PARKERS CHAPEL – The 2021 season has been a historic one for the El Dorado Oilers.
Earlier this summer, the program recorded its 100th win since resuming play in 2015, and on Sunday, the Oilers established two more marks in closing the regular season with a Zone 4 doubleheader sweep of Sheridan, winning by scores of 10-6 and 6-4 at Robert McKinnon Park.
Heading into the state tournament, the Oilers have 24 wins, which tops their previous best mark of 21 from a year ago.
Their 10-1 record in zone play is also the best the Oilers have posted.
The Oilers (24-8-1) start play in the state tournament against defending state champion Fort Smith Friday at 12:30 p.m. at Conway
Against Sheridan, the Oilers overcame a 5-0 deficit to win the opener before scoring two runs in the fourth to win the nightcap after surrendering a 4-0 lead.
In the opener, the Oilers banged out 11 hits and got a solid performance from Chase Brumley out of the bullpen in their come-from-behind win.
With the game tied at 6-all, the Oilers took the lead for good with three runs in the fifth.
The Oilers loaded the bases on singles by Jacob Eubanks and Ashton Yarbrough that preceded Tyler Johnson getting hit by a pitch.
Hunter Lawrence then gave the Oilers the lead with a ground out to first that scored Eubanks to make it 7-6.
With runners now at second and third, Brumley helped himself in a big way by driving a first-pitch double off the fence in left to bring home Yarbrough and Jax Todd, who entered the game as a courtesy runner for Johnson, the Oilers’ catcher.
The Oilers scored a two-out run in the sixth to give Brumley more breathing room.
The Oilers loaded the bases after Sawyer Cropper singled, Eubanks walked and Yarbrough was hit by a pitch.
Johnson then delivered a base hit to left to score Cropper for his team-leading 30th RBI this season.
Brumley finished off the visitors by racking up two strikeouts as part of a 1-2-3 seventh.
Brumley (4-1) allowed one hit and one run in three innings in relief to pick up the win. He walked one and struck out three.
Early on, it looked like Sheridan was going to pull away, taking an early 5-0 lead.
However, the Oilers got back into the game with four runs in the bottom of the third.
Rhett Richardson got the rally started with a walk and out later, AJ Alsobrook laced a double to right-center to score Richardson.
Tanner McLelland followed with a base hit to left to score Alsobrook to make it 5-2.
McLelland then stole second and took third on a passed ball, and Baylor Brumley walked and stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position.
One out later, Yarbrough delivered a two-run single to pull the Oilers within a run.
After Sheridan scored a run in the fourth to add to their lead, the Oilers tied the game in the bottom half of the inning.
With one out, Chase Brumley walked and stole second and Richardson was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second.
One out later, Alsobrook walked to load the bases, and McLelland tied the game with a two-run single to left-center.
Baylor Brumley, the Oilers’ starter, allowed five runs with three being earned in four innings. He allowed four hits, walked six and struck out four.
McLelland had three RBIs while going 2-for-4 for the Oilers.
Alsobrook went 2-for-2 with an RBI, a walk and a stolen base, while Yarbrough was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Chase Brumley also had two RBIs with a double, while Richardson, Eubanks, Cropper and Johnson each had one hit for the Oilers.
Johnson and Lawrence had one RBI apiece with Eubanks and Baylor Brumley each drawing two walks.
In the second game, the Oilers responded after squandering a 4-0 lead by taking the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth after Sheridan tied the game in the top half of the frame.
Chase Brumley started the rally with a single to left.
Brumley then stole second and Todd singled to put runners at the corners.
As was the case in the opener, Lawrence drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Oilers a 5-4 lead.
McLelland reached on a throwing error on a grounder to shortstop that allowed Todd to take third.
With runners again at the corners, Baylor Brumley drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 6-4.
McLelland was then brought in to close out the game, and he did just that, needing only five pitches to work a 1-2-3 frame for his first save.
Josh Saulsbury (4-1) got the win. He allowed four runs and three hits in two innings with one walk and five strikeouts.
Early on, it looked like the Oilers were on their way to a sweep after scoring four runs in the first.
McLelland led off with a first-pitch single to left-center and Brumley followed with a base hit to right.
Eubanks was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Yarbrough gave the Oilers the lead by lacing a two-run single to right-center.
Eubanks and Yarbrough advanced into scoring position on a passed ball, and Cropper followed with a two-run single to left-center to push the lead to 4-0.
Eubanks, the Oilers’ starter, worked two scoreless innings before Saulsbury took over in the third. Eubanks struck out two and allowed no hits or walks.
The Oilers had seven hits with Cropper and Yarbrough collecting two RBIs apiece.
Brumley, Lawrence, McLelland, Todd and Chase Brumley joined Cropper and Yarbrough with one hit.
Baylor Brumley and Lawrence had one RBI in the win.