Woodson's Morley clutch in upset of Madison
By Jason Mackey
Woodson shortstop Jacob Morley's seventh-inning single Monday night would not have stood out among his 40 hits and .597 average last season.
But as an integral part of the Woodson baseball team's 3-2 home upset of Madison, Morley's game-winning bouncer up the middle carried a bit more weight.
“It's a big honor to do that,” said Morley, who went 1-for-4 on the night, as his team improved to 5-2 overall, 3-0 in the Liberty District. “That's the great thing about baseball ... you fail, and then you get the chance to come through again.”
That Morley even had a chance to win the game was equally as impressive. Madison center fielder Kyle McIntyre lifted the second pitch of the game over the left-field fence, and right fielder Colin Flaherty added a solo shot in the sixth, staking the Warhawks to a one- or two-run lead until the ending.
Madison starter Ted Williams exited with one out and two on in the fifth inning, as ace Jesse Jeter entered the game and stranded both runners with swinging strikeouts wrapped around his own throwing error. Williams allowed three hits, two walks and struck out five. The senior left-hander didn't factor into the decision for the Warhawks (5-3, 2-1 Liberty).
Woodson starter Joey Carleton turned in one of his finest outings as a Cavalier. Carleton allowed only the solo home runs, while striking out 10 in six innings of no-decision work. Woodson freshman Joe McGillicuddy earned the win in relief by pitching a scoreless final frame.
“[Madison] hit home runs, but that's only two runs,” said Carleton, who finished 2-3 with a 4.35 ERA in 2007. “I was trying to hit spots and keep the ball on the ground ... I wasn't really expecting 10 strikeouts.”
Nobody really expected Woodson to escape with a win -- until it happened. Jeter continued his dominance by striking out all three Woodson hitters in the bottom of the sixth, but when Woodson center fielder Max Waizenegger reached base on third baseman Andrew Schrock's throwing error to start the seventh, an otherwise frigid night began to get interesting.
Woodson third baseman Wyatt Moore's fly ball found a home in shallow center, and when pinch hitter Colin Dempsey was hit by a Jeter pitch, Madison coach Mark Gjormand knew it was time for a change.
Gjormand summoned Schrock to work out of the jam, and the senior righty responded by coaxing a perfectly-manicured double-play ball out of Woodson's Dylan Roberson.
But, when second baseman Casey Turner's sailed wide of second base and bounced into shallow left field, Waizenegger and Moore were able to score, tying the game at two apiece.
“You play the game start to finish, and we just didn't finish,” said Gjormand, whose team will host Jefferson tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. ”We let the leadoff guy get on, then they go and get a bleeder. We botched a couple routine ground balls, and I'm not calling anybody out, but we were in control of the game.”
After an unfortunate occurrence that saw Woodson's Kirk Lewis get hit on the left side of his face by a Schrock pitch, the Cavaliers found themselves -- like everyone else -- in an awkward situation, wanting to win the game, but finding it difficult to focus on baseball.
Moorley's ability to drive a 1-1 fastball up the middle proved to be the difference, although the celebration was understandably subdued after the game.
“This is one of those teams that has the mentality that they can battle back in any game,” said Woodson coach Chris Warren, whose team will travel to Langley Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. affair. “You can see that in the seventh inning of this game.”