Morris’ season ends with 4-1 loss to Washington in Class 3A sectional final

METAMORA — For most of the season, the Morris offense has been relentless. Even when they have fallen behind early in a game, they have been able to string hits together, move runners along and eventually break though.

And, when they finally do break through, the floodgates open and runs come in bunches.

Washington’s Gavin Lawrence was able to keep those gates closed Saturday in the championship game of the Class 3A Metamora Sectional. Lawrence limited Morris to four hits, and the Panthers came away with a 4-1 victory. The loss ends Morris’ season at 27-9, while Washington moves on to Monday’s Geneseo Supersectional to take on Benet.

“We needed to hit better,” Morris coach Todd Kein said. “We have done it pretty much all season, but we ran into a buzzsaw on the mound today. Tip your cap to their kid. He threw a good game and kept us off-balance.

“We prepared the best we could, but film only helps so much. It looks a lot different when you’re up at the plate. They got hits when they needed them today and we didn’t.”

The Panthers drew first blood in the bottom of the first. Lawrence led off with a walk and, two outs later, courtesy runner Dylan McGinnis went to second on a single by Carter Prina. McGinnis came around to score when a popup to first by Haydon Hawksworth was dropped.

Washington got their other three runs in the fourth. Tyler Humphrey led off with a single. With a 3-2 count, courtesy runner Andrew Strickler broke for second. Catcher Griffin Zweeres’ throw was in time and on the money and it looked like a double play. However, the pitch was called a ball and Anson Zaiser drew the walk.

A bunt back to the mound was mishandled, loading the bases, and Camden Augustine singled to score both Strickler and Zaiser. Augustine went to second on a fielder’s choice and to third on a single by Eli Roedel before scoring on a wild pitch.

Morris got its lone run in the top of the fifth. With one out, Landon Norris reached second on a Washington error, went to third on a deep fly to center by Ximi Baftiri and scored on a single by Brett Bounds. Jack Wheeler walked, and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, but Lawrence ended the inning with a strikeout.

In the top of the sixth, losing pitcher Colin Pfeifer led off with a walk. Two outs later, Steven Wagner laid down a bunt and beat it out, with both runners moving up a base when the throw went out of play. Again, Lawrence ended the threat, this time inducing an infield popup.

Pfeifer allowed just five hits and struck out four. Morris’ hits came from Bounds, Zweeres, Pfeifer and Wagner.

“Colin might get overshadowed in this game, but he battled his [butt] off,” Kein said. “He made some big pitches when he needed to and made good mid-game adjustments to what I will call an unfamiliar strike zone. He made quality pitches and kept us in the ballgame. We can’t ask any more of him than that.”

The seniors on the team - Lorenzo Zdanwic, Trey Olson, Wagner, Blaine Beshoar, Wheeler, Hayden Hutchcraft, Baftiri, Bounds, Pfeifer, Zweeres and Merek Klicker - leave a legacy that includes three straight conference championships, two straight regional championships and a Class 3A third-place finish, which came last season.

“These guys have left a big mark on the program,” Kein said. “All of the hardware they have brought to the school and the excitement they have brought to the community. A lot of young eyes have been on them for several years and they are viewed as heroes in our small town.

“They have been like sons to me. That’s the joy of being in the position of head coach. About 90% of what we do is baseball, but we are also helping to raise them and become young men.

“They had a lot of pressure on them, considering what they accomplished last year and how many players they had coming back. The day-to-day grind of living up to expectations can be tough, but they handled it extremely well. They made a lot of things look easy on the field, but it wasn’t easy. They had targets on their backs every day. As a program, we welcome that. We want people to know that they will have to bring their best to beat us.”