BASEBALL: Tedesco rises to moment as Claremore rolls past Tahlequah, falls just short of district title

Freshman John Tedesco knew exactly what was at stake, and he didn’t shy away from it.

With a district title still within reach, Tedesco delivered one of the most complete performances of the season Tuesday, blasting 2 home runs, driving in 4 runs and striking out 10 batters to lead Claremore to a 13-6 victory over Tahlequah at Legendary Legion Field at Murray-Pixley Park.

“[My mindset was] to go win and try to host regionals,” Tedesco said. “Just gotta keep on putting some work in. I just gotta do my job and help my team.”

The win capped a strong District 5A-3 run for the Zebras [20-10, 12-2], who finished tied atop the standings with Pryor and held a 96-93 edge in district points. However, the Tigers claimed the championship via tiebreaker thanks to an 8-7 point differential in last week’s two-game series, with Claremore winning 5-4 in Game 1 before falling 4-2 in Game 2.

The second tiebreaker would have favored the Game 2 winner, meaning the odds were stacked against the Zebras entering Tuesday. The only path to a title required a Pryor loss to Collinsville, but the Cardinals fell 10-2, handing the Tigers the crown.

Still, Claremore will host a regional for the second-straight year with a chance to return to the state tournament for the second time since 2019.

“We talk about small moments all year long, and you never know when they’re going to happen,” Claremore coach Jonathan Gelnar said. “The difference between first and second is a run. That’s a good analogy for life, I guess. We finished second, we host a regional and that’s always a good feeling when you get to play regionals at home. It’s fun to host, and we’ve got a great park and the fans show up. It’s fun, it’s a great time.”

Tedesco led the charge in the finale.

The freshman left-hander controlled the game on the mound, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits over 5 innings while striking out 10, and backed it up at the plate with home runs in the second and third innings.

He wasn’t alone.

Brayden Floyd continued his historic season, driving in 2 runs to push his RBI total to 56 — a school record he broke last week [49] — with still five games remaining in the regular season. Braden Trail added 2 hits, while the Zebras totaled 12 hits and drew 6 walks in a balanced offensive effort.

“I didn’t get to play much last year, so being able to come out and contribute for my team [means a lot to me],” Floyd said. “Thankfully I have guys in front of me who get on a lot, and then I can do what I do best and score my teammates.

“I’ve been a lot more confident this year, I know what I’m good at and know I can do a lot of damage.”

After a scoreless first inning, Claremore broke the game open in the second.

Following a single and a walk, Tedesco launched a 3-run home run to center field to give the Zebras a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, Trail added an RBI single, and Floyd followed with a 2-run double to stretch the advantage to 6-0.