CF? A6C7@C>2?46 😕 82>6 EH@ GD] sF?42?]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 E9@D6 7:CDE EH@ 82>6D[ !w$ A:4<65 FA ad 9:ED[ 3FE @?=J A:4<65 FA EH@ @77 @7 vC:77:?]k^Am
kAm“x E@=5 96C D96 D2G65 E96 36DE 7@C =2DE[” %w$ 9625 4@249 r9C:D #2J D2:5]k^Am
kAm~G6C2==[ vC:77:? A:E4965 a` :??:?8D[ DECF4< @FE aa 32EE6CD[ 2?5 82G6 FA D:I 9:ED 2?5 E9C66 CF?D]k^Am
kAm!:E49:?8 😀 @?=J A2CE @7 H92E E96 7FEFC6 %6I2D pU2>Aj| p88:6 H2D 5@:?8 😕 E96 E@FC?2>6?E] vC:77:? 😀 2=D@ 2 <6J A2CE @7 E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 =:?6FA 2D E96 }@] c 9:EE6C]k^Am
kAmvC:77:? A:4<65 FA 7@FC 9:ED[ E9C66 H2=A:@?D9:A] p7E6C E96 5@F3=6 E@ @A6? FA E96 492>A:@?D9:A[ vC:77:? 9:E 2 ?@\5@F3E6C 😕 E96 E9:C5 :??:?8]k^Am
kAmu:?5:?8 2 A:E496C @G6C E96 >:55=6[ vC:77:? =:7E65 2 E@H6C:?8 7=J 32== @G6C E96 9:89 46?E6C 7:6=5 76?46 E@ AFE 96C E62> 29625 b\_ 2E E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAm“xE’D H92E x’> DFAA@D65 E@ 5@] x 42>6 2?5 5:5 >J ;@3 2?5 6H H6 H@F=5 36 7:?6[” vC:77:? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 D6?:@C 92D?’E 366? 2 >6>36C @7 E96 %29=6BF29 72>:=J 7@C 96C H9@=6 42C66C[ 3FE :E 766=D =:<6 D96 92D] p7E6C 96C D@A9@>@C6 D62D@?[ D96 E9@F89E :E H2D E:>6 E@ =62G6 E96 (28@?6C qF==5@8D 2?5 36=:6G65 %w$ 2?5 #2J 82G6 96C E96 36DE 492?46 E@ :>AC@G6 2?5 H:?]k^Am
kAmpE E96 E:>6[ :E H2D 2 36E 3J 3@E9 A=2J6C 2?5 E62>] ~G6C 2 J62C =2E6C[ :E A2:5 @77[ H:E9 E96 7:CDE $E2E6 r92>A:@?D9:A 😕 AC@8C2> 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAm$66>:?8=J 2D D@@? 2D D96 7:CDE A=2J65 @? E96 C@DE6C[ D96 H2D 2 <6J A2CE @7 E96 E62>]k^Am
kAm%96 EC2?D76C 5:5?’E D66> =:<6 @?6 7@C G6CJ =@?8[ 2D D96 BF:4<=J :?E68C2E65 E@ E96 H:??:?8 H2JD @7 E96 E62>]k^Am
kAm$96 42>6 😕 2D 2 >:DD:?8 A:646 2?5 92D 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 G2CD:EJ :??:?8D E96 A2DE EH@ D62D@?D]k^Am
kAm“(96? : 42>6 96C6 7@C >J ;F?:@C J62C[ x H2?E65 E@ 4@>6 😕 2?5 36 2 8C62E E62>>2E6[ E96 EJA6 @7 E62>>2E6 A6@A=6 C6>6>36C[” vC:77:? D2:5] “x 766= =:<6 x 5:5 E92E 2?5 H6 A=2J65 @FC 82>6 E@86E96Cj :E’D ?@E ;FDE >6] xE E@@< 2 H9@=6 G:==286]”k^Am
Follow live sports coverage @JakeSermershein on Twitter