Sports
www.oglecountynews.com
Oregon Republican Reporter, Mt. Morris Times, Thursday, May 22, 2014, Page A11
Hawks beat Morrison 5-2 in opener of regional By Dan Woessner Sauk Valley Media Crafty. Consistent. Controlled. Efficient. Dependable. All of those words could be found describing Matt Murray on the back of his baseball card. The lanky senior lefthander has a way on the mound that has made him a valuable commodity for the Oregon Hawks. One word that wouldn’t likely be on that card is slugger. Yet, despite his masterful performance on the rubber for Oregon during its 5-2 win over Morrison on Monday in a quarterfinal of the 2A Stillman Valley Regional, it was his power at the plate that might be most memorable. Murray stepped to the plate during the top of the seventh inning after Oregon has just reclaimed the lead at 3-2 on a RBI single by Tyler Blume. The bases were loaded as Bill Greul, working his first inning in relief of sophomore sensation Joey Brackemyer, delivered the pitch to Murray. The Hawk ace drilled the ball high and deep against a stiff wind, and it finally rattled off the front of the fence down the left-field line. Two more runs scored, and the Hawks (7-19) had a comfortable three-run lead. “I’ve never hit the ball that hard in my life,� Murray said. “I just don’t hit balls like that. I’ve never hit a ball over the fence, but to get it that far
at the plate was very good for most of the game,� said Morrison coach Ben Sondgeroth. “We weren’t being patient, and Murray took advantage of that. He
Up next: Stillman Valley Regional semifinal Oregon vs. Byron, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21 with the wind like it was, that’s something I’ll never forget.� “Matt and Tyler both came up with big hits after we gave up the lead in the sixth,� Oregon coach Adam Albrecht said. “That’s what you want from your seniors. They stepped up when we need them.� Greul (6-3) started the seventh, after Morrison had plated two runs in the sixth to tie the score. Like Brackemyer before him, Greul was tested to throw strikes by the Oregon batters. Joey Rowe and Adam Bittner coaxed walks to start the inning. After Mason Smith popped out, Sawyer Reynolds hit a bloop single to right to load the bases for Blume. “Murray (4-6) needed seven pitches – he threw only 74 in the game – to retire the Mustangs in the seventh. Murray took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. While the wind hurt the break on his curveball, he was more than willing to throw strikes and let the Mustangs (16-6) hit the ball in the air. “I don’t throw to strike people out,� Murray said. “I just try to throw strikes and get contact, and hope that my defense makes plays. “They were swinging early
pitched a great game. “This is rough. It’s not easy to go on a 12 game winning streak to end the season, and then come out and drop one like this.�
Brackemyer, who had allowed one earned run in 46 1/3 innings this season, allowed two against the Hawks. Oregon forced him into deep counts.
in the count and that helped me out. Then I could hear their coach telling them to lay off the first pitch, so I figured I could sneak a fastball up there to get ahead.� Oregon scored once in the fourth, as Blume scored from second on a single to left by Luke Ziegler. The throw home by Andy Bird was off line, but catcher Justin Jensen retrieved it and threw to Brackemyer covering the plate. It was a bang-bang play, but Blume was ruled safe. The play came an inning after Kollin Burn threw Bittner out at the plate from right field. Mason Smith’s single in the fifth scored Joey Rowe to put Oregon up 2-0. The Morrison bats – which had made some solid contact throughout the game – found the holes in the sixth. Morrison’s Ryan VanZuiden broke up the nohitter with a single to lead off the sixth. Bird moved him to Oregon’s Tyler Blume is called safe at home for the Hawks’ first run against Morrison second on a bunt, and then he on Monday. Also signaling safe is Blume’s teammate Paul Rypkema. Photo by Alex T. advanced to third on a wild Paschal, Sauk Valley Media pitch. Ben Tegeler singled to short right, but Bird didn’t score. Kollin Burn grounded out to score the Mustangs’ first run. Jensen then tied the score with a single. “I didn’t think our approach
