Clutch squeeze bunt helps No. 2 Latta survive state opener
SHAWNEE — Latta junior Kase Hayes was called upon to lay down what was arguably the most important bunt of his high school career. And what a beauty it was. Hayes squared around and dropped a perfect bunt down the first-base line, executing a squeeze play to perfection and allowing pinch-runner Braxtyn Lee to race home from third base in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The clutch play lifted No. 2 Latta to a heart-pounding 2-1 victory over No. 8 Christian Heritage Academy Thursday night in the opening round of the Class 2A-I State Tournament at Ed Skelton Field.
The Panthers improved to 26-3 and advanced to face No. 3 Cashion in Friday’s highly anticipated semifinal matchup. “He’s a kid that’s never scared of the moment, and the moment is never too big for him,” Latta coach Dillon Atkinson told The Ada News when asked about the walk-off bunt.
“We had first and third with one out, and I think they probably knew what we were going to do. It’s something we work on a lot, and Kase did a good job of executing it when we needed it the most. I’m really proud of that kid.
” Christian Heritage Academy saw its season end at 23-13. Cashion advanced by holding off No. 6 Oktaha 13-9 in another first-round game that lasted nearly three hours.