PUTNAM CITY – Carl Albert scored twice in their last at-bat of the Red Dirt post-season tournament Sunday to beat Chickasha 2-1 and end the Chicks’ summer season.

The two very familiar Suburban Conference rivals won their group pools and their respective quarterfinals on Saturday to make it to Sunday’s Final 4 at Putnam City’s Pirate Stadium.

Last year’s finalists squared off for a shot at this year’s championship in one of two semifinals and this year, it was Carl Albert’s turn to come out on top.

Chickasha’s Braden Cook and Titan freshman Taylor Hawkins were mowing them down in a fast-paced pitcher’s duel, but, in a strange twist of fate, both stayed in the game one batter too long.

Hawkins had dominated through four innings, striking out six and allowing just five Chicks to reach - four on walks and one on an infield boot.

He got Dylan Shepard on an infield groundout to start the fifth but Chance Thomas hit him very hard right at second baseman Tyler Schuman for the second out. Hawkins then walked Tylor Lee to bring Titan coach Wayne Dozier out of the dugout, but Dozier left him in to face Heath Wilda, who crushed an RBI double to the center-field wall, the first Chick hit of the game. Hawkins got Cook on a groundout to short to leave Wilda stranded, but Chickasha had that precious run.

Cook dominated through six innings, striking out four and forcing the Titans to hit his pitches with some pinpoint control. Only two Carl Albert hitters reached, one on a walk and one on an error, as the rock-solid Chick defense gobbled up everything hit at them.

But young Hawkins, now playing right field after Clark Roberts took over pitching duties in the sixth, got some payback for the run he let up by leading off the bottom of the seventh with a single to left, the Titans’ first hit of the game.

Chickasha coach Brad Gore had Cook on a short leash since the sixth with Christian Fincher warm and ready to close, but, like Dozier, he let his starter stay a batter too long.

With his kid brother on first, senior catcher and cleanup hitter Jordan Hawkins came up with his own crusher, an RBI triple to the right-center field alley to tie it up.

In serious trouble with the older Hawkins on third and no one out, Gore made the switch, bringing on Fincher to try to get three straight. But the handwriting was on the wall. First baseman Tony Frazier took Fincher deep to right for the sacrifice fly that ended it with Hawkins tagging up and hustling home uncontested for the win.

Chickasha closes out the summer season at 23-10 overall and, although erratic through much of the summer, played very tough in the final weeks.

“I think they are finally starting to figure it out,” Gore said about his young team. “Two weeks ago I thought we were in some trouble but all of a sudden, they started to play Chickasha baseball.

“We knew we had the physical talent but mentally we were behind, which is typical of young teams,” the coach added. “We’ve come a long way this summer and I’m really proud of the way the guys finished. I think good things are going to happen for them and I think we’ve got a good shot in the spring.”

The team will take a couple of weeks off before formal, off-season practice starts back up and they will host the fall league at the Chickasha Sports Complex for their second year.