Preston diamond squad shut out for first time in 2023 in quarterfinal loss to No. 1 Silo
The Preston Pirate varsity spring baseball team saw their bid for the first-ever state championship end last Thursday at Edmond Santa Fe High School.
The Pirates, who have only reached the state championship game one time (2003) in school history, found themselves on the short end of an 11-0 decision to the top-ranked – and 5-time defending state champion – Silo Rebels in last Thursday’s quarterfinal round of the Class 2A state baseball championships.
The shutout loss brought the Pirates’ 2023 spring campaign to a close with the Preston squad finishing the season with a 28-3 record and ranked eighth in Class 2A.
The quarterfinal setback was the first time the Pirates failed to score at least one run during the entire spring baseball season.
In the quarterfinal loss, the Preston offense was held to just two base hits in the contest – a 1-out single in the second by Cooper Ausbrooks and a 2-out single by Kaden Dean in the fourth.
Cooper also reached base after being hit by a pitch in the fourth, while Dean also reached base on a fielder’s choice in the second.
The other Preston hitters to reach base in last Thursday’s shutout loss were Jayden Herring (hit by pitch in 5th), Luke Hankins (fielder’s choice in 3rd), Preston Hale (walk in 3rd), and Braxton Kennedy (walk in 3rd).
Silo began the scoring with five runs in the top of the first. The Rebels’ first run of the contest came on a leadoff solo home run by Kyler Proctor.
The defending champions added three in the second, two in the third, and one in the fifth to complete the 11-run scoring total. The final Silo run of the quarterfinal contest came on Proctor’s second home run of the game.
Along with battling a tough Silo team, the Pirates had to wait out a 30-minute delay in the top of the second when the opening-round game was halted by a weather delay due to a lightning strike in the area.
Herring got the start on the mound for Preston last Thursday and was saddled with the pitching loss, allowing five runs on four hits with one walk in just one-third of an inning of work.
Noah Wilson took over the pitching duties with one out in the first and worked two innings of relief, giving up three runs on two hits, striking out four, walking five, and hitting two batters.
Ausbrooks worked one inning of relief for the Pirates, allowing one hit while striking out two, while Kennedy worked the final inning and two-thirds in relief, giving up one run on one hit.
Easton Ford worked three scoreless innings to earn the pitching win for Silo.
— Class 2A State Baseball Championships Quarterfinals
Silo 11, Preston 0
Silo: 5-3-2-0-1 11-8-0 Preston:0-0-0-0-0 0-2-3 WP: Easton Ford LP: Jayden Herring HR: Silo: Kyler Proctor (2)
