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MORRIS – After just nine pitches, Morris and pitcher Colin Pfeifer found themselves down 3-0 in the opening game of their Interstate 8 Conference series against Ottawa on Monday.
While the start may not have been what they wanted, Pfeifer and his teammates settled down and rallied for a 14-4 win in five innings. After allowing a solo homer to Adam Swanson, a hit by pitch to Jacob Rosetto and a two-run homer by Brendyn Fuchs in a four-pitch span in the top of the first, Pfeifer did an about-face and retired the next 13 batters he faced, including seven by strikeout. He finished the game allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and striking out nine in five innings.
“I didn’t start well, but my slider ended up working really well today,” Pfeifer said. “I don’t know if it was the wind or because I changed my grip, but the slider was working as well as it has all year.”
Morris (10-5, 3-0) took the best shot Ottawa had in the top of the first, then had an effective counterpunch in its half of the inning. Griffin Zweeres delivered a one-out, two-run single before courtesy runner Logan Zdanwic scored on a two-out single by Merek Klicker, who paced Morris going 3 for 4 with a double, home run and four RBIs. That tied things up after an inning.
After a scoreless second inning, Pfeifer shut down Ottawa (9-7, 1-2) in the top of the third, then took matters into his own hands in the bottom half of the inning. With Zdanwic on first after Zweeres was hit by a pitch, Pfeifer launched a home run to right field to give him and his team a 5-3 lead.
“It was a big boost for us to come right back and tie it in the bottom of the first,” Pfeifer said. “I know our offense is going to score. Getting it tied right away let me go out and start over from the second inning on.
“The home run I hit came on a hit-and-run. It was a 2-1 pitch and I got a low fastball, which is my favorite pitch to hit. I was just trying to make contact, and it went out.”
With Pfeifer cruising on the mound, the Morris offense kept scoring. Morris put up a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double by Brett Bounds before putting it away with a big fifth inning.
Zweeres led off the inning with a single and, an out later, Klicker clubbed a homer to right-center. With two outs, Ximi Baftiri singled in Steven Wagner before a walk to Bounds loaded the bases for Jack Wheeler. After a passed ball scored a run, Wheeler hit a two-run single to right. Zweeres was hit by a pitch and Pfeifer walked, with Wheeler scoring on a wild pitch. Klicker then doubled to right to score Zdanwic with the final run.
“First, you have to tip your cap to Ottawa,” Morris coach Todd Kein said. “They put a couple of good swings on the ball in the first inning. Colin settled in nice after that, though. And it was good to see our guys come right back and get three and tie it in the bottom so we could reset.
“We’ve been waiting for an offensive game like this to happen. Colin put a good swing on his, and it was nice to see Merek Klicker squaring the ball up well. We got some two-out hits to bring in some runs, and we got good at-bats up and down the lineup.”
Mason Jaegle drove in Ottawa’s other run with a single in the top of the fifth, bringing home Jaxon Cooper, who had reached on an error.
“We got off to a good start,” Ottawa coach Levi Ericson said. “This is the third straight road game where we have taken the lead in the top of the first, but we’ve either given up the lead or let it get tied in the bottom. Credit the Morris pitcher. He pounded the zone and shut us down.
“We had a couple of walks early that hurt us. Four of their first six runs were on base either due to a walk or a hit by pitch. You can’t give a team like Morris free bases. They are hard to get out 1-9.”