The nugget., May 31, 2017, Page 15, Image 15

Wednesday, May 31, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
15
Outlaws fall in 4A quarterfinals
which we had nothing going
offensively up until this point.
But it wasn’t just the homerun
that got us back in the game.
It was Jake, Christopher, and
Alec all getting on base to
load the bases for me. If these
guys don’t do their job to get
on base, then we’re not talk-
ing about a game-tying grand
slam. It was a total team effort.
“I was just fortunate that
the Philomath pitcher made a
mistake and gave me a fastball
up and in. That’s exactly what
I was looking for, and there
was no way I was missing it. I
was so excited running around
the bases. A part of me wanted
to go slow down and enjoy the
moment because I knew it was
huge, but I also just wanted to
get back to my friends at home
plate and share the moment
with them.”
When Morgan connected
and the crowd knew it was a
homer, there was sheer elation
from the bench and the shout-
ing home crowd.
Hodges said, “There was
energy, confidence, and a
change in momentum in
that one swing. The enthusi-
asm I saw from the kids was
incredible.”
But the inning wasn’t over.
Ryan Funk was hit by a pitch
and took first base, and Jett
By Rongi Yost
Correspondent
Sisters didn’t get the results
they were hoping for in their
home game against Philomath
in the 4A quarterfinals on
Friday, May 26. The Outlaws
rallied in the fifth to go up 5-4,
but the Warriors battled back
and scored the game-winning
run on a walk in the eighth
inning. The loss knocked the
Outlaws out of the playoffs.
Philomath jumped out
quick and scored three runs in
the first, and tacked on another
run in the second to take an
early lead. The Warriors held
the Outlaws scoreless the first
four innings.
In the fifth, the Outlaws
fired up and the game changed.
Jake Larson got on base with
a single, and Christopher Luz
followed with a bunt single
down the first-base line. Alec
Gannon was hit by a pitch and
loaded the bases.
Zach Morgan took the
plate, connected with a fast-
ball and hit a monster shot
straight away to left field 50
feet over the fence to tie it up
at 4-4.
“The grand-slam felt
great,” said Morgan. “It was
easily the biggest hit of my
life. It was in a huge spot in
Mingus followed with a line
drive down the third-base line
for a hit. Ryan Cook drove
in Funk with a line drive go-
ahead run that put the Outlaws
on top 5-4.
In the top of the sixth, with
two outs, the Outlaws walked
Philomath’s lead-off batter,
and the Warriors followed up
with two singles, which drove
in a run and tied it up at 5-5.
“That was tough,” said
Hodges. “There was no one
on base with two outs and they
scored.”
Sisters had runners at sec-
ond and third with two outs
in the bottom of the sixth, but
unfortunately couldn’t score a
run. The final out came with a
hit straight to the second base-
man, who made the play.
Regulation play ended in a
5-5 tie and the game went into
extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, it
was almost the same scenario
as the sixth. The Outlaws put
out two batters, with no one
on base. They proceeded to
walk three batters in a row,
and then walked in a player on
a hit pitch. The Warriors didn’t
even swing the bat to score the
winning run.
Sisters left 11 runners
stranded on base.
“We had opportunities to
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Ryan Cook stretches for a game-saving catch versus Cascade Christian.
The Outlaws would later lose to Philomath in a heartbreaker.
score,” said Hodges. “You just
can’t leave runners on base in
that kind of a game. It comes
back to haunt you.”
The Outlaws were put in
a difficult pitching situation
and were forced to go deep
into their pitching rotation.
Starter Jett Mingus had to be
taken out in the sixth due his
109 pitch count, and two of
the Outlaws who are usually
in the rotation were unable to
pitch due to injury and illness.
The result was Hodges having
to call on guys who don’t nor-
mally throw and ask them to
pitch in a very tough situation.
“The loss is hard to deal
with,” said Morgan. “We
knew our team was pretty
good and we had a chance to
do something special. So, to
lose a heart-breaker like this is
a hard pill to swallow. In addi-
tion to losing, it’s the last time
I got to play with the seniors.
We have all played together
for almost 10 years, so to have
it end like this was really sad.”
Hodges stated, “I’m really
proud of the guys and the fact
they held their heads high.
They played till the final
pitch.”
Two days earlier in the first
round of playoffs, Morgan
pitched a 5-0 shutout against
Cascade Christian, a team that
scored 195 runs this year.
Zach did an incredible job
on the mound and only threw
72 pitches in seven innings.
He threw strikes, didn’t walk
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