Glendale baseball has known since the beginning of the season that the path to a state title, one way or another, would have to go through Willard.
Willard ended Glendale’s season in each of the past three seasons.
When the two met for a fourth straight season in a win-or-go-home situation, Glendale knew it was going to take a big-time performance to advance past Willard and to the Class 5 state quarterfinals.
Enter junior pitcher Drew Wedgeworth and sophomore outfielder Sebastian Norman.
Wedgeworth threw a complete-game no-hitter while Norman provided all the offense with a two-run home run to left field in the top of the third inning to lead Glendale past Willard 2-0.
“He (Wedgeworth) wanted the ball. He has wanted the ball all year. He has pitched tremendously for us all year in big games against really good programs and Willard is no exception,” said Glendale Head Coach Jim Julian. “Just a typical Drew game. He attacks hitters, is really efficient, mixes speeds well and trusts his defense.”
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Wedgeworth allowed one base runner in each of the first two innings via a hit batter in the first and a walk in the second, but that was it for Willard in the first two frames.
Starting pitcher Cooper Wilken matched Wedgeworth, keeping Glendale off the board in the first two innings before giving way to Chris Massey in the third inning.
In that third inning, DJ Cofield reached on a single with one out bringing Norman up to the plate.
The sophomore came up to the plate ready to do damage in his second plate appearance.
“After that first at-bat I knew I was getting pretty much all off-speed. I was on it the first at-bat, but I just got under it,” Norman said. “(Before) the second at-bat I am about to go up and I tell my assistant coach if I get an off-speed I am going to crush it. The first pitch was a ball and I knew an off-speed was coming, so I sat back. I didn’t think it was gone off the bat, but it did the job.”
The ball just cleared the left field fence giving Glendale a 2-0 lead and a boost of momentum.
“Last year when they scored three runs in the first inning all the energy just shot out of the (dugout),” Wedgeworth said. “He was able to get that (home run) and we got a shutdown inning I think it took some of their energy out.”
Confidence was high in the Glendale dugout with the way Wedgeworth was dealing on the mound.
“From there I figured we were going to win because when Drew pitches, he doesn’t give up hits or any runs,” Norman said. “I knew that was the momentum we needed and from there it was game over.”
Wedgeworth allowed just two more base runners the rest of the game on the way to completing the no-hitter. Defense was key in the no-hitter with Wedgeworth striking out one.
“I have been around this defense for three years. Even if there is a guy on, my defense is going to make a great play. That is our mindset,” Wedgeworth said. “Hats off to my catcher Graham (Satterwhite). He has been calling some of the best games I have ever seen.”
Glendale will head the road to face St. Francis Borgia on Saturday in the state quarterfinal round as a team brimming with confidence.
“We are going to get everybody’s shot. To be honest, I feel like we can beat any team we want no matter who is pitching and no matter who is hitting. We are going to find a way to win,” Wedgeworth said.
