|
|
|
Oak Grove, MO —
Conner Matson and Zach Morgan have been teammates and best friends since they were 12 years old.
Oak Grove’s dynamic duo paved the way to an 8-5 Class 3 sectional win over Clinton on Tuesday afternoon on the Panthers’ home field at Webb Park.
Morgan crushed a first-inning, three-run homer and Matson overcame a shaky start to help the 19-5 Panthers claim their first sectional win since 1994.
“We’ve been friends too long to let this season end today,” said Matson, who improved to 7-2 and struck out 10 Cardinals batters. “I had the jitters the first inning – the big time jitters. But once I settled down, I was all right.”
After Eric Gant opened the game with a double and scored on a throwing error by Clinton starting pitcher Hayden Lowe, who threw the ball away at first base on Levi Harmon’s sacrifice bunt, Morgan hit a two-run homer over the left-field wall to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.
But that lead was quickly wiped out in the bottom of the first as leadoff hitter Bret Miller hit Matson’s first pitch for a home run. The next two Cardinals batters singled and scored on a mammoth home run by Wyatt Ross that sailed into the parking lot across the street from the stadium complex.
“After that, I went out and got all the guys together,” Panthers coach Kirk Sears said, “and told them to just slow down. You could tell they were battling some nerves and once they calmed down, we were fine.”
Matson allowed just one run and two hits over the next six innings, setting up a 6 p.m. state quarterfinal game Thursday at St. Joseph’s Phil Welch Stadium against Savannah.
Morgan said Matson just needed an inning to get the feel for the game and he knew his longtime friend would respond to the challenge.
“The first inning was tough” said Morgan, who finished with a homer, double, two RBIs and two runs scored. “Conner is such an experienced pitcher. We were all upset when we blew the lead in the first inning, but we knew we could win the game if we got it back because Conner wasn’t going to give up any more runs.”
The Panthers scored three runs in the top of the second inning on a balk and two-run single by Cole Doherty and added solo runs in the fourth – on a Gant home run – and in the sixth when Gant hit a triple and scored on the front end of a double steal.
Conner Matson and Zach Morgan have been teammates and best friends since they were 12 years old.
Oak Grove’s dynamic duo paved the way to an 8-5 Class 3 sectional win over Clinton on Tuesday afternoon on the Panthers’ home field at Webb Park.
Morgan crushed a first-inning, three-run homer and Matson overcame a shaky start to help the 19-5 Panthers claim their first sectional win since 1994.
“We’ve been friends too long to let this season end today,” said Matson, who improved to 7-2 and struck out 10 Cardinals batters. “I had the jitters the first inning – the big time jitters. But once I settled down, I was all right.”
After Eric Gant opened the game with a double and scored on a throwing error by Clinton starting pitcher Hayden Lowe, who threw the ball away at first base on Levi Harmon’s sacrifice bunt, Morgan hit a two-run homer over the left-field wall to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.
But that lead was quickly wiped out in the bottom of the first as leadoff hitter Bret Miller hit Matson’s first pitch for a home run. The next two Cardinals batters singled and scored on a mammoth home run by Wyatt Ross that sailed into the parking lot across the street from the stadium complex.
“After that, I went out and got all the guys together,” Panthers coach Kirk Sears said, “and told them to just slow down. You could tell they were battling some nerves and once they calmed down, we were fine.”
Matson allowed just one run and two hits over the next six innings, setting up a 6 p.m. state quarterfinal game Thursday at St. Joseph’s Phil Welch Stadium against Savannah.
Morgan said Matson just needed an inning to get the feel for the game and he knew his longtime friend would respond to the challenge.
“The first inning was tough” said Morgan, who finished with a homer, double, two RBIs and two runs scored. “Conner is such an experienced pitcher. We were all upset when we blew the lead in the first inning, but we knew we could win the game if we got it back because Conner wasn’t going to give up any more runs.”
The Panthers scored three runs in the top of the second inning on a balk and two-run single by Cole Doherty and added solo runs in the fourth – on a Gant home run – and in the sixth when Gant hit a triple and scored on the front end of a double steal.
