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LaBrae’s Mike Morris hurls one-hit shutout
By JIM FLICK
CHAMPION
Led by pitcher Mike Morris, LaBrae blanked Champion 11-0 in an All-American Conference baseball game on Tuesday.
Morris (2-3) not only pitched a one-hit shutout, he also doubled and singled twice to drive in three runs.
But Morris was only one factor in the potent offensive effort by LaBrae (6-9, 4-2 AAC Blue).
Third baseman Greg Olson smacked two doubles and singled for the Vikings to collect a pair of RBIs. Center fielder Andre Elkins singled twice to plate a pair of runs, and stole two bases.
Champion’s first hitter of the game collected what turned out to the Golden Flashes’ only hit. Center fielder Dakota Coulter singled and advanced to third base, but a double play ended the inning.
When asked to explain his success on the mound, Morris said, “I just mixed up my pitches.
“They’re good ballplayers, so I had to keep them guessing.”
Tuesday’s game marked the second time this season Morris has played a key role in beating Champion (5-12, 3-5 AAC).
Earlier this season, he smacked a walk-off hit that drove in the run that clinched a LaBrae victory.
“It feels good,” Morris said. “We hadn’t beaten these guys before since I’ve been here. Now, we’ve beaten them twice in a row.”
Morris struck out five Champion hitters, including the game’s last two hitters, and didn’t walk anyone.
While Morris’ pitching was a key to win, LaBrae coach Dan Chiaberta said it wasn’t the only reason for the Vikings’ victory.
“We were able to make the routine plays,” he said. “When you do that, you have some success.
“This game is a sign of the progress of our program,” Chiaberta added. “To be able to come in here and beat Champion says good things about us. To be able to put up the numbers we put up today, that’s a good sign.”
LaBrae collected 11 hits and committed only a single error.
“Morris pitched a good game,” said Champion coach Tim Cope. “He did a good job of keeping our hitters off-balance.”
Champion’s hitters should have been “more aggressive at the plate,” Cope added. “We took more pitches than I would have liked.”
On the other hand, LaBrae’s hitters “found the holes and hit the ball hard,” Cope said. “LaBrae played a good baseball game. We’ll take this as a learning experience and move forward.”