October 15, 2022

Jesse Shuman was just looking to redeem herself.

In the Class 4A softball state semifinal, the freshman outfielder from Lone Grove had missed a ball in the outfield that nearly cost the Longhorns the game.

“Tomorrow you’ll be great because that’s just who you are,” Lone Grove coach Dennis Furr told Shuman on Friday. “Tomorrow will be our day.”

Furr’s declaration came true.

On Saturday, Shuman opened the game with a scooping catch in right field and then finished her day, making a diving catch to end the sixth inning. But she not only dominated on defense, she went 2-for-3 from the plate with one RBI and one run.

Her performance helped lift Lone Grove to its second consecutive fastpitch softball title with a 3-0 win over Tecumseh at the USA Hall of Fame Stadium complex on Saturday.

“It feels amazing,” Shuman said. “I loved helping my teammates.”

Along with Shuman’s performance, senior pitcher Emma Wilson struck out 11 batters, allowing just four hits in seven innings. Wilson didn’t allow a run throughout the regional or state tournament. She finished with two no-hitters and five shutouts in the postseason.

“She’s just been incredible,” Furr said. “Two years in a row now she has been the best pitcher in the state tournament. And because of that, we’re state champions back-to-back.”

The rematch of last year’s state title game featured two of the best pitchers in the state again. Heading into Saturday, Tecumseh’s Serenity Jacoway had only allowed one run as the Savages snuck by both opponents. But even The Oklahoman’s 2021 Little All-City member was unable to slow down the Longhorn’s offense on Saturday.

Shuman knocked in Lexi Meadows for the first run of the game. Brook Langford followed, hitting in Shuman and Shuman’s older sister, Aeryn, knocked in Marklee McMurtrey for the final run.

Lone Grove took down Skiatook 16-0 in the quarterfinal and Hilldale 1-0 in the semifinal before storming to its third fastpitch title in school history. The other state title came in 2004.

“We knew what we were coming into,” Wilson said, “and we knew what to expect and we all knew we had to play our game how we know and that’s exactly what we did. And that’s why we’re state champions two years in a row.”