Morgan, Wooddell Lift Spartans To Finals
Not only did Northern Region Player of the Year Charlie Morgan get it done at the plate, he pitched 6 strong innings for the Spartans helping them to advance to the Northern Region finals as well as the VHSL State Tournament...
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Senior Scott Bernier was a shining star for the Warhawk offense with his solo home run in the first inning...
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Along with teammate Charlie Morgan, Garrett Wooddell sparked a Spartan slugfest driving in five runs including a pair of two RBI hits with two outs...
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STORY BY: DAVE GRAHAM / MADISON HIGH SCHOOL
BURKE, VA - The West Springfield Spartans rallied from a 3-1 first inning deficit to pound out runs in all but one inning on their way to a 13-6 victory over a Madison Warhawk team that battled to the end but clearly missed their star pitcher who was sidelined with a freak injury. To be fair, West Springfield used their ace, Patriot District Pitcher of the Year Bobby Wahl, for only one batter in this game as he had already pitched eleven innings in the previous five days. The Spartan attack was led by Charlie Morgan who had four hits including a home run and Garrett Wooddell who drove in five runs including a pair of two RBI hits with two outs.
Mark "Pudge" Gjormand later noted, "Today was tough. We came out aggressive but we pressed a bit once we got down. We made some mistakes we hadn't been making in the play-offs and it was tough to have to put some of our young pitchers in such a big game. Still, you have to give West Springfield credit. They played well and deserved to win."
Normally Madison would have handed the ball to Matt Moore, their senior All Liberty District pitcher, for a game of this magnitude. He had pitched 5-2/3 innings of shut out ball in the opening round of the Region tournament and would have been well rested for this game. Unfortunately, the day after his last outing he was injured in a non-baseball accident. With Moore out of action, Coach Gjormand resorted to a four pitcher strategy similar to the one Madison used to upset McLean in the Liberty District final. However, the first pitcher he had used against McLean was unavailable for this game having pitched five innings two days earlier to earn the victory in the quarterfinal game.
Freshman Dan Powers got the starting assignment for the Warhawks. With one out in the first, Morgan, the Patriot District Player of the Year, lofted a ball over the fence in left center for a solo home run. Unruffled, Powers struck out the next batter and ended the inning on a ground out.
Morgan started on the mound for the Spartans. Second baseman Aaron Self smothered T.J. Ehrsam's lead-off grounder but was unable to get the speedster at first for an infield single. Jonny Graham hit a towering fly ball to right center that hit off the fence for a double when the right fielder lost the ball in the sun. Ironically Graham himself would successfully battle the sun six times to catch fly balls in right field. Ehrsam had held up on the play so he ended up at third. Teddy Turner drove in both runners with a solid single to left but was gunned down trying to stretch the hit into a double on a good throw by left fielder Tyler Basse. That became a huge play when Scott Bernier blasted a home run over the fence in right center. After a strike out, Jay Kenyon clubbed one on a bounce off the fence in left for a two bagger. Austin Mellor entered the game as a courtesy runner. After a long foul drive down the left field line, Morgan ended the inning ended on another strike out.
Daniel Allen reached base on a throwing error leading off the second and later stole second. With one out, Trevor Snook hit a gapper to left center for an RBI double. He moved to third on a grounder to second and after a walk to Nick Stevens, Self stroked an RBI single to center. The inning ended on a check swing grounder to short with the score knotted at three.
Nate Favero started the bottom of the frame grounding a ball up the middle. Shortstop Allen made a diving stop and flipped the ball to second baseman Self whose relay to first was too late to get Favero. Nonetheless, it was an impressive play and an indication of things to come. After the infield hit, Austin Chute entered as a pinch runner so Favero could warm up to pitch the next inning. After a pair of well hit fly ball outs, Graham battled through nine pitches to draw a walk. With runners on first and second, Turner hit a hard grounder up the middle and Self made a brilliant diving stop, scrambled to his feet and threw the ball home from the edge of the infield grass. The runner had taken a big turn around third and West Springfield flawlessly executed a three throw rundown for the final out. The game was tied but the score could have been significantly different as two Warhawk runners had been thrown out on the base paths and a throwing error had led to two Spartan runs.
Sophomore Favero came in to pitch the third for Madison and with one out hit Kyle Snyder with a pitch. Jacob Trump entered as a courtesy runner. Allen and Wooddell hit back to back singles to drive in a run and put runners at first and second. Allen moved to third on a fly out to right and Woodell advanced to second uncontested a pitch later but Favero ended the inning on a soft looper to shortstop.