Sunset Golf Club to host ladies only golf scramble on June 30 Sunset Golf Club in Mt. Morris, welcomes all lady golfers in the northern Illinois area to join the club in a unique ladies- only golf scramble on Monday, June 30. “Go for the Green!� will include fun, food, prizes, and of course...lots of golf! The event will be held on June 30 (with a rain date of July 1) at the Sunset Golf
Club in Mt. Morris. The scramble consists of 18 holes, lunch, and prizes. Golfers can sign up as an individual, twosome, or foursome. The cost is $50 per person which includes entry and green fees plus a $10 cart rental option. Check-in time is 8:30 a.m. and the shotgun start time is 9 a.m. Complimentary rolls,
donuts, coffee cake, etc. will be served. Lunch will be served following golf and play-offs. For more information, or to register, contact Mindy Nesemeier at 815-973-2895. Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor for the event and/or donating a prize should also contact Oregon’s Adam Bettner backs up Sawyer Reynolds as he looks to make a play on a grounder up the middle against Morrison on Monday night. Photo by Alex T. Paschal, Nesemeier. Sauk Valley Media
Junior high boys fourth, seventh at Route 72 conference meet A total of seven teams competed in the Rt. 72 Conference boys’ track meet in Winnebago on May 13. Seventh grade team scores were Byron, first place, 96 points; Winnebago, second, 73 points; Meridian, third, 70.5 points; Forreston, fourth, 66.5 points; Pecatonica, fifth, 46 points; Aplington, Polo, sixth, 42 points; and DLR Junior High, Oregon, seventh, 40 points. Results for Oregon seventh grade boys were: 100 meter dash: Calvin Sullivan, eighth place, 14.94; Pierce Ruit, ninth place, 14.96. 200 meter dash: Luke Martin, fifth place, 31.01; Jackson Buck, eighth place, 32.18. 400 meter dash: Calvin Sullivan, 10th place, 1:16.92;; Brigham Finch, 13th place, 1:32.88. 800 meter run: Jake Mennen, fifth place, 2:39.11; Ryan Lazansky, sixth place, 2:43.68. 1600 meter run: Ryan Lazansky, second place, 5:40.54; Brigham Finch, ninth place, 6:52.30. 100 meter hurdles: Luke Martin, third place, 20.88; Connor Young, sixth place, 21.58. 200 meter hurdles: Connor Young, sixth place, 37.42; Adam Merrill, eighth place, 40.32. 4 x 100 meter relay: Adam Merrill, Connor Young, Jackson Buck, Jake Mennen, sixth place, 1:02.51. 4 x 200 meter relay: Adam Merrill, Calvin Sullivan, Luke Martin, Pierce Ruit, fifth place, 2:09.45.
4 x 400 meter relay: Connor Young, Jackson Buck, Jake Mennen, Ryan Lazansky, fourth place, 4:55.20. High jump: Jake Mennen, fifth place, 4’04�. Long jump: Pierce Ruit, ninth place, 13’02�; Jackson Buck, 12th place, 12’06�. Shot put: Carson Sweeney, fourth place, 30’05.5�; Carter Fruin, ninth place, 25’.00.5�. Discus: Carson Sweeney,
third place, 73’09�; Carter Individual event results for Fruin, 10th place, 56’. Oregon were: 100 meter dash: Kyle Eighth grade team scores Cermak, fourth place, 13.17; were Forreston, first place, Nicholas Zalzalah, 10th 123 points; Meridian, second, place, 14.44. 107 points; Aplington, Polo, 200 meter dash: Jacob third, 66 points; DLR Jr. Cullen, eighth place, 27.66. High, Oregon, fourth, 60 400 meter dash: Jacob points; Winnebago, fifth, 56 Cullen, second place, 1:01.79. points; Byron Middle School, 800 meter run: Ian sixth, 10 points; Pecatonica, Hussung, first place, 2:26.42. seventh, 1 point. 1600 meter run: Ian Hussung, second place,
5:24.29. 100 meter hurdles: Bryce Karper, sixth place, 20.12. 200 meter hurdles: Bryce Karper, fourth place, 34.41; Jaspreet Gill, sixth place, 36.59. 4 x 100 meter relay: Cade Gorzny, Jaspreet Gill, Kyle Cermak, Nicholas Zalzalah, third place, 56.22. 4 x 400 meter relay: Ian Hussung, Jacob Cullen, Kyle Cermak, Nicholas Zalzalah,
second place, 4:17.10. High jump: Jaspreet Gill, seventh place, 4’08�. Long jump: Nicholas Zalzalah, eighth place, 13’03.50�; Cade Gorzny, ninth place, 13’01.50�. Shot put: Jacob Cullen, first place, 41’01; Kyle Cermak,, ninth place, 31’09�. Discus: Cade Gorzny, eighth place, 73’; Jaspreet Gill, 10th place, 61’10�.
%XUJHUV :LQJV 6DODGV 9HJDV 6ORWV %HHU *DUGHQ %ORFNV 6RXWK 2I +Z\ 6 :HVOH\ 0W 0RUULV ,/ 0RQ 6DW DP DP 6XQGD\ DP SP ZZZ PDJJLHVRQOLQH FRP