Clutch hitting by Durant senior first sacker Sawyer Strange has Durant off to a 4-0 district start through the opening two weeks of the fastpitch season.

Tuesday, with Durant and McAlester knotted at 3-3, Strange blasted a solo home run over the left center field wall to get the Lady Lions on top for good in a 6-3 come from behind victory.

The Lady Buffs, directed by first year coach Hollye Jernigan, entered the match up having lost 15 straight to Durant with 11 of those run-rule blowouts. But, Mac hung close until the three-run sixth inning for the Lady Lions proved to be decisive .

Strange would come up big again on Saturday.

Against Collinsville, she delivered a two-out bases loaded walk-off single to pull Durant by the Lady Cards 4-3. She had also pitched five solid innings yielding no earned runs.

Through the first two weeks of the season, Strange’s bat is as hot as the blistering Oklahoma sun. She’s hitting .520 with two home runs and seven runs batted in. In the circle, Sawyer has turned in a 2-1 record with a minuscule 0.93 earned run average. She along with fellow senior Bellamy Knight give coach Jimmy Wyrick a solid 1-a and 1-b starting rotation.

The Lady Lions are 5-3 overall with the three losses coming to 6A-schools Westmoore, Moore and Broken Arrow. A trip this week to Tahlequah will feature a showdown of schools who have built up quite a rivalry and are expected to battle for top honors in 5A-4.

jim.reagan@vype.com