With one out in the bottom of the frame, Ryan McGuire was plunked in the posterior. After a strike out, Danny Cate wore a pitch between the numbers. The runners moved up a base on a balk but were stranded there as the inning ended on a ground out.
Freshman Andy McGuire came in to pitch the fourth for Madison. Nick Stevens led off with an infield single and Self boomed a double into the left center gap to put runners at second and third. Morgan dropped an RBI single into shallow center to put runners at the corners. After a foul pop out, Snyder laid down a suicide squeeze bunt with Bernier making a great play to gun him down at first. However, the base umpire nullified the play by saying a balk had been committed. This was a huge call as the runners still moved up but an out was taken off the board. Two pitches later, Snyder was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Trump again entered as a courtesy runner. The runners moved up on a grounder to second that would have been the third out if not for the balk call. Wooddell smoked a single up the middle to plate two more runs. David Pyon entered the game as a pinch runner but Kenyon nailed him trying to steal second with Favero making a nice pick and tag to end the inning. However, the Spartans had opened up an 8-3 lead.
Andy McGuire led off the fourth with a shot to left field but Basse got a good jump and made a nice catch running in for the ball. Ehrsam followed by driving a ball over Basse's head to the fence for a double. He eventually reached third on a wild pitch but Morgan worked out of trouble getting a fly out and a strike out.
McGuire retired the bottom third of the line up in order in the top of the fifth. Bernier made a nice play to get the second out going to one knee to field a hot smash and rifling the throw across the diamond for the out.
Bernier led off the bottom of the fifth by lining a 3-2 pitch to center for a single. He moved to second on a passed ball but held there on a grounder to third as Snook initially dropped the ball but recovered in time to get the out at first. Bernier was tagged out at third when Morgan made a nice pick up on a hard hit comebacker. Mellor again entered as a courtesy runner and hustled to take second on a pitch in the dirt that was blocked in front of the plate. It was to no avail though as the inning ended on a fly out.
After a lead-off ground out in the West Springfield sixth, Morgan roped a single to right, moved to second on an errant pick off attempt and tagged up and took third on a fly out to right. David Belt made a fine play at shortstop to backhand Snyder's grounder in the hole but his strong throw just missed beating the batter to first. The RBI infield hit opened the door as Allen drew a four pitch walk and Wooddell once again plated a pair of runs with a two out hit, this one a double to left center. Belt made a good play on a grounder to short to end the inning but instead of a scoreless frame the Spartans had extended their lead to 11-3.
Favero battled through a seven pitch at bat to draw a walk leading off the bottom of the sixth. With his pitch count approaching triple digits, West Springfield pulled Morgan in favor of southpaw Michael Simko. Andy McGuire walked to put runners on first and second and both runners moved up on an infield out. Graham fought off a 2-2 curve with a blooper into short left field to drive in a run. Turner's solid single to center brought home another run and a balk put runners on second and third. After a strike out, Ryan McGuire was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Protecting an 11-5 lead, the Spartans opted to bring in their ace, Wahl, who to that point had been playing right field. On the muggy day he took his warm up tosses then when action resumed proceeded to throw three heaters of increasing velocity and elevation to record a strike out and end the threat.
Cate took over on the mound for the Warhawks to start the seventh. Basse reached base on a throwing error but Kenyon threw him out trying to steal second. Stevens slapped a single through the left side and Self reached on an infield hit. Morgan's solid single to left loaded the bases. Wahl brought home a run with a fly out to left and Snyder walked to load the bases. A second run scored as all the runners moved up on a passed ball before the inning ended on a fly out to right.
With the bottom third of the order coming up for Madison and their lead built back to eight runs, the Spartans sent Snook out to pitch the seventh. Cate led off with a rocket to left for a single. After a nine pitch battle that ended in a strike out, Andy McGuire reached on an infield hit and both runners took an extra base on a throwing error. After a pop out, Graham dumped a single into left field to score Cate and put runners at the corners. The game ended on a topper down the first base line. Snook hustled over and slipped as he grabbed the ball but completed the throw to first while seated on the first base line.
In an all Patriot District match up West Springfield will play Woodson for the Northern Region championship with both teams guaranteed a spot in the Virginia State tournament. The Cavaliers switched to the Patriot District this year after ending Madison's 2009 season in the quarterfinals of the Liberty District tournament. The Spartans' victory ended a splendid 2010 season for the Warhawks which saw them win the Liberty District title and for the first time in four years advance to the Northern Region semifinals.
Coach Gjormand summed it up noting, "I'm real proud of our guys. No one picked us to win the Liberty District. We had a great run in the Regionals and I'm sorry to see it end. Everybody on the team and especially our seniors did a great job."
