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By Tyler F. Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
OZARK, Mo. — Springfield-Catholic junior hurler and University of Missouri commit Coleman Morrison was in a nasty zone Tuesday at the Class 3 sectionals at U.S. Ballpark.
Morrison used high heat and a deceptive curveball as he allowed three hits in 5 2/3 innings as the Irish emerged as the victors in the 8-4 win over Hartville.
The Irish improve to 16-10 overall and are 6-2 at neutral sites this spring
“It all starts on the mound for everything,” Catholic skipper Courtney Spitz said. “When we have our guy up there throwing strikes, we are a very good baseball team. And it is just a credit to these kids and how hard they work and their mindsets and how much they want it.”
Morrison finished the day with 11 strikeouts and one run allowed.
Spitz has the luxury of one of the finest 1-2 punches regarding Morrison and Ben Smith, who will pitch on Thursday as the Irish face a potent Fair Grove team in head coach Christian Overstreet’s final season at the helm.
Morrison even helped his cause at the dish as he drove in a run via sac fly in the bottom of the third.
“We feel well about today. Coleman threw an absolute gem,” added Spitz. “Probably his best outing of the year.”
It was a good, old-fashioned pitchers’ duel as Morrison and Missouri State commit Brody McNiel went toe-to-toe for the first three innings.
A fielder’s choice put the Irish on the board in the third, followed by Coleman’s sac fly. A wild pitch plated the third run.
Hartville committed four errors in the game, and the Irish capitalized.
“We just knew it was going to be a battle,” Spitz said. “Brody is a tremendous arm. It wasn’t going to be a high-scoring game. We told our kids that you have to be comfortable hitting with two strikes. Against a good arm, [their] job is to hit the ball hard.”
Catholic used two innings to create the separation, as it plated three runs in the third and four more in the fifth.
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“We just keep putting barrels on baseballs,” added Spitz. “That is our motto: hit the ball hard.”
Hartville wouldn’t retreat, though, as they netted two runs in the fifth.
Sporting a 2-run lead (4-2), the Catholic ballplayers became cheerleaders in a seamless transition.
The motivating aspect paid dividends as the Irish added four more in a blink of an eye.
Smith scored via error; Weston Cline connected for the RBI single.
A wild pitch and another error added on two more.
For Morrison, taking the bump in a sectional ambience is what he wanted.
“Yeah, I was locked in,” Morrison said. “This whole postseason, Coach has preached ‘pound the zone.’ Give our team a chance to win, throw strikes, and go long in the game. And that is what I tried to do. It worked out.”
Morrison said being on the bump while his defense and offense go to work is a nice feeling.
“It is nice. All the dudes on our team can hit,” Morrison said, who was pulled due to pitch count. “Top to bottom, I never have a doubt in my mind. Especially pitching, it is nice to know. You never have to worry about a dead spot in the lineup.”
The Irish now prepare for the Eagles of Fair Grove.
In short: there is more work to do.
“They have been solid all year,” Spitz said of Fair Grove. “Christian [Overstreet] is a heck of a coach. We are going to get their best and they are going to get our best. When you have the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams in the state battling it out in a quarterfinal game, it is going to be an electric atmosphere. We have nothing but respect for those guys. We are excited about the opportunity.”
An official start time has yet to be determined, but here’s hoping it’s dry and Mother Nature doesn’t have a hand in the outcome.
