Softball: Morrison falls short in sectional semifinal

PERU – All game long, the Morrison Fillies had scoring chances, but they just couldn’t cash in. Then West Central got its one opportunity and took advantage of it.

The Heat scored in the bottom of the sixth inning to win their Class 1A St. Bede Sectional semifinal 1-0 on Wednesday to advance to the title game against host St. Bede in a rematch of last year’s sectional championship.

[ Photos from Morrison vs. West Central softball sectional semifinal ]

Morrison (18-10) had a runner on base in all but the first and last innings, and had two on base three different times. But each time, West Central (29-7) found a way to wiggle off the hook and preserve the scoreless tie.

“We all just tried to keep our heads up. We knew it was hard, and we knew we should’ve had at least four runs, probably. But we just tried to tough it out and kept telling ourselves, ‘Next inning, next inning,’” sophomore pitcher Bella Duncan said. “We just didn’t get that other inning.”

Duncan was strong again in the circle for the Fillies, allowing just one unearned run and three hits; she had a no-hitter through four innings. She struck out 10, didn’t walk anyone, and hit a batter.

She worked 1-2-3 innings in the first, second and fourth, and worked around a leadoff baserunner in the third (hit by pitch) and fifth (double). She had two strikeouts and a groundout in the third, and then struck out the side after Ashley Meyer broke up the no-hitter in the fifth.

“Bella stayed alive. She kept her head up at all times, she never got down. She kept the team hyped,” freshman catcher Allie Anderson said.

Duncan kept a strong Heat lineup off-balance by mixing her location, and worked the corners of the plate to keep away from solid contact. She threw 82% of her pitches (76 out of 93) for strikes.

“My riseball definitely was key,” Duncan said. “We talked about it after the first inning that [the umpire’s] strike zone, he loved the rivers [on the edges of the plate], so we just tried to focus on that.”

West Central starter Addie Seitz was also solid. She gave up six hits, but consistently made high-pressure pitches in high-leverage situations.

Duncan and Jordan Eads hit back-to-back two-out singles in the top of the third, but Seitz got a fielder’s choice grounder to end that inning.

In the fourth, Kiyah Wolber singled and Allie Anderson doubled to put runners on second and third with nobody out. But Seitz got a strikeout, then a line drive to shortstop Shelby Bowman turned into a double play to get out of that jam.

“We’ve moved some people around, and I think it’s really worked. We’ve become a lot stronger on defense than when the season started,” Seitz said. “I tried to just stay calm and throw strikes.”

She got another key strikeout after Duncan doubled with two outs in the fifth and went to third in a wild pitch.

BayLeigh Brewer led off the sixth with a single to left-center, but another line drive to short in the sixth was snagged for the first out. After an error on a grounder put runners at first and second, Seitz got two more strikeouts to throw up another zero on the scoreboard.

“When we keep them from scoring, it motivates us more to score, so we can stop being so nervous when they get on base,” Seitz said.

“The big defensive plays really get your adrenaline moving, and it gets you ready to go up to bat and score some runs to back up our pitcher so there’s not as much pressure on her, keep the game a little more calm,” Bowman said.

She came through with the big hit for the Heat in the bottom of the sixth. Bailie Ferguson reached on a dropped fly ball to start the inning, then Seitz singled to left-center. Duncan got a flyout for the first out, but Bowman lined an 0-2 pitch into the gap in left-center; it rolled all the way to the fence.

Ferguson rounded third and scored, and Seitz tried to follow, but a perfect relay from Morrison center fielder Kaylee Pruis to shortstop Eads to catcher Anderson threw out Seitz at the plate. Duncan then got a comebacker to end the inning, but the damage had been done.

“I was just looking to put the ball in play, and hopefully make them make a tough play. Good things happen when you put the ball in play, and that’s really all I was thinking,” Bowman said. “This was probably the closest game we’ve been in all year, and it gives us some confidence to know we can win games like these.”

Seitz then worked just her second 1-2-3 inning of the game, retiring the side in four pitches – another hard line drive that was caught at third base, then a flyout to center and a popout to third – to advance to the sectional final.

While the Heat celebrated, the Fillies were left to mull over what could have been.

“Our kids kept their heads up the whole time. It’s a true testament to how good that program is; they played a heck of a defensive game. But I couldn’t be more proud of our kids,” Morrison coach Kim Snider said. “Bella had a heck of a game in the circle holding that offense down, and our defense played phenomenal. We were just one hit short today.”

The loss doesn’t take away from the season Morrison had, especially a hot finish that led to the first regional title since 2017.

“It was an outstanding season,” Duncan said. “We hadn’t won a regional championship in six years, so to win regionals was already a big accomplishment for us.”

It’s no stretch to say Morrison could be back in this same position next season. The Fillies lose just two senior starters, and bring back a pair of pitchers in Duncan and Eads.

While it hurts now, playing in a couple of pressure-packed games to finish the season will be good experience for the Fillies moving forward.

“We just kept cheering. We just played a tough, close game against Newman, and we knew that if we just kept our heads up, anything is possible,” Anderson said. “It didn’t work out for us today, but we gain more new players next year, and they’ll help us. We just have to come back stronger.”