Mustangs ride past IVC

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ROCK ISLAND – Jason Smith needed a little help from his friends Monday to get the last out of the sixth inning.

Every player in the Morrison infield was willing to lend a hand and glove.

A 6-3-5-4-2 head-spinner halted Illinois Valley Central’s last scoring threat and helped the Mustangs to a 4-2 victory at the Class 2A Rock Island Supersectional at Augustana College.

Morrison plays Metro-East Lutheran from Edwardsville in a state semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday in Joliet.

“This is the best defense I’ve ever played with my whole life,” Smith said. “If they score a run there, they have all the momentum back. That might have saved the game for us. Who knows?”

Smith, who was nearing 100 pitches, walked Derek Fleming with one out. After getting James Lauber to fly out to right-center, Smith surrendered a single to Dan Semtner that moved Fleming to second.

That brought up leadoff man Keegan Horack, who worked the count to 3-2, the seventh time Smith reached such a count.

Horack grounded to the hole at shortstop on the sixth pitch.

Ethan Goodenough ranged over and made an off-balance throw toward first. The ball sailed high, forcing Zach Greul off the bag to make a leaping catch.

Greul caught the ball and saw that Fleming had broken for home before retreating back to third.

“I saw a runner between the bags and I made a throw,” Greul said. “I was just hoping that I’d get him.”

The throw was late, but Semtner kept running around second and was nearing third.

Third baseman Connor Stanton took the bait and took a few steps toward second before throwing to second baseman Andrew Cook. When he did, Fleming broke for the plate. Cook threw home.

“When I threw it I thought for sure that I had made a bad throw,” Cook said. “But Tyler [Hayes] made the catch and reached back to tag him on the helmet.”

IVC (29-5) scored twice in the first, after two walks and single. Smith threw 29 pitches in that inning.

“After that first inning, I would never have guessed he’d make it all seven,” Morrison coach Scott Vance said.”

Charlie Dennehey got the Morrison (28-2) bats going with a single in the third. A Goodenough double and three more singles resulted in four runs against IVC pitcher Cody Kentzel.