10/02/2026
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Nothing - not the Leedey Bison bats nor a lengthy weather delay - could affect the right arm of Casen Buck on Thursday night.
The Dover senior pitched a three-hit shutout to propel the Longhorns to a Class B regional championship via their 8-0 win at No. 4 Leedey.
The win puts fifth-ranked Dover into next weekβs state tournament. Itβs the third consecutive season - last fall, last spring and now this fall - the Longhorns had qualified for state after not making it for more than a decade.
Leedey knocked Dover out of the state tournament in the quarterfinals both times last year.
Buck cruised through three innings and was sporting a 2-0 lead when weather put a halt to the game just after 5 p.m.
It didnβt resume until about 8 p.m.
Buck picked up where he left off.
In fact, he was better.
All three Leedey hits came before the delay.
He allowed only two baserunners - both walks - over the final four frames.
Buck finished with six strikeouts and three walks in the game.
The Longhornsβ initial runs were a two-run single off Trypp Lackβs bat just before the weather arrived.
Dover had a chance to add to it in the top of the fourth, but consecutive strikeouts by A.J. Avila and Buck ended a bases-loaded, one-out threat.
Sloan Merrill didnβt miss on his opportunity as he drove in a run in the fifth, pushing the gap to three runs.
The Longhorns broke it open in the sixth - and all with two outs.
Brok Cooper and lack had consecutive RBI singles.
Ivan Ruiz made it 7-0 with his two-run single and Merrill drove in another run with his base hit.
The senior catcher was 4 for 4 with a pair o RBIs.
Lack and Ruiz both had two hits. Lack drove in three runs and Ruiz two.
Dover is now 24-6 on the season.
This was the teamsβ third matchup this fall.
Dover won 3-2 at Dover on Aug. 15 while Leedey gained a 1-0 win in a tournament in Woodward in September.
The Longhorns opened the regional Thursday with a 12-2 victory over Soper in five innings.
The Longhorns trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the second before erupting for seven runs.
Daxx Compton got it started with a leadoff homer. He also had an RBI double in the same inning.
That run scored Ruiz, who preceded Compton with a three-run double.
Ruiz ended the game with a grand slam, giving him 8 RBIs to go with his 4 for 4 showing.
Lack worked through a choppy first inning to get the win with two innings of work.
He surrendered three hits and two unearned runs while striking out three.
Cooper threw two innings of one-hit relief while Sadler Greb closed it out.
Dover Longhorns
