BASEBALL: Chaos on the bases lifts Claremore past Pryor in rare district win

The sequence didn’t look like much at first.

A single. A couple of wild pitches. A defensive miscue.

However, it ended with Jaden Franco sprinting home with the go-ahead run in a moment Claremore won’t soon forget.

Franco’s sixth-inning dash proved to be the difference as the Zebras edged Pryor 5-4 Monday night at Legendary Legion Field at Murray-Pixley Park, securing just their second win over the Tigers since 2017.

Claremore had gone 0-10 against the Tigers from 2018 through 2024, with its only recent breakthrough coming in Game 1 of last year’s series. Monday’s win added another chapter, and this one came in dramatic fashion.

The Zebras [17-7, 10-1 District 5A-3] were fueled by timely hitting and shutdown relief pitching.

Brayden Floyd and Tyler Osgood each collected 2 hits, while Floyd, Evan Jameson and Braden Trail each drove in a run. On the mound, Kellen Gaede battled through four innings before Ryder Garrison and Floyd combined to shut down Pryor late.

Claremore’s defense also delivered, turning 2 double plays, including a game-ending twin killing.

The Zebras struck first in the opening inning.

After Jameson reached and Gaede walked, Floyd delivered a double to center to bring home the game’s first run. Later in the inning, Floyd scored on a catcher’s error following a single by Luke Roberts, giving Claremore a 2-0 lead.

Pryor [21-3, 10-1] answered quickly in the second with a 3-run surge. Hunter Vivion, Treyce Crawford and Eli Swarer each delivered RBI singles, flipping the score to 3-2 in favor of the Tigers.

The Zebras responded immediately.

In the bottom of the second, Osgood reached and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice by Trail to tie the game at 3. Moments later, Jameson lifted a sacrifice fly to center, bringing home John Tedesco and putting Claremore back in front, 4-3.

The back-and-forth continued in the fourth.

Pryor tied the game at 4 when a wild pitch allowed a run to score after a leadoff walk and stolen base put pressure on the Claremore defense.

From there, the game tightened.

Garrison entered in relief and steadied things for the Zebras, retiring the side in the fifth and working out of trouble in the sixth with the help of a key double play that kept the game tied.

That set the stage for the decisive sixth inning.

Osgood led off with a single, and Franco entered as a courtesy runner. After a flyout, Franco advanced to second on a wild pitch, then to third on another.

Moments later, a throwing error by the catcher allowed Franco to race home with the go-ahead run, giving Claremore a 5-4 lead.

The Tigers threatened in the seventh, putting runners on with a single and a walk. But Floyd, pitching in relief, slammed the door.

After recording a strikeout, the Zebras turned a game-ending double play in right field to seal the victory.

The Zebras will look to build on the momentum when they travel to Pryor for the series finale Tuesday.