TULSA – The third time was a charm, as the 5A state tournament finally got under way at Tulsa Union after a weather-induced two-day delay.

Top-ranked Chickasha beat the field’s Cinderella team, 17-18 but red-hot Skiatook, 13-4 to advance to a Saturday matchup with McAlester in the winner’s bracket final.

Even with a nine-run differential, the game wasn’t as close as it sounded.

The Bulldogs eeked out a run in the top of the first on Jake Steel’s RBI single but Chickasha put eight unanswered runs up as starter Bill Hartis muzzled the Dogs through five innings.

Third baseman Jake Jobe’s single to left drove catcher Blake Taylor in to tie it in the home first and Skiatook righty Justin McGee kept the Chicks quiet in the second.

Jobe walked to start the third and shortstop Heath Wilda ripped a double up the left-field line to put runners on second and third. Hartis’ hard single up the middle plated Jobe and Wilda tagged up on a bullet line-drive out to left by right fielder Chance Sneed for a 3-1 lead.

Chickasha had their trademark big bat-around in the fourth, scoring six more runs on three hits and a pair of Bulldog boots. A run came in on an error on Jobe’s ground ball, Wilda plated two more with a rip to left-center, Winn singled in another, Hartis brought one in with a sacrifice fly to deep left and the Dogs’ second error on DH Josh Gresham’s hard hopper put the Chicks out to a 9-1 lead.

Sensing a possible run-rule, Chick coach Brad Gore brought on Sneed in the sixth to give the Dogs a different look but Sneed was greeted with a towering two-run homer by left from Skiatook center fielder Chris Jones. Two walks ended Sneed’s shift quickly and Wilda was called on to cool things off. He gave up an RBI single to second baseman J.T. Lynn before an inside double play got the Chicks out of the jam.

Houston Halfmoon came on in relief for Skiatook and dodged a bullet with a rally-killing double play but the Chicks got to him in the bottom of the sixth. Wilda led off with a sharp single, Winn lasered an RBI double to the left-center field wall and Hartis hit him hard again for an RBI single and the hook.

Kiyle Deckard took the hill and got an infield groundout but second baseman Braden Cook slashed an RBI double over third base and scored on center fielder Tylor Lee’s single to center before he got Taylor on a flyout to deep center to end the inning.

Christian Fincher came on to close for the Chicks and got the job done efficiently, getting two quick outs on two pitches (a flyout to center and a popup to short) and leaving Jones standing there looking at a game-ending called third strike.

Skiatook battled hard and jumped on every Chick mistake but two baserunning errors of theirs will haunt them with some “what-ifs.”

In the second inning, Justin Bidley scored from second on a clutch two-out double by Braden Bryant but missed third base. Jobe alertly caught it and called to the Chick dugout immediately for an appeal. Gore appealed the play and the home plate umpire concurred, gunning Bidley to end the inning and negate his run.

A botched bases-loaded squeeze play killed a rally in the third when Drake Keys failed to execute the bunt on the suicide version. Jake Gaul was already more than halfway home and was caught easily by Taylor to end the inning as Keys watched helplessly.

Top-seeded Chickasha won by nine but underdog Skiatook earned their respect.