Watch Casper Rally Past Gillette at 2019 ‘AA’ State Tournament

A five-run outburst in the seventh inning pushed the Casper Oilers to a 6-3 victory Sunday night over Gillette at the 2019 ‘AA’ Legion Baseball State Tournament.

Corbin Kirk’s 3-run, bases-clearing double pushed the Oilers into the ‘AA’ State Championship game Tuesday in Gillette. Kirk ripped a 2-1 pitch down the right-field line that snapped a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh that completed the Casper rally. Then, Kirk struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh for the save.

Here are some of the key plays throughout Sunday night’s game.

The Oilers trailed 3-1 as the game went to the seventh. Will Clair singled with one out. He moved to second on a passed ball, and then came home when Adam Julian’s line drive wasn’t handled by Roughriders first baseman Jake Lacey. That cut to 3-2.

Casper was down to its last strike with Harrison Taubert at the plate. He singled to right field on a 2-2 pitch. Garrett Clasen followed with an RBI-single to right-center. That tied the game at 3-3. Carter Young was hit by a 1-2 pitch that loaded the bases. It set the stage for Kirk’s key hit and the extra-base hit the Oilers had in the game.

Kirk struck out Tanner Richards, Mason Powell, and Jake Lacey that completed the comeback. Kirk and Casper manager Josh Simms spoke about their rally after the game.

The Oilers took a 1-0 lead in the third on a balk called against Gillette starting pitcher Hayden Sylte. The Roughriders answered with a pair of runs on an RBI-single by Lacey and a run that scored on an error by Casper. Gillette padded its lead on an RBI-single by Chase Reimer in the sixth, which made it 3-1.

The Oilers finished with six hits and were led by Taubert with two hits. Young was the winning pitcher. He went six innings and threw 104 pitches. Young allowed the three runs, two earned, on five hits. He walked one and struck out 13.

Gillette had five hits. Sylte was the lone Riders player with two. Sylte also started and went 6.1 innings and tossed 103 pitches. He gave up three runs on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Reliever Matt Newlin suffered the loss. He allowed three runs on three hits.

Casper will play Laramie at 7 p.m. Monday but has already clinched a spot in Tuesday’s championship game at noon.

The Roughriders will face Jackson in an elimination game Monday at 4 p.m.